Probably one of the last things a luxury buyer thinks about when shopping for a new home is how he is going to insure it and how much is it going to cost. One of the hardest things to figure out is WHO is going to insure it. Luxury homes are not insured by every insurance company out there, and most likely, buyers will have to choose from a small pool of companies.

For instance, Minneapolis and St. Paul have an extensive inventory of historic homes with many showcasing architectural elements that would cost a fortune to reproduce today. Sorry, but Allstate just won’t do.  Buyers and home owners can’t just pick any insurance company to cover these beautiful and rare items; therefore, the best way to protect your home is to choose an insurance company that has a specific policy covering old homes.  Placing a value on items can be tricky, so agents can come to your home and evaluate original stain glass windows, rare woodwork, imported tile, expensive wall coverings, stone carvings…you name it, they have the expertise to value your home’s special attributes.

The initial appraisal and inventory of your home is crucial. Agents will take photos and detailed notes of everything in your home, so that should a disaster strike, your home can be reconstructed as best as possible to its original state. Most of these special insurance companies will go above and beyond the policy to make sure your home is returned to you better than before, even updating your home to current code at no additional expense to the home owner.

 Some companies that you might look into for insuring your luxury home include:

•  HUB International – can quote from the Top 5 upscale insurance companies
• Fireman’s Fund
• Chubb 
• AIG/Chartis
• ACE
• PURE

Many of these companies offer increased coverage for Wine Collections, Jewelry, multiple properties, flood insurance, Kidnap and Ransom, Fine Art, etc.

Home Owners, you aren’t left out of this conversation either.

 Over the years, million dollar mansions are updated and improved, but many homeowners neglect to call up their insurer and inform them of the improvements, leaving their home undervalued. When disaster strikes, homeowners could find themselves in a tough place when they don’t get the correct dollar value to replace their home and personal items. It is suggested that homeowners update their policy every year to make sure they are fully covered.

And don’t let the declining real estate market, which might state the value of your home has decreased, affect the insured value of your home. Home values have little to do with how much it will cost to rebuild and replace everything lost, so don’t get caught in that trap.