Insuring a Second Home

You already own a cottage or you are thinking about buying one soon… What kind of questions should you be asking yourself to make sure your second home is well insured? Hey, it’s not so complicated, they are the same questions you’d have to answer for any dwelling you want to insure and that you don’t live in on a full-time basis: 
• Where is your dwelling located? 
• When and how often will you be using it (all year long or during the summer)?
• What are your insurance needs (your personal property and other needs)?

Where Your Dwelling Is Located

If your dwelling is located in the United States or in another province, you will probably have a harder time insuring it. The insurance company will probably ask you to insure your primary dwelling with them before accepting this kind of risk. 

Seasonal or Temporary Use

Since people don’t live year-round or full-time in their vacation home, insurers don’t usually offer all risks coverage. Second home insurance will therefore cover designated risks such as fire, lightning, hail and wind storms. If you want to insure other risks such as theft and vandalism, you will have to pay extra and mention it to your insurance expert.

A few practical tips to avoid nasty surprises: Read your insurance policy and ask your insurance expert about exclusions, limitations and obligations during the heating season. If you are renting out your cottage, tell your insurer since it increases the risk of something going wrong considerably.

Specific insurance needs

Do you have any aquatic equipment, a motorboat, fishing material or a quad? Your basic coverage might only partially cover these items, or not at all. Make sure you tell your insurance company about everything you want covered. Also consider re-evaluating periodically the amount of insurance on the building, especially after undertaking any renovations. 

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