Let's say you've just bought a new home as stunning as these Bemidji homes for sale or Brainerd homes for sale. One of the many factors you'll have to consider will be homeowners insurance. It's important to comb through the fine print to properly understand what is and isn't covered by the insurance before deciding on a policy.

Since hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other extreme weather events are increasing in number and intensity, having a solid homeowner's insurance cover is the ultimate way to protect yourself.

Do you know what to look for in your homeowners insurance policy? Here's a handy guide that will walk you through the basics of a typical policy.

What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?

Your standard homeowners insurance will cover a wide range of possible damages to your physical dwelling, including other structures on your property like a shed or fence. Personal property is also covered on your policy, but coverage is limited when it comes to high-value items such as jewelry or artwork — you'll need specialized insurance for such assets.

Unfortunately, safeguarding your home against unexpected natural disasters is not always as simple as buying insurance. While standard policies do cover a wide variety of risks, including fire and civil commotion, you may be surprised to find that many policies fail to insure against one of the most hazardous risks your home can face: extreme weather events.

So, what type of disasters are covered?

• Tornadoes and windstorms, but only to a certain degree. If you live in Tornado Alley, which includes certain parts of Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Iowa, you might be required to pay an additional deductible for wind damage. This way, your policy will rebuild your house in case of a "total loss" event.
• Cold weather or snow damage. Unless it's determined there was negligence on the homeowner's part, the majority of policies tend to cover damage by cold weather or snow.
• Wildfires. Fire is a covered peril under all insurance policies, and luckily this includes damage from wildfires. But, your policy may not cover the total cost of rebuilding a home, which is definitely something to look into.

What Homeowners Insurance Typically Won't Cover

Even the broadest home insurance policy won't cover every potential risk to your home. Here are some of the potential dangers and catastrophes your standard homeowners insurance won't cover.

• Flooding. While flooding is the most common natural disaster affecting homes in the United States, you'll need to purchase flood insurance in order to be fully protected.
• Earthquakes, landslides, and sinkholes. Standard policies tend to exclude these natural disasters from coverage, so you'll need specialty earthquake or landslide insurance if you live in a risk-prone area.
• Hurricanes and storms. Hurricanes are a bit complicated since damage can come from wind or water. Most home insurance policies in the market cover wind damage, though you might be required to pay an additional deductible. Water damage cover will need to be purchased separately.

Does Your Insurance Address a Catastrophe?

Here's the thing: Extreme weather events don't just affect you but entire neighborhoods or cities. In the event of major disasters, insurance companies will have to pay any claims at once. So, make sure to choose a company with the financial strength to cover large-scale disasters.

As you go about hunting for a home, you'll need to consider getting homeowners insurance that can cover any risks your home might face. Call today if you have any questions regarding home insurance policies or are just looking for your forever home. Our agents would love to hear from you.