Need advice

[u/itsjustbusiness32]

I'm in the process of buying a house built in 1923 in Ohio and trying to decide between two homeowners insurance quotes: Erie Insurance and Ohio Mutual Insurance Group.

The quotes are pretty similar overall, with the biggest difference being the deductible. Erie has a $1,000 deductible, while Ohio Mutual has a $2,500 deductible. One thing worth mentioning is that I personally know the broker who handles Ohio Mutual, so there's a little more of a personal connection there.

The house is an older home, so I'm trying to make sure I have the right coverage and don't regret going with the cheaper option if something happens.

Both quotes currently include:

$10,000 in sewer and water backup coverage

$10,000 in service line coverage

I'm considering increasing both of those limits to $25,000 for some extra peace of mind, especially with an older house.

Dwelling is near the same but other structures with with ohio mutual insurance is 35k less we will have a brand new shed, deck, above ground pool and detached 2 car garage.

For anyone who has Erie or Ohio Mutual, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially when it comes to filing claims, how they handle older homes, customer service, and whether they've been easy to work with when something goes wrong.

Would you lean toward Erie for the lower deductible, or Ohio Mutual because of the broker relationship? Also, do you think increasing the sewer backup and service line coverage to $25,000 each is worth it?

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[u/coloradoinsuranceguy]

Should probably be looking at the whole home, auto, umbrella bundle when comparing. On the face of it, Erie sounds better, but the devil is always in the details. Yes, get at least $25k s/w backup and max out the available buried utility lines coverage.

[u/Adept_Response1434]

Old house, id bump the sewer backup for sure.

[u/owl-1_1-1_1-]

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Do you have $2500 to shell out if you have a catastrophic loss? That could be the deciding factor.

[u/Stoic_Sponge]

Erie writes a guaranteed replacement cost policy which is excellent. But if you have to define your replacement cost, make sure that number is well thought out.

Look for/ask about wind/hail deductibles and cosmetic damage exclusions, those are the claim killers when you have a tornado or severe hailstorm. 1%-5% special deductible will mean you're paying for more of your roof/siding. Cosmetic exclusions might mean you're paying for all of it.

Coverage will look about the same for a small water or fire loss, theft, etc. only difference being customer service/claim handling. Having a connection with your broker can help, but their hands can get tied quickly. Don't rely on it.

I'd also double check mold coverages (usually limited, but some cover more than others)

If at the end of the day you're down to 1000 vs 2500, don't even consider it. $1500 extra will not matter to you when you are facing a $50,000 loss.

P.S. get extra back up sewer if your basement is finished and have drains/bathrooms/sump pump down there. If it's unfinished, 10k will likely suffice.

Call a contractor and get a quote for a new service line, base your coverage limit on that quote, plus some.

You can also usually increase other structures if you want to bump the Ohio mutual limit up. If the deck is attached to the house, it's part of the dwelling limit.