Feel Free to Splish and Splash This Summer, but Make Sure Your South Carolina Homeowners Insurance is Ready for Your Pool First!

Feel Free to Splish and Splash This Summer, but Make Sure Your South Carolina Homeowners Insurance is Ready for Your Pool First!

With temperatures climbing toward scorching and every child in the state counting down the days until vacation it's impossible to deny the fact that summer is (finally) here. The question is, now that your days aren't going to be filled with rushing your kids to and from school, or running to classes yourself, how are you going to beat the heat? If you're like most people your plans for the summer outside of work jump from the beach to the pool. Before you start splishing around, however, make sure your South Carolina homeowners insurance coverage is armed and ready for your swimming pool!

If you spend your summers in a public pool you don't have a thing to worry about when it comes to your homeowners insurance; however, if you've decided to skip the summer crowds and enjoy your pool in the privacy of your backyard instead , you're going to have to make sure your insurance policy is geared up and ready to go. The good news is that living in South Carolina a huge percentage of homeowners have their own swimming pool. The bad news is that the infamous Carolina heat is going to be driving people in droves to the nearest water source-and what happens in your pool is all on you.

Most people don't realize the true extent of the responsibility that goes hand in hand with owning a pool. For example, if a complete stranger wandering down the street decides to swing into your yard, sneak over your fence and climb into your pool, and then they have an accident while in the pool, you can be held financially liable unless you've tacked a "No Trespassing" sign in your front yard.

Since when do we need "No Trespassing" signs to tell us that we need to stay off other people's properties and out of their swimming pools?

You're also going to be responsible for friends and children that come swimming in your pool, including the ones who can't figure out that diving into three feet of water is usually a very, very bad idea, so it's a good idea to make sure your homeowners insurance is able to handle the potential liability. Since you're living in South Carolina the fact that you own a swimming pool shouldn't send your liability coverage too high in and of itself (as opposed to, say, New York, where almost nobody owns a pool and adding one to your homeowners insurance can put a pretty large dent in your wallet). There are, however, some things you need to know:

1) If you have an inground swimming pool, especially if that inground swimming pool happens to come equipped with a diving board, your homeowners insurance rates are going to be higher than if you'd invested in an aboveground pool instead.

2) This is probably going to be dictated by your county's pool policies anyway, but you're going to need to build a fence around your pool to keep unwelcome visitors out. If your pool is out where anyone can see most South Carolina homeowners insurance companies are going to charge you an arm and a leg to insure it-if they're willing to offer you coverage at all.

3) Post a "No Trespassing" sign prominently in your front yard. Your homeowners insurance may not require it, but it can go a long way toward protecting you from a lawsuit later on.

4) Have your swimming pool built or installed by a professional rather than doing it yourself (if you can afford it). Professionally built pools are created with major safety issues in mind, making your pool safer for you and your family to swim in and for any South Carolina homeowners insurance provider to insure.

5) Raise your liability limits. You might pay a little extra for it, but many swimming pool related lawsuits throughout history have been considerably higher than the minimum homeowners insurance liability limits offered by most insurance companies when you buy a policy. Protect your savings account and your financial future by raising your limits and stopping disaster in its tracks.

Having your own swimming pool is a great way to beat the heat this summer without the headache that can go along with having to share a public pool, but it's an undeniable liability risk. Before taking the plunge this summer talk to your South Carolina homeowners insurance provider and make sure your insurance coverage is as ready for summer as you are.

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• Feel Free to Splish and Splash This Summer, but Make Sure Your South Carolina Homeowners Insurance is Ready for Your Pool First! - Jun 12, 2009 - 2:31:45 PM