Home Insurance in British Columbia - Discover more from our Branch Manager Joanne Tonita

August 27, 2021

Joanne Tonita is the Branch Manager at our Grandview Corners branch of Western Coast Insurance. Throughout her career, she has focused on providing clients with the best home insurance coverage for their specific needs, backed by great service. She also enjoys mentoring her team members to learn and grow within the insurance industry.

Could you describe your background in home insurance?

I’ve been with Western Coast for nearly 10 years. My favourite part of my role is building long-term relationships and trust with our clients so we can properly protect them. You gain a much deeper understanding of home insurance the longer you work with clients — especially when you help them through claims.

People’s homes are often their biggest assets, whether they own a detached home, condo, or townhouse. It’s incredibly important to help clients understand their coverage and ensure it aligns with their comfort level and risk tolerance. If something goes wrong, we want them to be properly protected and not surprised by gaps in coverage.

Supporting clients through claims gives you a real understanding of what a policy provides. That experience helps ensure clients get the greatest value from their home insurance policy.

What is homeowners insurance?

In British Columbia, if you have a mortgage, you must carry homeowners insurance because your lender needs to know their investment is protected.

Home insurance policies include several key sections of coverage. The first is the building itself. At Western Coast, we offer Guaranteed Replacement Cost coverage. This means we start with a realistic rebuild value, but if the cost to rebuild exceeds that amount, the policy will still pay the full replacement cost.

Contents are covered on a replacement cost basis — meaning damaged items are replaced with new ones of similar quality, including taxes. Home insurance also includes additional living expenses, so if you need to live elsewhere during repairs, you’re not paying out of pocket.

With strong home insurance coverage, clients should never need to rely on fundraising to recover from a loss — their policy is there to help make things right.

What are the different types of home insurance?

Western Coast offers a full range of home insurance solutions, including homeowners, condo/townhome, tenants, rental, and seasonal policies.

Each policy type offers different coverages, and our goal is to match the right policy to each client’s needs. Home insurance really matters when a claim occurs — that’s when clients truly see the value of having the right coverage.

Which home insurance policy is right for me?

Someone living in a 500 sq. ft. condo will have very different needs than someone in a 2,000 sq. ft. townhome. A family of five will need different limits and coverages than a young couple starting out.

Taking the time to understand each client’s lifestyle, belongings, and risk tolerance is critical. Needs also change over time, which is why reviewing your home insurance policy annually is so important.

Geography also matters. On the West Coast, earthquake coverage is a major consideration, whereas that may not be the case in other provinces. Home insurance is never one-size-fits-all, and a good advisor will tailor coverage accordingly.

What aspects of home insurance might surprise customers?

Many people are surprised by how much is included in home insurance. Coverage often extends to belongings while in transit during a move, identity theft protection, and worldwide liability coverage.

Clients are also surprised to learn that if a neighbour’s tree falls on their home, their own home insurance policy responds — not the neighbour’s. Your policy is designed to protect you regardless of whether someone else caused the damage.

Another common example is water damage in apartment buildings. Whether the issue originates in your unit or another unit, your home will be repaired, which offers significant peace of mind.

How could a customer lower their home insurance premiums?

We can review deductible options and ensure coverage aligns with what’s relevant to the homeowner’s actual needs. However, lowering premiums isn’t always the best goal if it compromises protection.

For example, Service Lines coverage protects underground water pipes or power lines running from the home to the street — something most homeowners don’t realize they’re responsible for. While not always included in standard home insurance policies, this coverage can save homeowners thousands of dollars.

Our focus is to keep premiums affordable while ensuring clients are properly protected for the risks that matter most to them and their property.