Blog

A home can sit empty for many reasons. Maybe you are travelling for an extended period, moving before your old home sells, renovating, managing an estate, waiting for tenants, or dealing with a delayed possession date. Whatever the reason, one thing is important to understand: a vacant home can affect your insurance coverage. Many homeowners […]

Basement suites are a big part of Vancouver housing. From East Vancouver character homes to newer builds in Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, and across the Lower Mainland, many homeowners rent out part of their property to help with mortgage costs, support family members, or create long-term rental housing. But here is the part that […]

Renovating your home can be exciting. Maybe you are updating an older Vancouver house, finishing a basement suite, replacing a kitchen, adding a bathroom, or finally turning that unused space into something useful. But before the dust starts flying, there is one thing many homeowners forget to check: their home insurance. Renovations can change the […]

Over the past year, many BC homeowners have noticed a significant increase in their insurance premiums. Whether it’s flood insurance, fire insurance, or general disaster coverage, rates are climbing across the board. But why is this happening? In this article, we break down the key factors driving these increases and what BC homeowners can do […]

New to town and just moved into a new place? Or have you been renting a while and have never thought about tenants insurance until now? Insurance for a renter is vital. It provides coverage for: Your personal property at your rental location; Your personal property temporarily away from your rental location, for example, the […]

With the advent of websites such as Airbnb and VRBO for short-term rentals, many property owners are taking the opportunity to generate extra income by renting out their homes to visitors. Sounds like a great idea. Unless you are like the unfortunate Calgary couple whose home suffered approximately $150,000 damage last week during a “drug-fueled […]

If you rent a condo, apartment, or house, don’t make the mistake that many renters do by not having tenants’ insurance. Often renters don’t worry about getting insurance because they feel that their personal belongings aren’t valuable enough to warrant insuring them. The key point to remember is that tenants’ insurance covers far more than […]

We are pleased to announce that Habitat Insurance is now offering a new house insurance program for homes located in British Columbia.  This program offers  comprehensive coverage with generous features and special limits coverages at excellent premiums. Examples of homes recently insured under this program at Habitat Insurance: Building replacement cost of building* Total premium […]

With interest rates continuing to hold steady at record lows in Canada, many prospective buyers remain confident in purchasing homes and condos. Today’s guest blogger, mortgage broker Marci Deane, provides some insight into determining an affordable mortgage for you. While most of us have a basic knowledge of our monthly expenditures, others need to explore […]

About 200 electrical fires occur per year in buildings in BC, often causing devastating or total losses for owners and tenants.  These losses typically result in higher home insurance premiums for these individual owners and also indirectly impact insurance rates for all property owners. As buildings age, the risk of fire increases, with a disproportionate […]