Home Insurance Basics Canada
The basics
What home insurance actually covers (and usually doesn't)
The four parts of a standard policy — your home, your belongings, extra living costs, and liability — plus the exclusions people are most surprised by.
Why this site exists
Insurance paperwork is written for lawyers, not for people. These guides translate the standard Canadian home insurance policy into everyday language: what you're actually buying, the levers that move your price, and the moments when it's worth shopping around. Each guide takes about five minutes to read, stands on its own, and links nothing but the rest of this series. This is general information to help you ask better questions — it is not financial advice, and it can't replace a licensed insurance professional who knows your situation.
All five guides
Pricing
How insurers price your premium: the levers you can move
Replacement cost, location, claims history, and the state of your home — what goes into the number, and which inputs you actually have some control over.
Saving money
Deductibles, bundling, discounts: the honest math
How deductibles really trade off against premiums, what "bundling" actually means, and the discounts worth asking about — general guidance, no invented numbers.
Renewal
Renewal season: shopping your policy without the headache
A low-stress routine for renewal time: when to start, what to compare line by line, and how to switch without a coverage gap.
Renters & condos
Renters and condo owners: what you need instead
Not a homeowner? Tenant insurance and condo unit-owner policies work differently — here's what they cover and how they fit with your landlord's or corporation's policy.