Your home is your biggest investment.
Why trust just anyone to insure it? We search through all available coverage and compare with your specific needs to make sure the roof over your head is protected — for less.
Why you need homeowners insurance:
- To protect your assets
- To satisfy your mortgage lender
When our agents begin the quote process they take many factors into consideration including your home’s location, it’s size and materials used in construction, any additions you’ve made or unique features, just to name a few. These questions allow us to find you the best match to suit your unique home while finding the lowest price to avoid hurting your budget.
Different coverages in a Homeowners Policy
The majority of home insurance policies will provide a range of coverages, including but not limited to:
- Personal Property – covers the value of your personal possessions including electronics, clothing and furniture
- Dwelling – any damage sustained to the house itself
- Other Structures – fences, tool sheds, garages etc that are on your property
- Personal Liability – will cover you in case you are found legally responsible for any injuries sustained by others while at your property
The amount of options can be daunting!
Feel free to contact us and let us find the right coverage to suit your needs!
Managing risk and managing the cost of your insurance.
While Homeowners insurance covers many perils of loss, insurance companies increase rates when claims are filed. Here are some ways to reduce the likelihood of home losses so you can hold down the cost of insurance. The cost of the hoses and parts described below are minimal, especially compared to the aggravation, inconvenience, waste of time, and an insurance deductible, all of which you incur if one of the following malfunctions. A little preventative maintenance will take you a long ways!
- Don’t let those pipes freeze in the winter! If you are out of town, keep the heat on at least 55 degrees. If away for an extended period, consider turning the water off to the house and draining the pipes.
- Hot water heaters—the expected service life is 10 and 15 years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. They are not that expensive, certainly much less than an insurance deductible. Replacing the hot water heater after 10 years will greatly reduce the risk of dealing with the damage that will occur if it malfunctions.
- Air Conditioner condensation lines – They will gunk up and clog up eventually! Have a “clean out” placed in the line next to the air handler. Twice a year, use a product like Draino and Clorox to flush the line and avoid the water damage that occurs when this line backs up and overflows.
- Commode Flappers and Float Bulbs – They get old, they stick, and the commode eventually overflows. What a mess! If the insides of your commodes are over 5 years old, it’s time to change them out! It’s not complicated, just follow the directions!
- Ice maker water line. If you pull the refrigerator out to clean behind it, be very careful returning it to its original position so that you don’t pinch or crimp the water line to the ice maker.
- Washing Machine hoses. You should not go past 10 years on these. They do get old and brittle.
- Heavy branches poke holes in the shingles when they break and fall. Have those branches trimmed back. Call us for names of tree surgeons we have had good experience with.
- Fire extinguisher – do you know where it is? Check the date on it!
- Keep those burglars confused! If a central station alarm is out of your budget, buy a few timers. Put them on lamps that will come on and go off at various times during the evening and night. It always looks as if someone’s home!
- Burglars don’t like light! Have some motion or light sensor flood lights installed on the outside corners of your home. The LED lights are a little more expense, but will last for 30,000 hours and don’t use much electricity.
- The burglar alarm companies want you to buy the type that is monitored. That creates an ongoing income stream for them. If a monitored alarm is out of your budget, insist on one that’s not monitored. Once it’s installed, the expense ends! Most burglars are going to run if a siren is blaring away.