How to insure your second home?

How to insure your second home?



Have you just purchased a second home and are wondering whether you should insure it? Do I need to take out specific insurance? How much does it cost ? Which guarantees to choose? To learn all about second home insurance, read on.
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A second home in the countryside
It is strongly recommended to insure your second home. © 1000words
Summary

    Insuring your second home is strongly recommended
    Secondary residence: do we have to take out a specific contract?
    Secondary home insurance: what guarantees does it provide?
    How much does it cost to insure your second home?
    What insurance in the event of a seasonal rental?

Insuring your second home is strongly recommended

If you own a second home, know that you do not have to insure it. However, taking out insurance is strongly recommended to effectively protect yourself against everyday hazards. Indeed, in the event of fire, water damage, natural disaster or acts of vandalism affecting your second home, you will have to pay for the necessary repairs if no insurance covers you. However, these costs can be particularly significant. In addition, your second home being mostly unoccupied, the risk of burglary will be increased. Note that while in most cases you are not required to insure your second home, you must if it is located in a condominium. In this case, the ALUR law requires you to take out insurance covering at least your civil liability, in order to cover any damage caused to third parties.
Secondary residence: do we have to take out a specific contract?

To insure your second home, you have two options: request an extension of home insurance for your primary residence or take out specific second home insurance. In the first case, all you need to do is contact your insurer and ask them to extend your home insurance so that it also covers your second home. In most cases, the deductibles, warranty limits and certain clauses in the contract will not be the same from one residence to another. This formula inevitably results in an increase in the premium of your home insurance since the newly covered risks are greater. If you prefer to opt for home insurance specific to your second home, then you will benefit from a tailor-made contract for your home or vacation apartment. This is certainly a slightly more expensive solution, but which allows you to have specific protections (avalanches, floods, etc.) for your second home. Also remember to check that certain clauses are missing from your insurance. For example, it would be perfectly useless to have taken out a new civil liability guarantee since you are covered by the home insurance of your main residence.



A second home is not exposed to the same risks as a primary residence. Home insurance must therefore include specific guarantees, in particular the theft-burglary guarantee. In fact, your second home will most of the time be unoccupied. It will therefore be an easy target for burglars, especially if it is located in an isolated area. To compensate for this risk, your insurer will generally apply an additional premium. They may also ask you to take security measures, such as putting up bars or installing an alarm system. It may also be essential to take out the climatic events guarantee if your accommodation is located in a particularly exposed area (mountain, seaside). This warranty will cover you against damage caused by storms, floods or avalanches. Obviously, these additional covers will result in an additional premium.

Before purchasing your insurance, be aware of the possible presence of a vacancy clause. This could limit the scope of your theft cover in the event of a prolonged absence from the accommodation.
How much does it cost to insure your second home?



The cost of insuring a second home varies according to several criteria, including surface area, location and, of course, the guarantees taken out. If you take out a policy specifically for your second home, you will pay an insurance premium separate from the insurance premium for your primary residence. Keep in mind that securing a second home costs more than insuring a primary home. In question, specific guarantees