Basically, your homeowner insurance primarily covers three types of property:

• your house
• any adjacent structures (such as a garage)
• your personal belongings

Homeowner insurance protects you from specific types of home-related accidents or incidents. The most common types include fire, theft, and vandalism.

Your coverage goes beyond just taking care of your home and possessions. It also covers additional living expenses (such as hotel expenses) if your house becomes unusable for a while.

You also have liability protection. If you or a member of your household is responsible for injuring someone or damaging someone's possessions, your policy covers it.

The most important thing to remember when purchasing homeowner insurance is that you select the amount of coverage you will need to replace your home and property, and an amount to cover any possible liabilities. These selections put a boundary on what your policy covers.

Please note that most standard policies do not include damage caused by flood. Be sure to ask your Sales Representative about whether you should buy this separate coverage.

If your policy's value is large enough for you to rebuild your house if a total loss occurred, then you are properly insured. The replacement cost of your dwelling will vary over a given period of time because of changes in material, labor costs, and inflation. It is best to review your insurance periodically to make sure you are adequately covered. Your Liberty Mutual Sales Representative will be glad to assist you.

Yes, you may. Initially, your personal property coverage usually reflects 50 percent of your home coverage. It may be increased or decreased, depending upon state requirements.

Most items are covered for loss or damage as a result of specified perils or subject to stated limits. Take jewelry, for example. In the case of a jewelry theft, in most instances, the company will reimburse you up to $1,000. However, loss or damage resulting from losing a bracelet or dropping a vase, for example, would not be covered unless that item was specifically insured, also known as scheduled. There are also limits on such things as money, securities, watercraft, trailers, grave markers, furs and guns. Please check your policy for the specific coverage limits.

Yes. This coverage comes under the heading of Additional Living Expenses, a coverage that is included in homeowner and tenant policies. The amount of coverage you have for additional living expenses is generally 20 percent of the amount of coverage on your home. If you have $100,000 coverage on your home, you may have coverage for as much as $20,000 for additional living expenses. This coverage provides for expenses over and above your normal living costs.

You are covered up to your policy limits for the resulting damage to your home and personal property, and for any additional damage caused in the course of repairing the faulty system. You are not covered, however, for the cost of repairing or replacing the system itself unless the water damage is caused by freezing. Please refer to question 7 regarding coverage for damage from freezing.

Thus, in the case of a broken pipe in a wall or ceiling, you are covered for repairing the resulting water damage, and you are covered for any additional damage and expense incurred in tearing out the wall or ceiling to replace the pipe. You are not covered for the cost of the new pipe. In order for water damage to be a covered loss, it must be sudden and accidental. If it results, for example, from a slow leak over a period of weeks or months, it would not be covered.

You are covered for resulting damage to your home or personal property as well as for damage to the plumbing or heating system itself. If your home is vacant or unoccupied at the time the freeze-up occurs, you are covered as long as you have taken the necessary precautions to keep the building heated or have had the water turned off and the plumbing and heating systems drained.

There is no coverage on the homeowner policy for loss or damage to personal belongings caused by a pet or other domestic animal.

In most states, there is a limit. A new, simplified homeowner policy applies in most states and has a limit of $2,500. You should check your policy and if you need more coverage than the stated limit, you should consider scheduling the silverware.

You have coverage up to the limits of your policy, unless your house was vacant for 30 or more consecutive days immediately preceding the loss.

There is usually no coverage on your homeowner policy for injury sustained on your property by you or a member of your household. However, liability coverage may apply if an insured is legally liable for the injury.

You have coverage, up to your policy limits, under the liability portion of your homeowner policy if you are legally liable for the injury. In addition, the company will pay, up to applicable limits, any bills or reasonable medical expenses of the neighbor or visitor's injury. However, certain exclusions may apply, depending upon state law or policy provisions.

There is coverage up to $2,500 for property on the "residence premises" that is used at any time or in any manner for a "business" purpose.

There is no coverage under the homeowner policy for windstorm damage to trees or other shrubs.

Yes, it covers expenses incurred in removal of debris from your covered property resulting from a covered loss. An example of this would be the expense incurred in removing shingles that have blown off your roof.