Your home is where you keep some of your most prized possessions, from jewelry to antiques and family heirlooms. Unfortunately, your standard homeowners insurance policy might not cover these high-value items. If you’re hoping to sleep easier knowing your assets are protected, consider the following guide.

What Are Homeowners Insurance Riders?

Standard homeowners insurance policies are designed to protect the average house. This means, in addition to the structure itself, they’ll cover the possessions inside it, but only up to a certain amount.

If you own items that exceed this amount in a given category, such as surfboards and other recreational equipment, you may need to ask your insurer for a rider. This is essentially an add-on to your current policy. It doesn’t replace your existing plan — it just accounts for the extra coverage you need and correlates to a specific dollar amount.

How Can I Determine If I Need One?

If you’ve just moved into a house or have yet to start a family, you might be living simply. In this case, the standard policy should cover the replacement value of your possessions. 

However, as you get older and start to purchase or inherit more valuable items, the value of your assets might price out of the policy. For example, you might own jewelry worth thousands of dollars, while your policy only covers $1,000 in this category. In this case, you’ll need to add a jewelry rider to your policy that will extend your coverage to fit your needs.

Every time you receive or purchase an expensive item, such as a new entertainment system or music recording gear, check that you have enough leeway in your policy to cover its replacement value. If you don’t, you can add another rider to your policy.

If you’re looking for a homeowners insurance policy that goes above and beyond, turn to Jeffrey T. Quinn Agency LLC of Meadville, PA. Since 1992, they have been helping match clients with the ideal coverage, whether they need to protect their car, home, apartment, or farm. When you sit down with one of their agents, you can rest easy knowing all your questions and concerns will be answered. To learn more about their offerings, visit their website, or call (814) 337-2766.