When your homeowners insurance policy is cancelled then your home will no longer be insured.
When that happens then the homeowners insurance company will not pay out any money for any damage that happens to the home after the homeowners insurance is cancelled.
If the homeowners insurance is cancelled due to non payment then you need to pay the payment or find a new homeowners insurance company to cover you.
If your homeowners insurance policy was cancelled due to something with the house being wrong then you'll need to correct the things on the house such as repairing any damage, painting the house, keeping the lawn clean etc.
Homeowners insurance will not cover any pre existing damage to the home.
When you get homeowners insurance for the first time the homeowners insurance company will send someone out usually to inspect the home and look for any pre existing damage to the home.
Then the homeowners insurance company may or may not sell you the homeowners insurance policy.
The homeowners insurance agent or person who comes to your home will usually tell you if you need to do any repairs to the home before they will insure the home.
And you also need to maintain the home and keep up on the paint and other repairs to the home or the homeowners insurance coverage may be dropped.
So if you have pre existing damage to the home you need to repair that damage first and then get homeowners insurance on the home.