Quebec homeowners

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/14-of-quebecers-ran-into-unexpected-issues-within-5-years-of-purchasing-their-property-679244703.html

1/4 of Quebecers ran into unexpected issues within 5years of purchasing their property


The secondedition of the “Allstate Insurance Safe Homeowners Study” showshomebuyers and homeowners could avoid costly surprises if they are better informed
MONTRÉAL,April 10, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - This spring, ashouse hunters go about searching for their dream homes, they may be overlookingcritical checklist items to consider before making an offer.
And as snow melts away, current homeowners maybe planning regular maintenance jobs but overlooking critical fixes that couldhelp avoid costly issues down the road. A new survey by Léger,
conducted on behalf of Allstate InsuranceCompany of Canada,revealed that a quarter (25 per cent) of Quebechomeowners say they experienced considerable issues within the first five yearsof purchasing their home,
indicating that homebuyers may bemisinformed when it comes to what to look for and ask about while shopping fora new property. Of those, seven per cent faced damages between $1,500 and $5,000
and five per cent ran into damages exceeding $10,000 in repairs, according to the survey.

Infographic:Safe Homeowners Study (CNW Group/Allstate Insurance Company of Canada)
“Regardlessof whether you’re shopping for a new home or renovating your current property,assessing the home and its surroundings for potential issues isimportant,”
says André Parra, Regional Claims Director atAllstate Insurance Company of Canada.“Being aware of what to look out for will help you properly prepare andpotentially fix pre-existing problems before they become bigger, more costlyissues.”
**LessonsLearned: Homeowners’ Hindsight is 20/20
**In Quebec, four in tenhomeowners (40 per cent) surveyed say they would go about things differently ifthey could redo their home-buying experience.
Among them, 18 per cent would hire abuilding inspector or be more cautious in looking for potential damages or riskfactors (17 per cent).
Beforebuying their property, nearly half of Quebechomeowners (45 per cent) looked for information or inquired on their own, aboutthe risks of sewer backup or water infiltration.
Pollfindings also showed that property seekers could be doing more research andbackground checks prior to purchase:

  • Only a third (35 per cent) verified if the property is located in a flood zone, near a large body of freshwater or a former swampy ground
  • A third (32 per cent) inquired about previous damage or insurance claims on their property as a result of flooding or fire
  • A quarter of homeowners (26 per cent) inquired if there had ever been any complaints, class actions or lawsuits against the contractor who built their property
  • One in five homeowners (20 per cent) researched how their property could be impacted by urban development around it

Beforecommitting to a new home or project, homebuyers and owners are encouraged to dotheir research and work with an expert to complete a home inspection orassessment prior to purchase, maintenance or renovations.
See infographic available at www.goodhandsadvice.ca](http://bit.ly/2qk0Mf6).
**WhichAreas of the Home Should be Inspected?
**According to theAllstate Insurance Safe Homeowners Study, which analyzed Allstatehousehold incident claims data from 2017, the most frequent and costly homeinsurance claim in Quebecare due to water damage,
followed by damage caused by wind orhail, with fire-related claims landing in third place.
Waterdamage now accounts for the most frequent and costly home insurance claims in Quebec. Water claims dueto burst pipes are the most frequent (34 per cent) according to Allstate data,followed by toilet and shower leaks (25 per cent).
Other sources of water damage come fromwashing machine leak (7 per cent) and hot water tank leak (7 per cent). Themain impact of wind and hail related damage (nearly half of the claims) iswater infiltration through the roof (47 per cent),
followed by falling shingles or siding (23 percent).
**Guidefor New Homeowners and House Hunters
**When consideringbuying a property, look beyond esthetics and design layout. Research potentialoutside factors and pay special attention to your surroundings while on-site toavoid surprises down the road.
The Allstate Insurance SafeHomeowners Study includes a Guide for New Homeowners and House Hunters(available at at www.goodhansadvice.ca](http://bit.ly/2H6iwEu))that provides helpful tips and recommendations for potential buyers to keep inmind
while on the hunt for their next home, and forhomeowners to refer to when making regular maintenance decisions.
**Aboutthe Léger Survey
**The survey wasconducted by Léger between February 20, 2018 and February 28, 2018 via omnibus online survey among arepresentative sample of 618 Quebec homeowners aged 18 and over.
Using Statistics Canada data, results are weightedbased on gender, age, regional, language spoken at home, education and childrenpresent in the household to make the sample representative of the entirepopulation under study.
For comparison purposes, a probability sampleof 618 respondents would have a margin of error of ±3.9%, 19 times out of 20(95 per cent).
**Aboutthe Allstate Insurance Safe Homeowners Study
**Allstate Canadaconducted an in-depth analysis of the company’s property claims data todetermine the most frequent cause of damages in Quebechouseholds.
The study is released annually and comparesdata over a 10-year period of claims experience. Households claims frequencyrefers to a percentage of homes insured by Allstate Canada involved in aproperty damage that resulted in a claim.
Toensure the data provides a realistic outlook for what is happening in theprovince and highlight any trends, claims information from all communities areanalyzed in charts looking at 10 years of insured property data split betweenseven types of general perils
. Each peril is then divided in up to20 possible causes of loss.
Claimsdata is limited to damages for which there was a payout. The data ranksfrequency of damage, not severity of loss. The study itself does not includepersonally identifying information of Allstate customers.
**AboutAllstate Insurance Company of Canada
**AllstateInsurance Company of Canadais one of the country’s leading producers and distributors of home and autoinsurance products, serving Canadians since 1953.
The company strives to keep itscustomers in “Good Hands®” as well as its employees, and is proud tobe named a Best Employer in Canadafor the sixth consecutive year.
Allstate Canada is committed tomaking a positive difference in the communities in which it operates and haspartnered with organizations such as MADD Canada, United Way, and the OldBrewery Mission.
To learn more about Allstate Canada,visit www.allstate.ca](https://www.allstate.ca/).For safety tips and advice, visit www.goodhandsadvice.ca.
SOURCEAllstate Insurance Company of Canada

For further information: AlidaAlepian, Capital-Image on behalf of Allstate Canada, 514-739-1188, ext. 239,aalepian@capital-image.com; Anna Weigt-Bienzle,
Senior Communications Specialist, AllstateInsurance Company of Canada, 905-475-4527, aweigtbienzle@allstate.ca

Bigs thanks from this Quebec memeber.
You’re the best, Roy Cooke.