It is frustrating..unfortunately the insurers are ultimately in the business of predicting future losses. To accurately do this with a home, they're going to need a lot of information about the home.

For example - a home that was built in 1965. If it has aluminum wiring, which was commonly used to wire homes at the time, it is a much much higher risk for fire then one with copper wiring. So the insurer needs to know - does this have aluminum or copper wiring? Without knowing this, they can't accurately assess the risk. Homes with copper wiring might burn down at a rate of one in every 10,000, while homes with aluminum might burn down at a rate of one in every 1,000.

Right now, every property insurer in Canada is losing money on its property policies. Every time I say this to one of my clients they roll their eyes, but as 1 anonymous person to another on the internet, I can tell you this is a fact; the biggest insurer in Canada is paying out over $1.20 in property claims for every $1 in premium it brings in. The insurance companies have been able to manage these losses for the past few years on the strength of great results from investment income and from other lines of business (mostly commercial and automobile insurance), however it has gotten to the point where the insurers need to make drastic changes. So the entire industry is trying to find a way to raise prices, without chasing away all of its customers. As a result the insurers are targeting characteristics of homes, and individuals, which they view as a positive; if you score well, your rates will stay down. If not...you'll be stuck with the higher rates. This is why you're getting asked so many questions.