A Summer Tree House And Your California Home Insurance
Tree houses are one of the most remembered things about childhood fun. They became anything we could imagine: clubhouses, hideaways, castles, war rooms, forts, spaceships, control centers, submarines, tea rooms, and the list goes on!
The sobering side to these delightful experiences and memories is seeing them from a liability (your California home insurance company) point of view…yikes! These same structures have a separate value that, just like a home, garage, shed, or pool; needs specific coverage. Secondly, that coverage needs to be for damage to the tree house as well as for protection against liability caused by owning a tree house.
The very fact that tree houses are so very fun is what makes them an issue for insurance companies. They are “attractive nuisances”, which means they are Child Magnets! Tree houses are guaranteed to make a home popular, very popular! And word travels fast and far!!
Here are some things to consider if you have or are considering building a tree house:
- They are off the ground and can usually only be accessed by climbing a rope or ladder
- Tree houses that are not maintained become even more dangerous
- They are used by children who are “playing”, not thinking about being careful
- They are often used by too many children, can they handle the weight safely
- The children are usually unsupervised when they are playing in tree houses
- Access to the tree house can be 24/7/365….including nights, weekends and other times when the homeowner is not around
If you have a tree house, make sure that you keep it maintained and supervise its use. Also, call your California home insurance agent and make sure you have the liability protection you need….nothing like putting a damper on a childhood memory, but times have changed and parents don’t think twice about suing if their child gets hurt!
Written by: Rhonda Remland
Source: Rough Notes
Photo Credit: EcoSalon
