# betterments and improvements, condo insurance policy



## digitalatlas (Jun 6, 2015)

On my condo townhouse insurance policy, regarding the "betterments and improvements" does this include builder upgrades or only improvements that I've made after the completion of construction?


I bought a townhouse that was not the base model, I paid for upgraded finishes, appliances, etc, but all of this was included in the original construction when I took possession. Would these be covered under betterments and improvements or contents?

Alternatively, if I purchased a house with an unfinished basement, and then finished it, would the finished basement be a betterment because it didn't come that way when I bought it?

I'm trying to figure out how much coverage I need. I had 85k on my last policy, and i'm contemplating 60k suggested by a new broker. I can certainly bump it up to 85k but is that necessary?

And I know someone is going to say, it depends on how nice your stuff is, my finishes are decent. Not super crazy, not baseline. I'd say above average. Granite countertop, SS appliances, berber carpets, 6" baseboards, original cheap contractor paint, stone sink, gas fireplace with hearth, but all of this was already there when I took possession because I paid the builder to put it in. But no crown moulding or REALLY artistic stuff that's unusual and likely expensive. 

thanks!


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Condo insurance covers the building as built, so builders upgrades should be covered. Your insurance covers upgrades after construction, for example if you replaced carpets with hardwood. 

Of course, the condo insurance only applies in extreme cases and the deductible is usually very high (somewhere around 5k and up), so don't always depend on insurance to fix things.

Also, most home packages only cover contents up to the policy max as well...so if you have expensive stuff inside, it may not be covered.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

This may sound a little wacky, but have you considered asking your insurance company?


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## digitalatlas (Jun 6, 2015)

OBVIOUSLY i've already asked my insurance company.

the purpose of posting on a public forum is to get a sense of what other people have experienced, to see if it's somewhat consistent with what the agent from my insurance company is telling me. This increases the likelihood that what I'm being told is in fact representative with the real experiences of other people, who do not have a vested interest my insurance policy or keeping me as a client.

in an ideal world, yes the insurance agent would be totally knowledgeable and infallible. But this is not a perfect world. Some agents don't know everything, they might be misinformed, having an off day, all sorts of reasons. Haven't you ever called into your cell phone company to talk about something, then the next service rep tells you something different? Are they all supposed to tell you the same thing? Yes. But is that always the case? No.

And yes, I could call back enough times to get responses from some statistically significant number of agents, but the time investment of posting on a message forum and asking for input from the community is a much better value proposition, and so I'd do this before something silly like calling a bajillion agents.

OhGreatGuru, no disrespect. I've read some great posts from you, but really, give a guy some credit here


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## GreatLaker (Mar 23, 2014)

It depends on the condominium legislation for the province where the condo is located. If in Ontario, check the condo documents for a standard unit bylaw or standard unit schedule. It will specify what is included in a standard unit. That's the standard that the condo corporation is responsible for repairing to after a unit is damaged. Anything above or additional to the standard unit is considered an upgrade, and the unit owner is responsible for the cost of repairing after damage. Even if you purchased an upgrade from the builder pre-construction, it is still considered an upgrade and is not the condo corporation's responsibility unless it is specified in the standard unit.



> http://www.condoinformation.ca/book/export/html/92
> Standard Unit By-Law
> 
> The Standard Unit By-Law describes in detail what in each suite is “standard,” that is, what is not an upgrade (or an improvement). Standard means what was specified and sold by the builder as part of the regular sales package.
> ...


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