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With interest rate hikes on pause, more buyers are coming off the sidelines and looking to enter the market. Prices are high, so protecting your investment and your home is more important than ever.
What insurance will you need to protect your new home? A quick Google search will turn up entries for title insurance, as well as for home insurance. They each protect consumers, but from very different things. Here’s a quick breakdown on each type of insurance and why properly protecting yourself takes both:
Title insurance
What is title insurance?
Title insurance protects your right to own your property. It deals with hidden issues your home may have, as well as future risks like fraud. This is just some of what title insurance covers:
- Title defects that can keep you from selling,
- Title fraud and home title theft,
- Encroachment and access issues,
- Tax arrears and unpermitted work from previous owners.
Want to know more about title insurance coverage?
How much is title insurance?
You only pay once for title insurance, usually between $150—$800, depending on where your home is and how much you bought it for. There are no monthly or annual payments, and your coverage lasts for as long as you or your heirs have an interest in the property.
Home insurance
What does home insurance cover?
Home insurance covers four main things:
- Damage to your home or other structures on the property,
- Lost, damaged or stolen valuables, depending on your policy,
- Liability for accidents or injuries that happen on your property,
- Losing use of your home because of an event covered by your home insurance (usually to do with damage to the home).
How much is home insurance?
It varies, but the average cost for home insurance in Canada is currently a little less than $1,000 per year.1 Your cost can change from year to year if you switch providers or update your coverage. Many home insurance policies also give you the option to purchase additional coverage, like flood protection, which increases your premiums.
Which do you need, home insurance or title insurance?
They cover very different things, so you need both. It’s the only way to protect both your home itself and your ownership of it.
- Title insurance doesn’t cover most property damage, lost or stolen items, or medical/injury liability.
- Home insurance doesn’t cover fraud, back taxes, or the City forcing you to alter or remove structures on your property.
Example of a title insurance claim
A north Ontario homeowner and her neighbour had discovered that her water and sewage lines didn’t connect to her street. Instead, they connected to the next street over via her neighbour’s property. They forced her to relocate her water and sewer lines at huge expense.
But fortunately, she had a title insurance policy in place with FCT. We stepped in to resolve the issue for her, and we were able to cover the full cost of moving her water and sewer lines.
Paid: $115,284.32
Without title insurance, where would the homeowner in that case have come up with $115,000? The risks title insurance protects you from are unpredictable and can be hugely expensive. If you don’t have title insurance and home insurance, the truth is that you’re at risk.
How can you get protected?
You can get title insurance coverage, even if you already own your home with an existing homeowner’s policy. But the best time to start protecting your new home is while you’re purchasing it. Talk to your lawyer or notary about title insurance from FCT, or learn more about residential title insurance here.
1 source: ratehub.ca
Insurance by FCT Insurance Company Ltd. Services by First Canadian Title Company Limited. The services company does not provide insurance products. This material is intended to provide general information only. For specific coverage and exclusions, refer to the applicable policy. Copies are available upon request. Some products/services may vary by province. Prices and products/services offered are subject to change without notice.
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