Insuring Your Mobile Home

According to the American Community Survey, Kentucky ranks #7 on the list of states with the most mobile homes per capita, meaning that approximately 14 percent of all housing is mobile homes. The state with the most mobile homes per capita is South Carolina with almost 20 percent of all housing in mobile homes. At the bottom of the list is Washington D.C. and Hawaii.

Convenience, price, and location are just a few of the benefits that come from mobile home living. Many of the Kentucky mobile home parks are not the stereotypical "trailer parks" of yesterday. Luxury mobile home parks make a beautiful setting for those looking to simplify life and enjoy tranquility, peace, and quiet in some of the most beautiful areas of the state.

Regardless of where your mobile home is, protecting it and your belongings inside is crucial. There are several significant dangers to mobile homes including:

• Fire or lightning

• Windstorm or hail

• Explosion

• Flood

• Theft

• Falling objects

• Weight of ice, snow or sleet

• Accidental discharge or overflow of water from within a plumbing, heating, air conditioning or automatic fire protective sprinkler system or from within a household appliance

• Breakage of glass

Mobile homes are typically more susceptible to major damage than traditional homes. While wind, hail, or strong storms may damage a traditional home, it can completely wipe out a mobile home. Insuring your mobile home against these and other named perils gives you the peace of mind knowing that your home is protected from damage or disaster.

Virtually every company that offers traditional homeowner's insurance policies also offers insurance for manufactured or mobile homes, but understanding what coverage you have and how much you need is the key.

You should have enough coverage on your mobile home to protect not only the structure, but also all of your belongings inside. If everything gets wiped away in a tornado or flooded by a strong storm, you don't want to be left empty-handed because of inadequate coverage.

While much of the coverage options for mobile homes and traditional homes is the same, mobile homes come with a unique feature that must be considered: they can be moved. Traditional homes cannot be put on a truck and be moved from one area to another, mobile homes can.

Therefore, insuring your home while "in transit" is an integral part of any mobile home policy. Even if you don't plan on moving the home, having coverage in place before the situation arises is better than trying to scramble and get coverage while the truck is being loaded. Even if you believe you are covered by the homeowner’s insurance policy you already have, this isn't always the case.