The basic home insurance questions
Don’t worry, the call will start gently. Your broker will first need to know how long you’ve lived at the address you want to insure, if you already have insurance with an insurer and for how many years, as well as the number of units in the building you live in. The broker will also want to know whether you are a tenant or own your home, whether you live in an apartment or a house. You’ll also be asked about the number of bathrooms and powder rooms, and whether you have a garage or a carport. All in all, nothing too complicated. Some personal information will also be needed: for example, if you are a university graduate or a member of a professional association.
Details of the building and its immediate surrounding
To answer the next set of questions, a little research will be needed. For a start, you’ll be asked in what year the building was built.
• If you’re the homeowner, you’ll find that information in the notarized document signed with the seller when you bought the property.
• If you're a tenant, check with your landlord.
You’ll also need to specify the type of building your home is: its dimensions (width, length, height and depth), and the number of floors. A short tour on a map app will show if there is a fire hydrant within 300 metres of your residence, and a fire station less than eight kilometres away.
The siding, foundations and roof
In order for your insurance quote to factor in all aspects of your home, you’ll need to describe it as accurately as possible. For example:
• What is the exterior siding made of?
• Are there any cracks in the foundation?
• When was the roof last done and what material is it made of?
• Is the roof sloped or flat?
If you don’t have a record of the sidings past and present or if you don’t have access to the notarized document for your property, some of this information may be held by your municipality, since it maintains a register of housing within its boundaries for property assessment purposes.
