• Fire, theft, accidents. . . these are the kinds of threats that might cause you to lose sleep, if you didn’t have the protection of homeowners insurance coverage.
• Fortunately, a homeowners policy will cover damage to your home and personal property due to a variety of causes (called “named perils” in insurance lingo).
• The personal liability portion of a homeowners policy provides coverage, for example if your litigious brother-in-law slips down your steps on a rainy day and injures himself.

• Broad coverage for damage to your house and any permanent structures on your property (unless the cause of the damage is specifically excluded in your policy).
• Damage to your personal property due to causes specified in your policy. (Yep, it’s those “named perils” again!)
• Limited coverage—usually $500 – $2,000—for jewelry stolen from your home. (Most policies don’t cover lost jewelry.) If you need greater coverage for your prized collection, you might need to schedule those items individually on your policy.
• Coverage for personal liability exposures that arise from being a homeowner.
• Coverage for additional costs you might incur because of a covered loss (for example, if you need to temporarily live elsewhere if a fire makes your home uninhabitable).

Rental properties need special coverage to ensure they’re properly protected.