You've probably thought about what would happen to your home in the event of a disaster, but have you considered your personal belongings? Fortunately, whether you're a homeowner or a renter, your insurance policy has you covered. The question is whether your current personal property coverage is enough. If your possessions have multiplied over the years — or if you own special, high-value items — you may need additional protection. What’s personal property coverage? Personal property coverage, or contents coverage, protects your belongings, including furniture, clothing, jewelry, appliances, electronics and art. It insures the stuff that’s not part of your home’s structure (or permanently attached to it) against theft and accidental physical damage or destruction. Personal property coverage also protects your belongings when you’re traveling or doing things around town. How much coverage do you have? Every policy will be different. For home insurance, your personal property limit is usually 70% of the insured dwelling value. In some cases, it can be more or less depending on your home. If you rent your property or if you own a condo, it’s easier to tell how much coverage you have because your policy doesn’t cover the building. (The landlord’s or condo association’s policy covers that.) Check your policy’s declarations page or get in touch if you’re unsure about your current coverage. Should you increase your personal property coverage? You may want to purchase extra personal property insurance through a rider or scheduled coverage if you own the following items:
Are you wondering whether something you own is valuable enough to warrant additional coverage? Reach out anytime.
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Are you ready to spend more time outside? As the weather warms up, you can shift your eye to home improvements for your outdoor space.
A welcoming area can be the perfect place to relax during spring and summer days. And not only can upgrades increase your home's value, but they can also inspire you to keep up with regular maintenance. From entertaining to unique lighting, here are this year's trends in outdoor living.
Want to make sure you have the right protection for your property? Or are you looking for more home improvement inspiration? Get in touch today. Moving into a newly purchased home can be one of the most stressful and challenging life moments for any homeowner. An important part of the process of purchasing a home, aside from the financial considerations, is the required home inspection. Once you make an offer on a home, it is critical to have a licensed home inspector go over it with a fine-toothed comb before you finalize the purchase. As the home buyer, it is your responsibility to choose an inspector wisely and stay involved through the entire process. You might consider checking to see if there are any professional memberships or associations in your area that can recommend a licensed inspector. A helpful tool like the one available from the American Society of Home Inspectors might be a good place to start your search for a licensed home inspector in your area. Choosing an Inspector Finding a qualified, licensed and experienced home inspection professional is the first step. How and when the inspection and inspection report will be done is another important factor in choosing the right inspector for your needs and timeline. Here are some questions to ask potential candidates:
Calfee Insurance allows you to customize your coverage to fit your unique needs. We focus on understanding you, so you'll feel right at home working with us. During and After a Professional Inspection During and after the inspection, good home inspectors will expect you to ask them questions. Once you receive the report, carefully review any findings. Ask the inspector about anything you don’t already know yourself or fully understand (e.g., How old is the plumbing system? What are the parts that make up the heating and cooling system? What is that crack in the foundation?) Your home inspector should be willing to explain things more than once and in different ways until you feel confident you understand the issue and potential solutions. Take Notes of Your Own Observations, Too You should also do your own initial home inspection before making an offer. Evaluate the conditions of and be alert for obvious flaws/deficiencies. Highest Voted 5 Star Home Insurance Agency for MassachusettsIf you're planning a home renovation, you may want to call your insurance agent first because this decision can impact your homeowners insurance. Some home renovations will change the amount of coverage you need, while others could even help you qualify for a discount. We cover six common scenarios that could affect your insurance, so you can plan ahead. 1. Building a New Addition When you expand and improve your home, you could likely increase its replacement value. This is the cost to repair or rebuild your home. Some additions that could increase your replacement value include: adding a second-story bedroom, expanding the living room or building a new garage. After building a new addition, or making updates or other improvements, you may need to increase your coverage because the value of your home, and the cost to rebuild it will likely have increased. Most insurance companies require your Coverage A or dwelling coverage limit be at least 80 percent of the replacement value of your home. Your insurance agent can recalculate your home value to determine whether you'll need more coverage because of the addition or improvement. 2. Building a Pool If you're looking to add a pool, you will want to contact your insurance agent to review coverage for changes to your property's value, as well as any increase in risk. When people are swimming and running around the pool, there's the chance for an accident. If someone gets hurt, they could try to hold you responsible for damages. This can apply even if the accident isn't your fault. Check with your agent to see whether your existing policy covers a pool and if you need to increase your liability coverage. This coverage can help pay damages to injured persons and provide for a defense if you are sued as a result of their injuries. You should also ask your agent what steps you can take to keep your pool safe so you can avoid accidents. Adding a fence with a lock is a smart move. You could also add lights with motion sensors or a pool alarm to discourage trespassers. Consider skipping the diving board, because this increases the chance of an accident and your insurance cost. Calfee Insurance wants to help you protect the things that matter to you. We offer a wide breadth of products so you can be covered at home and on the road. 3. Adding a Deck A new deck is another improvement that can add value but also risk, especially if the deck is attached to a second story or higher. You should let your agent know that you've added a deck, so he or she can adjust your policy as necessary. 4. Renovating the Kitchen Upgrading the kitchen can significantly increase the value of your home, especially if you switch to higher-quality counter tops, appliances and new flooring. You should contact your agent to see if you need to increase your insurance coverage. If your contractor upgrades the plumbing or electrical wiring as part of the renovation, ask your homeowners insurance agent if you qualify for a discount or if your coverage needs to be adjusted. These upgrades can reduce the chance of flooding water damage and fire, so check if your insurance company has discounts that can help to reduce your premium. 5. Finishing the Basement Finishing your basement can also increase the value of your home. That means, yet again, you may need more homeowners coverage. Flooding can be a concern, especially for the lowest floor in your house. It is important to note that most homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage caused by floods. Ask your agent to review your coverage and look to see if there are steps you can take to help prevent future damage, like installing a sump pump. 6. Redoing the Roof Before you redo your roof, ask your insurance agent whether this could qualify for a discount. Some companies offer a discount when you reinforce the roof or use stronger roofing materials that are wind, hail and leak-resistant. Your agent can explain how to qualify. At the same time, redoing the roof could increase your property value, which means you might need more coverage. It is a good idea to contact your agent when you’re considering making home renovations. Their knowledge and expertise can help you get the most out of your discounts while making sure your home is adequately insured. Free Home Insurance Review with updated PricingMillions of students in the U.S. are learning from home because of the coronavirus pandemic, and many parents may be feeling the stress of juggling working from home and guiding their children’s educations.
As the weeks at home with your kids continue to add up, you may have come across some unique or especially difficult challenges with this new setup. Here are a few recommendations to help guide you through some of the challenges that parents are facing during this time: Maintaining Schedules You may have made a daily or weekly schedule when your child’s school first closed its doors due to COVID 19. Perhaps it worked well for the first week or two, but by now, that schedule may need adjusting as you and your family have settled into your temporary routine. The truth is, creating a schedule for the entire week may not be feasible. Instead, during breakfast each morning, take a few minutes to talk with your kids about the day ahead and what schoolwork they need to accomplish ‒ and when. Encourage stability and regularity as much as you can. Setting daily expectations for your kids and making sure they meet them by the day’s end will help them stay disciplined. Preventing Distractions In some schools, students aren’t allowed to use smartphones in classrooms. The same should be true at home, at least when they’re completing their schoolwork. Keep them focused on their education by limiting phone use to non-study time. This is likely to get harder as more weeks roll by without your kids having face-to-face interaction with their peers. Consider using screen time as a reward for an assignment well done or completed early. Tip: Stay aware while your children are studying at home by looking out for unusual phone, digital or social media activity. Equipping Kids for Success Your kids need certain equipment and internet access to learn online. It’s a big challenge for some families, but help is becoming more available. For example, Everyoneon.org maintains a list of sources where students can access affordable computers and broadband. Keeping Kids Connected You may be concerned about your children feeling isolated from the social connections they normally have at school. While you don’t want screen time merging with school time, easing up a bit on your screen time rules and limits (if you haven’t already) may be the best way to get through this time. Allow children to interact with friends via video to help them maintain the relationships they’ve built in the classroom. Partner with other parents to plan virtual play and activity dates. Supporting these connections can be vital to your children’s learning and will help to provide some balance in their lives. Networking With Parents Connecting with other parents has obvious social benefits. As the coronavirus pandemic wears on, networking can be a good way to learn about the approaches other parents are taking with at-home education and what successes they’ve had. Plan virtual events to talk with other families and share with each other how you are making it through this time. Checking In Education is important, but the mental and emotional health of your children is even more critical. Check in throughout the day to make sure they’re doing okay. If something’s wrong, take time to stop what you’re doing and work with them to deal with their fears and concerns. If you're looking to sell your home — and get top-dollar for it — staging the property can help you do it. Put simply, staging means preparing the home for a potential buyer — or "setting the stage," if you will. It involves redecorating, rearranging furniture, cleaning and other aesthetic strategies to present the home in the best possible light. The goal is to make the home as appealing as possible to the most potential buyers. Benefits of Home Staging Home staging comes with many benefits. For one, it can make it easier for potential buyers to envision themselves in the home. It provides a clean palette of sorts — one without clutter, personal photographs and other items that might turn off a buyer or make it hard to imagine themselves living on the property. According to a study from the National Association of REALTORS© (NAR), 77 percent of buyers say it's easier to visualize a staged property as a future home.1 Staging also makes a home look more "move-in ready" — meaning that it doesn't seem to need a lot of work or repair before a new buyer could move in. Seventy-one percent of buyers are looking for a move-in ready home.2 Staging could help give that impression, which could be a nice advantage for you in successfully selling your home. Finally, staging a home makes it easier to market. It looks better in listing photos (which can play a big role in today's home-shopping process), and it is also more eye-catching when shared on social media, printed on flyers and displayed in other visual marketing mediums. As a result, staged homes typically sell faster. According to NAR, 62 percent of agents say staging has an impact on a home's time on the market.3 Options for Home Staging You have a few options when looking to stage your home. You can choose to do the process yourself (DIY); you can look to your real estate agent for help; or you can bring in a professional staging company to do the work on your behalf. In some cases, you could also do a combination of these options.
Though these pros do come at a fee, they typically do the work for you. They will evaluate your home's current condition, make recommendations on how to improve its overall appeal to potential buyers and marketability, and then put those suggestions into action by rearranging the furniture, bringing in new décor or helping you declutter. Often, stagers have a large inventory of furniture, décor, artwork and other items they can pull from to help your home look its best. Just be aware that using a stager's inventory may come with an extra fee, so be sure to ask about that. Calfee Insurance allows you to customize your coverage to fit your unique needs. We focus on understanding you, so you'll feel right at home working with us. How Much Does It Cost to Stage a House? According to the National Association of Realtors, the median cost of home staging is $675.4 These costs vary, though, and depend on several factors, including the size, location and price of the home, the exact type of staging services you're looking for, and whether you need additional furniture, décor or other items in your staging efforts. Some agents recommend spending between 1 to 3 percent of your home's listing price on staging. If you're staging your home yourself, you'll want to consider the costs of things like:
Consider shopping at thrift stores or second-hand shops for any new décor or furnishings you might need. You might also want to focus your staging efforts on only a few rooms — higher impact areas like the living area, the kitchen and the master bedroom. Is Home Staging Worth it? From a financial standpoint, staging can add measurable selling appeal to a home. According to NAR, nearly a third of real estate agents say staging increases the dollar value offered by buyers, in comparison to similar homes, by 1 to 5 percent. Another 21 percent of agents say it increased the dollar value of the home between 6 and 10 percent.5 To determine if staging a house is worth it, you'll want to consider a few things, including:
Home staging may increase the likelihood that you'll sell your property and do so quickly, and for top-dollar. If you're on a tight timeline or looking to boost your profits on the sale, home staging can certainly help. It also can be beneficial if your market is particularly competitive for sellers by ensuring your home is memorable, beautiful and stands out from the rest. If you're ever unsure of whether staging is in your best interest, consider speaking to a local real estate agent. They can help assess your property as well as make recommendations based on the market and preferences of local buyers. Selling your home is an important life moment. Why not also take it as an opportunity to review your homeowners coverage? Want to pay less for your Home Insurance?The spring season calls for refreshing and maintaining your most lived-in spaces, including your home and car.
Taking care of basic maintenance tasks can also help you avoid dealing with expensive repairs in the future. In other words, now is the perfect time to make sure your property is in tiptop shape. Here are six essential car and home tasks to have on your radar. Car Maintenance First, check your vehicle's service schedule. That way, you'll know when and how often your car needs certain repairs, including:
Do you want to avoid expensive home repairs in the future? Here's what the experts suggest.
Your dog just took down the neighbor’s fence while chasing a squirrel (and your neighbor isn’t happy). Will your homeowners insurance cover the damage? The short answer is, “it depends.”
Policy coverage and exclusions can vary, and when important factors like pets are involved, the fine print matters. Want to know more? Here are a few common questions about pets and home insurance. Does your policy cover damage caused by pets? Many home insurance policies do not cover damage your pets cause to your own property — like a torn sofa or broken TV. However, liability insurance may cover damage your pet does to other people’s property. What if your dog bites someone on your property? Most home liability policies offer coverage for damage a person may suffer on your property, including dog bites (up to a certain limit and provided you’ve disclosed you have a dog). Note that after the first dog bite, you may face additional exclusions. Are different breeds treated differently? Some insurance policies may offer limitations on coverage if you have what is considered a high-risk breed. When you share what kind of pet you have we can let you know what to expect. Are backyard animals covered? Home insurance policies don’t provide coverage for damage your pets, including backyard animals like goats or chickens, cause to your property. However, liability coverage may still apply (with some limitations). Will your home insurance pay your pet’s medical bills? Unfortunately, you’re likely on your own for your pet’s medical bills even if they are hurt during a covered incident (like breaking through your neighbor’s fence). Have questions about your coverage? Reach out anytime. Home Insurance Coverage is provided — subject to a $1,000 limit — for debris removal of fallen trees.
The ISO form limits coverage to the insured’s trees felled by windstorm or hail or the weight of ice, snow, or sleet, or to a neighbor’s trees that are felled by a coverage C peril. However, before there is any coverage under this provision, the tree must damage a covered structure or block a driveway which prevents a motor vehicle registered for use on public roads from entering or leaving the residence premises. Additionally, the fallen tree could block a ramp or other access device used to assist a handicapped person from entering or leaving the dwelling. The limit is the most that will be paid for any one loss, subject to a limit of $500 for removal of any one tree. A question raised by the additional coverage for removal of trees is whether the limit applies to the cost of removing the part of the tree that rests on the damaged structure, or whether that cost is considered to be part of the cost of repairing the structure. For example, if a tree is felled by windstorm and falls onto the dwelling, causing extensive damage, no repairs can begin until the parts of the tree resting on the building are cut away, so it would seem logical to categorize such costs as repair costs. However, the policy language, if strictly interpreted, would include those costs within the $1,000 limit. The policy provides that the insurer “will also pay [the] reasonable expense, up to $1,000, for the removal from the -‘residence premises’ of” trees felled by the described perils. “Residence premises” is defined in the policy as “the one- to four-family dwelling, other structures, and grounds…where [the insured] reside[s].” Thus, the $1,000 limit appears to apply to the removal from the dwelling and other structures as well as to removal from the grounds. However, under this arrangement, the cost of removing the tree from the structure should still be considered part of the repair cost. If the insurance coverage for repairs is insufficient, the “additional coverage” (coverage in addition to that otherwise provided for in the policy) may be called upon. Power outages can be a major inconvenience. They can also create problems for you, your family and your home as you shift into "emergency mode" to prevent your food from spoiling, to safely navigate your home in the dark, or simply to keep the heat on. Investing in a home generator can help make being without power more bearable — and can even fuel some fun when not being used for an emergency.
Home generators come in a variety of types and sizes, from portable versions to "standby" and inverter units. Portable generators typically run on gasoline and need to be operated at a safe distance from any structure. Standby generators start automatically when the power goes out, and are run on propane or natural gas. Inverter generators have a more complex engine than the other types, and are much quieter than their conventional counterparts. Regardless of which type of generator you choose, you will need to follow the manufacturer recommendations for safe operation of the unit. It's helpful to research this useful home device before you urgently need it, so here are 10 reasons to consider if you're thinking about purchasing a home generator of your own. 1. We can't control the weather. Most power outages are weather-related. As the number and severity of extreme weather events rises, so does the likelihood of a blackout lasting 24 hours or more. 2. You have well water. Without electricity, your well pump and filtration systems will quickly lose the ability to provide fresh, safe water for drinking, bathing, heating and more, to your house. 3. You have a sump pump. If you rely on a sump pump to keep your basement or crawlspace dry — including all the possessions you keep in those areas — losing power means you also lose protection against water damage in those areas. 4. You work from home. If you run a business or work out of your home, you know every minute counts. Going without power for even an hour can be a major inconvenience — if not a major risk — to you, your clients and customers. 5. Food spoils quickly. According to the FDA, perishable food items should be thrown out once your refrigerator has been without power for as little as four hours.1 Travelers wants to help you protect the things that matter to you. We offer a wide breadth of products so you can be covered at home and on the road. 6. You live in a high-risk or severe climate area. Some states are more vulnerable to weather-related outages. Others have such severe temperature extremes that power to control air conditioning and heating systems can be essential for comfort and safety. If you live in one of these areas, your risk to the potentially devastating effects of a power outage increase significantly. 7. Your property is vacant for extended periods of time. If you are a "snowbird," frequent traveler or own a seasonal home, having a generator can protect your property from outage-related emergencies — whether you're in or out of town. 8. Someone in your home relies on an electrically powered medical device. If you or a loved one requires the assistance of a home medical device that runs on electricity, a power outage can be deadly. A generator can help keep those devices running, but you also will want to check with a healthcare professional for suggestions on how to weather power outages with your particular medical device.2 9. You have a hybrid or electric car. Make a portable generator go the extra mile! When not using it for your basic emergency power needs, keep it in your car to stay charged no matter where the road takes you. . Generators aren't just for emergencies. Portable generators can be put to use at work or play in, around and away from your home, too:
Whether it's due to storms, falling trees or some other challenge, power outages can bring an assortment of problems for home owners. A home generator can become one of your go-to remedies for those unexpected situations. Checking out the options before you lose electrical power is one smart way to beat the crowds who'll be racing to scoop up a home generator, for that "next time" outage scenario. |
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