We’ve written before about whether insurance will cover the unexpected, such as alien invasions or a Bigfoot appearance. While these may seem unlikely, it is remotely possible they could happen and, if they did, you would have some insurance coverage for damage they may do to your home.
Ghosts, on the other hand, aren’t real so we’re not going to address whether an insurance policy applies to damage from a ghost or goblin. If you disagree with that conclusion, well, sorry to upset you, but there is some good news.
“Haunted” houses may be able to be cured with help from your home insurer. That’s because houses that appear haunted often have natural explanations and those explanations may be a sign of a covered insurance risk, or at least a preventable one!
Save Me Time!
- There can be natural explanations for a haunted house.
- Insurance might cover those natural causes.
- Thus, having the proper insurance can help remediate a haunted house.
The Rest of the Story
Haunted houses and insurance? Seriously? Could there be a bigger stretch? No, actually, this is for real! The right insurance – and some basic maintenance – can help you fix your haunted house!
If you search for natural explanations for ghosts, you’ll come across a number of potential explanations. Do any of them say call an insurance adjuster to serve as a medium? No, that probably isn’t going to help, but as you’ll see below, there is a role for your insurance company to help.
Common Causes Of The Paranormal
Infrasound:
Infrasound is low frequency sound that isn’t detectable by human hearing. That’s interesting, but why do we care? Because the presence of infrasound frequencies is commonly found in locations where people report ghosts.
Studies have shown that infrasound can cause fear and dizziness. Could this explain the perceived presence of ghosts? It very well could.
But what does this have to do with insurance? Well, guess what natural events tend to cause infrasound? Storms, lightning, and earthquakes! In other words, things that can lead to insurance losses!
So when lightning strikes your home and knocks out the power, the infrasound may make you think a ghost did it! Now you know you don’t need to call the Ghostbusters, you can call the insurance company.
Mold:
The presence of mold in a home has been associated with paranormal complaints. Mold is a serious health problem that can lead to delirium and hallucinations. These can include seeing ghosts.
Unfortunately, mold damage isn’t always covered by insurance. There is typically only coverage if the mold resulted from a covered water loss. However, if you do have a covered water loss, make sure the insurance company checks for any presence of mold before it grows and has you seeing ghosts!
Carbon Monoxide:
High levels of carbon monoxide can also lead to hallucinations and thus ghost sightings. While insurance doesn’t typically pay for the impact from excessive CO levels, some carriers do provide discounts for carbon monoxide detectors. So make sure to install those detectors and keep ghosts at bay!
Vermin:
That scurrying sound in the attic? Probably not a ghost. More likely to be squirrels or rats or bats that got inside. Unfortunately for you, damage caused by “vermin” isn’t covered by insurance. However, making sure your roof is well maintained will keep the vermin out and keep you from fearing paranormal visitors.
Leaks:
That dripping sound you hear? Or the splotch on the ceiling? It’s not the ghost’s blood. It’s water, probably from a leaky pipe. If you don’t find it soon, you’re going to have a bigger problem than a ghost. You’re going to have a flood in your home when the pipe breaks!
While the damage from a broken pipe will be paid for by insurance, this is a scare you don’t want. So have the plumber fix that leak before it becomes a bigger problem.
Water hammer:
That knocking sound you hear? No, it’s not a ghost trapped behind the walls banging to get out. It’s called a water hammer and it’s a problem with your pipes.
If left untreated, it can also lead to a cracked pipe and significant water damage. So while the plumber is fixing your leak, also have the water hammer addressed and you can extinguish two ghosts at once while avoiding two insurance claims!
Window seals:
Is there a high pitched sound and are your curtains rustling? Yeah, that’s probably a sign of loose window seals letting wind through, not a ghost whistling.
You know what else happens when your windows aren’t sealed properly? Water comes through during a bad storm and that kind of water damage isn’t covered by insurance! So call the window repair service, not a seance.
Final Thoughts
We’ve learned two very important things today. First, there is a natural explanation for what may seem like a ghost in your home. Second, protecting yourself from ghosts can also lower your risk of an insurance claim, which, if you ask me, is a lot scarier than a ghost!
