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Are the items in my attic covered if the attic isn't considered part of the house's total square footage?

Does this mean that our insurance won't cover things kept in the attic if they don't account for that space? My realtor said that the unfinished attic in our home isn't part of the total square footage of the house. It does span almost the entire length of our home and we keep a lot of property stored in there.

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Shannon Martin · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“Real estate agents are concerned with the acceptable square footage in relation to the market value of your home.
Insurance carriers need to evaluate your home in terms of replacement cost, and these two circumstances are entirely different.
Items kept in your attic would be covered under the Personal Property section of your policy.
Homeowners insurance
companies look at the total square footage of your home by calculating the above-ground and below-ground space.
An unfinished basement, in most cases, will not sustain a lot of damage from a loss and an unfinished attic will cost much less to replace than finished areas of the house.
Your realtor is looking only at livable square footage that meets certain requirements, such as:
  • height
  • egress
  • temperature control
If, at some point, you do have your attic finished into a liveable space, make sure to let your insurance carrier know to update your policy.”
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