Month: October 2022

Becoming a homeowner requires you to jump through hoops and hurdles prior to final ownership. There are applications, forms, deeds, permits, loans, access way, lawyers, architects, contractors,  and bankers.

There is also insurance.

Allow us to shed some light on one of the relatively unknown insurance products in homeownership – the Mortgage Protection Plan!

The Mortgage Protection Plan is one of the Credit Protection insurance products offered by Sacos prior to the construction or purchase of the house.

Who it serves? Potential homeowners seeking to secure a bank loan to build or purchase a house.

How does it work? The insurance coverage is applied against the value of the loan. It serves as a security for the loan and in the event of the death of the policyholder, covers the remaining value of the loan to be paid. 

Who does it benefit? Although the direct beneficiary of the insurance is the bank, or financing institution, it is the family of the deceased that ultimately benefits. As the loan is paid off in full by Sacos, the family does not have to bear the financial burden of either financing the remaining debt or losing the house to the bank. 

How to purchase it? Your bank or financial institution will most often oblige you to take the insurance as  a condition for the loan. But even if that was not a requirement, you should still contact Sacos on 429 5000 or send an email to life@sacos.sc to purchase the Mortgage Protection Plan.

What is the payment plan? The premium is paid one-off at the beginning of the policy and covers the entire duration of the loan term.

The Mortgage Protection Plan also secures loans for the purchase of other assets, such as cars and boats.

Visit our website for more information on insurance designed for homeowners.

While insurance can be a complicated affair, certain products are fairly straightforward to understand and even easier to buy.

Home insurance is one such product!

What makes home insurance easy to understand and buy?

It is straightforward: Home insurance covers damage to your house and household contents. Whether you own a house or apartment, you are eligible to purchase a home insurance provided you are of age to enter into a legal contract. Even as a tenant, you could purchase insurance to cover at least your household contents. This is why we offer you a choice between a building-only cover, a contents-only cover or both.

The process is simple: The time between requesting a quote to signing an insurance contract should be fairly short. Once you request a quote from us (details at the end of the post), we will ask you to confirm the value of your house. Ideally, your house should have been professionally evaluated. Why does this matter? If your house is undervalued, then it means you are underinsured. Say your house was worth SCR3 million, but you only appraised it to SCR1 million. In the event of a complete damage to your house, you will only be able to access up to SCR1 million in compensation. That would leave SCR2 million in lost value.

A helpful and professional team: Our team of professionals have been in the business of selling insurance for over four decades, in some cases – almost an entire career lifetime of selling insurance. We know and understand your concerns fully. We can advise you on the best approach which makes the most sense for your asset. They remain available for contact by phone, email and in-person.

One payment per year: Home insurance is fairly affordable depending on your comfort level. The good news is that you pay your premium once a year. It is up to you whether you wish to renew your insurance in the following year, but we strongly advise you to do so to protect the financial value of your house.

If you want more information about our Householders Policy, call us on 249 5000, send an email to general@sacos.sc or visit our website.

Having home insurance is a core element in ensuring that your home has insurance cover in the event of fire. Aside from this financial protection, there are certain practical steps you need to take to protect your home and youraelf against fire.

Below are three basic steps to keep in mind in order to fireproof your home:

Step 1: Fire Prevention

Your first step should always be to focus on preventing fires at any cost. As such, it is important to ensure that all fire hazards are adequately identified and taken care of. This is an important element to consider during the design stage of your house. You will need to think about the materials you use and possible escape routes, as well as the placement of fire nanagement devices to be installed.

• Fire resistant exterior walls – As a first step, you will need to carefully select the construction materials used to build your house. Some materials slow down the spread of fire more than others, such as stucco, concrete, plaster brick or stone.
• Electrical wiring maintenance – As many room fires are caused by faulty electrical wiring, always use a certified electrician for installation and maintenance. The moment you feel shock or see sparks when using a power outlet, you should consult an expert. On that note, avoid overloading a single power outlet as it may trigger electrical faults.
• Smoke alarms – Some alarms will alert you when unusual presence of smoke is detected in the house, especially if you were asleep. This gives you sufficient time to decide whether to tackle the fire or escape one. When installing your alarm, always place it in a common area where it could easily detect an early fire. Avoid installing directly in the kitchen or bathrooms however as some people often remove the alarms or batteries out of frustration when it beeps regularly. Conduct regular tests to ensure it functions properly.
• Location of hazardous materials – Safely store away flammable materials and avoid placing them next to fire hazards. For example, extensions should not be next to or on carpets; magazines and papers should not be next to heaters; and flammable liquids and aerosols should not be stored in the kitchen.

Step 2: Fire Management

Fire management is about how and when you tackle a fire. You can do so by placing certain devices in your house to manage the fire. Remember that your safety and that of those living with you is more important than saving your house or its contents. As such, you are always advised to yell FIRE immediately and evacuate through the safest and easiest exit.

• Fire Sprinklers- Fire sprinklers are automatically triggered when detecting unusual heat. Its effectiveness is dependent on the water pressure so the best location to place them is close to a water supply. Sprinklers do not completely put out fires but they do provide you with additional minutes to safely evacuate.
• Fire Extinguishers– Contrary to popular belief, water is not always effective in tackling fires. Extinguishers may be more appropriate for grease fires, for example. Place extinguishers in an easily accesible location and check its expiry date frequently. Not all fires can be put out, as such, safely evacuate if a fire is tok big.

Step 3: Fire Escape

• Accessible Exits – When building your house, ensure that you have a fire exit and that it is not obstructed by any material. Your emergency exit should be at the opposite end of your front door or at the other side of your house. If you have only one exit door, your windows become your emergency escape.
• Retractable Burglars Bars – Useful against thefts but are often death traps in the event of fire. If you have to use burglars bars, use retractable ones for easy exit.

Remember to call the emergency number in case of fire – 999

You might be tempted to run into a burning house to retrieve your personal items, but for your own safety, do not do so. Having a home insurance allows you to recover compensation against items lost due to fire damage. Our home insurance products cover your valuable possessions such as jewelry, fur, bags, etc., including electronic items. Moreover, you get 10% off your home insurance if you have another general insurance.

For more information on our home insurance products, call us on 4295000 or send an email to general@sacos.sc. You can also request a quote via our website.

Home insurance is one of those products that you are either very familiar with or do not know much about.

Unlike motor insurance, a homeowner is not legally obligated to have home insurance; and, unlike life insurance, a homeowner does not receive the premiums paid in lump sum when the policy term ends. For some therefore, home insurance is one of those products considered as unnecessary- an additional burden to the household budget.

In fact, much like car insurance, a homeowner would only ever need to pay the premium annually. When the policy term ends after a 12-month period, a policyholder has to renew their insurance policy or risk a lack of coverage if it lapses.

Fires do not discriminate on neither the time nor day of their occurence. It does not target homes based on their (lack of) insurance coverage, which by the way, neither do burglars!

Yet, it helps to have home isurance when either occurs. The structural damage caused by a fire can take years of savings and loans to repair, renovate abd rebuild. On top of this, invaluable personal items have been lost, such as art, jewellry, bags, shoes, clothing and household items such as electronic goods – fridge, washing machine, TVs and computers/laptoos. The list is endless.

A homeowner cannot gamble on the idea that the government or the local community would repair or replace what was lost. After all, so many other people are on a long waiting for their first home or land.

Home insurance provides coverage against this very dilemma. It covers the house, including the building and/or contents, in case a fire breaks out. More than that, it also covers against damage caused by floods, storms, burglary and others. The homeowner is also provided with legal protection in case a third person is hurt on their property.

A homeowner would not have to worry how to finance the rebuilding and repairs or how to replace lost content. The Sacos Householders Insurance will provide compensation in the event of fire, burglary or other perils mentioned in the policy.

With the compensation received, it will then be at the homeowner’s discretion how and when they finance the reparation or rebuilding of the house At Sacos, we insure the market value of your home to ensure that your asset is not underinsured.

For more information on the Householders Policy, contact us on 429 5000 or send an email to general@sacos.sc. You can also request a quote via our website.