There's something really, really cool about living in a house that's had the opportunity to be a little piece of history. Do you remember "Sweet Home Alabama"? It's like there's ghosts in every hallway. That doesn't stop a historic home from being a giant pain to buy homeowners insurance for, however. As a matter of fact there might be plenty of days in the near future when you're tempted to just bulldoze the darn thing and start all over again.



Don't do that. It's not that bad.

It's true that your homeowners insurance rates are going to be a lot higher to insure a historical home than they would be if you just owned your average cookie cutter home in the suburbs. It's the nature of the beast. But they have a good explanation!

If you live in a historic district the homes there are intended to be a perfect representation of exactly what they looked like during whichever era of history made them famous. For example, if you live in and around Fredericksburg, VA, Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA you're probably not convinced that the war between the states ever really ended. How could it, when you still see it everywhere you look?

While this is really, really cool for tourists it's a really big pain for homeowners insurance companies. Historic districts are governed by a historical committee that has dedicated their life to preserving the sanctity of these moments in history, right down the very last slime covered toadstool-or in your case, slate shingle. They can even go so far as to insist that slate shingle come from the very same quarry as the original when you're rebuilding.

This takes time and money. Lots of money. You have to have the slate imported, and you have to find craftsmen who know how to work with it. Believe it or not, historic craftsmen and masons who know their way around a historical district aren't as easy to come by as you might think.

Are you having sympathy migraines? That's how your homeowners insurance provider feels when they're handling your home insurance claims, which is why most regular home insurance policies don't cover houses over 100 years old. Fortunately for everyone there are companies that specialize in insuring historical property. If you're having a hard time finding an insurance provider, or you have a question about insuring or renovating your historical home, you can contact the National Trust for Historical Preservation. They should be able to answer your questions.

Of course, that doesn't help you find cheap homeowners insurance. The good news is that renovating your home can actually go a long way toward shaving money off your homeowners insurance rates without destroying its historical value. Simple things bringing the wiring up to code or fixing up the plumbing not only make your home more livable (and/or tour group friendly) it also saves you money on your home insurance because it's not likely to spontaneously combust or flood when the pipes break.

At least, not any time soon.

With a little TLC your historical home can stand for another 100 years, with a sturdy home insurance policy backing it up every step of the way.