This is something that is (and not) covered by the homeowner’s insurance.
Your home is probably the biggest purchase you’ve ever made, so you’ll probably want to protect it. Here’s how homeowner insurance works:
Amendments and Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify information regarding the risk of losing the extension or guaranteed replacement costs for the homeowner if the insurance company is not updated about the addition.
In today’s housing market, buying a home can make you feel like you’re crossing the finish line, but homeowners know that it’s just the beginning of a long, expensive and complicated journey.
When a homeowner is at the door, a down payment is spent and the focus is on mortgage payments, it is not uncommon for repairs and upgrades to fall on the roadside. Between rising labor costs, material prices and inflation, maintenance of a secret home is not expensive. According to a survey by Guardian Service, 71% of homeowners have postponed renovations due to economic uncertainty, which will help consumers support insurance coverage.
That’s where home insurance usually comes in. However, one in four homeowners have admitted to skipping filing a home insurance claim because they were worried their home wouldn’t pass the test. It’s even more common fear among younger homeowners, with one in three generations of Z reporting fear of files.
Nearly a third of homeowners said they could wait a year or two before committing to a major upgrade, with 15% saying they were postponing it indefinitely. However, the decision to live on a leaky ceiling or reconcile with other issues in your home can have long-term consequences.
Jon Ruggiero, vice president of sales at Guardian Service, went to the doctor for a home repair and check-up, changed the car’s oil, or the tires were spinning. Without proper maintenance, homeowners can face more expensive problems.
“Your home really doesn’t make a difference. It’s the biggest investment you’ve made in your life. You want to make sure you check in regularly,” Ruggiero said. “If you don’t, you’re more likely to put yourself in a situation where one of those extreme costs is creeping up.”
In addition to risking higher premiums and being dropped by insurance companies, nearly half of homeowners said they were concerned that 2025 maintenance would reduce home safety.
What repairs are postponed by homeowners?
Homeowners prioritize the upgrades they need, with 69% saying they are most likely to invest first in safety or structural improvements.
However, home improvement budgets fell by an average of 42% this year, with two-thirds of homeowners saying they were completely eliminated, the survey found.
Aesthetic upgrades such as repainting and installing new flooring have first gone ahead, with 48% saying they have postponed these projects. Homeowners will most likely delay bathroom and kitchen remodeling in the next place. Less than a quarter of homeowners say they have also postponed window upgrades, electricity or plumbing repairs and roof replacements this year.
Even in summer heat waves and unusually high temperatures, 14% of homeowners said they would delay HVAC replacement.
Delay or DIY?
Homeowners say it’s cheaper to make upgrades.
At 69%, most people say they are waiting for inflation to decrease. Some people are behind in hopes of lower materials and labor costs. Some are looking to see whether potential tax credits or reduced tariffs will make projects cheaper in the future.
Others are not willing to wait. They may not have the money to hire a contractor, but 62% of homeowners surveyed are working on critical repairs. Young people are most likely to DIY, with 3 generation Z and millennial homeowners skipping professional help to save money.
“Gen Z grew up in a world where you can modify YouTube online,” says Ruggiero. “They tend to make themselves experts and try to diy the fixes.”
Anthony Scheirer is a public insurance adjuster known as @insurancecalimguy online, and reminded homeowners that they need to inform their insurance companies if they make significant improvements.
Otherwise, he said the homeowner could lose the extended or guaranteed replacement costs. This is additional cash available if the cost of reconstruction exceeds the limit stated on the declaration page in your insurance policy.
Some projects, such as installing wood stoves, can increase liability and risk. It can affect your overall payments if the insurance company next time the homeowner files a claim, especially when the wood stove files a claim, it remains in the darkness of them until they file a claim if it causes a fire.
“If there’s a situation where you didn’t say improvement to them, you could literally lose hundreds of thousands of dollars because you didn’t make them aware,” Schiller said.
Tips for lower-level home insurance premiums
Some home improvement projects can actually reduce owner premiums.
Almost half of homeowners say they’ll complete the late upgrade if that’s the case, but 71% say they haven’t educated their insurance companies on whether they can cut their monthly payments.
According to the Guardian Service, common projects to lower premiums include storm-resistant windows, new roofs and fire resistance. Ruggiero told USA Today that installing a smart thermostat or central security system is part of the easiest upgrades that homeowners could potentially reduce insurance costs.
However, all policies are different. Ruggier and Scheirer recommend reviewing with qualified experts to see what changes can reduce premiums.
Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@usatoday.com Follow her at x @rachelbarber_
