Archive for the ‘Home Insurance’ Category

Have you checked your homeowners insurance policy lately? If not, then it is time to review it and check if the amount written in the document is adequate to cover the total cost of rebuilding your home if it is destroyed by fire, flood, windstorm or any other catastrophe that can happen in your area.

The following steps will guide you in checking whether your house is adequately insured:

1. Review your home insurance policies.
   List what risks are covered and not covered. If your house is located in California, you
   should have earthquake coverage. Likewise, if you live in a flood-prone area, you
   should have flood coverage. Are there materials in your house structure that are costly
   to replace? Then they must be covered.
2. Check building costs in your city or town from time to time.
   Research the web sites of building contractors in your area and check their estimates.
   Look at the current prices of homes similar to your own.
3. Update your checklist of valuable personal possessions regularly.
   Have you recently purchased an expensive jewelry? Have you overlooked something
   valuable when you were making your first list of possessions to be covered? Then it is
   time to update your personal possessions coverage.
4. Increase your home insurance coverage after a major remodeling project.
   List all your remodeling expenses and then consult your insurance agent how your
   policy can be adjusted to cover your house improvement.
5. Research additional homeowners insurance coverages available in your state.
   Is your house located in an area prone to mudslides? Do you conduct business in the
   premises of your home? Then you should consider additional coverage.
6. Be updated on developments in your state that could affect your home insurance.
   Be well-informed. Are their regulations that limit certain types of coverages such as
   mold coverages? Is your home insurance company involved in a major claims
   lawsuit? Then you must consult your insurance agent immediately.

Related Posts:

• Are Your Valuables Protected by Your Home Insurance?
• Check if Your Home Insurance Is Adequate
• Know the Property Coverage of Your Home Insurance
• Check Your Home Insurance Policies for Flood Risk Coverage
• Is Your Home Insurance Enough?

If you live in the coastal regions of the U.S., you probably have witnessed the fury of storms, tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods and landslides during the hurricane season. Surely, you understand the importance of preparing for the next season.

During the cyclone season, aside from the preservation of one’s own life and the lives of family members, the most pressing concern of many residents in hurricane-prone areas is the preservation of the home. And predictably, the one thing that homeowners think about in relation to home preservation is home insurance.

You should also have known by now that the standard homeowners insurance does not cover losses or damages caused by hurricanes. That is why you and most others in your area have obtained homeowners insurance policies that specifically cover losses due to hurricanes.

Hurricane insurance typically covers the loss of the house or damages to the house due to wind, rain, theft, vandalism and hurricane-caused fire. Typically, it does not cover losses due to floods caused by hurricanes. Thus, check your home insurance coverage and see to it that it has the following:

• It reflects the current value of your house.
• It includes living expenses in temporary accommodations while your house is being repaired.
• It includes flood coverage.
• It includes coverage for all valuables.

There are also other preparations you need to do in order to ensure your and your family’s safety. They include the following:

• Create an evacuation plan, making sure that every member of the family knows what to do in every possible event that may arise.
• Set a contact point or phone number outside the state or city in the event that family members are separated from each other.
• Put together an emergency supply kit that includes non-perishable food, water, clothing, flashlight, sleeping bags, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, can opener, batteries and children’s supplies.
• Store important documents such as home insurance policies, other insurance policies, licenses and financial certificates in a secure storage facility.

Related Posts:

• Home Insurance and the Other Types of Insurance to Consider
• Save on Winter Repairs with the Help of Home Insurance
• Your Home Insurance Coverage
• Keep Your Homes Safe during Summer Vacation with Home Insurance
• House Insurance Dilemma in Hurricane-Prone Florida Fla. lawmakers ‘waking up’ to insurance failures

People love barbecue. People love it so much that almost 80 percent of homes own a barbecue appliance. According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA), 60 percent of these households use their barbecue all year round. Despite the sumptuous meals and awesome-smelling, barbecued meats or fish grilled to perfection by charcoal or gas-fired grills, open-flame barbecues have caused many headaches for home insurance companies.

The U.S. Fire Administration reported that $35 million worth of properties are burned down each year in greater than 6,000 fires resulting to half a dozen deaths and 170 injured people.

Firing a grill can cause serious home insurance risks that a number of states like New York, Washington and California have banned open-flame grilling in multi-resident housing balconies, terraces or roofs if there are no overhead sprinklers. Gas-fired grills with propane tanks greater than one pound are definitely not allowed even with sprinklers present.

The following are safety tips for a problem-free barbecue and get you that juicy and mouth-watering grilled meal.

• Ensure that fire is included in your home insurance coverage.
• The homeowner must learn how to assemble their grilling appliances properly. They should also know how to use these grills properly and accident-free. The key here is to follow instruction manuals carefully. Use the proper equipment and set it up securely in place without the danger of toppling over.
• Use proper clothing without tails or frills while grilling. Use heat resistant pads to protect your patio. Use heat resistant gloves or mitts to adjust vents and utilize long-handled grilling tools.
• Do not be foolish enough to use grills indoors. Indoors means inside your house, trailer, garage or any other enclosed areas. Barbecue smoke can result to carbon monoxide accumulation, which can be fatal to humans.
• Even if you are grilling outdoors, maintain proper ventilation. Stay away from combustible materials, pools, swimmers and be careful of sparks blown off by the wind. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.
• Ensure that you have home insurance and that fire is included in your coverage.

Related Posts:

• House Insurance Myths
• How to Effectively Save on Your House Insurance
• Your First Line of Defense: Home Insurance
• Home Insurance Reduces Your Stress During Wildfires
• Homeowner Insurance Buying Advice from Insurance Institute

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