Home Insurance

4 Household Items You Must Insure in Evergreen Park, IL 60805

Posted on by agentinsure

You hear about neighborhood thefts, but never think your home in Evergreen Park, IL 60805 is going to be broken into. However, you have plenty of valuable items in your home that make you a target. The same can be said about a damaging storm that blows through and causes potential damage to your roof, resulting in interior damage of your home. One measure that you can take is to make sure that your items with high monetary and sentimental value are properly insured. Here are four things you must make sure you have coverage on:

  1. Jewelry – As a general rule, if you have expensive jewelry in the home, your standard home insurance policy is not going to cover the value of the pieces. It is important to have your jewelry appraised to find out if the value is within the limits of your policy. If it is not, then you may want to consider a separate policy to ensure that pieces are covered.

  2. Artwork – You’ve heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but some artwork is worth more than a thousand dollars. If you have an expensive art collection or even just one piece of valuable artwork, you probably want to consider a supplement policy if it isn’t covered under your home insurance.

  3. Electronics – You probably have 20 or more electronics in your home when you start counting the computers, iPods, tablets, stereos, DVD players, TVs and any other electronic device. If these items were lost, stolen or damaged, would you be able to replace them with no problem? There’s a slight chance that your homeowners policy won’t be large enough to cover all of those items, so you should check into extra coverage.

  4. Pets – So, maybe this isn’t necessarily a household item, but your pet means a lot to you. Although there is no dollar amount that can be placed on your furry friend, you do want to make sure you can take care of him if he gets sick. You may want to speak to your independent agent about a pet-related liability policy.

The great thing about insurance is that it brings security and peace of mind. You can finally close your eyes and rest easy when you have adequate insurance under your belt. Contact your independent agent in Evergreen Park today to see how you can get started on checking on your current homeowners insurance coverage and adding the aforementioned overlooked policies to your plan.

6 Threats You Are Faced with as a Homeowner and How to Prepare Your Home

Posted on by agentinsure

As a homeowner, you may know some of the risks that you face. Some of you may not. Either way, it’s likely that you may not be aware of how you can protect your home from any one of these unfavorable disasters. Here are five different threats that you and your home may face here in Evergreen Park, IL:

  1. Hail and High Winds – The best thing that you can do here is to keep any trees that surround your home properly trimmed and pruned. You may also want to consider having exterior shutters installed for additional reinforcement for your windows.

  2. Lightning – When major storms come through Illinois, they bring a lot of lightning. Make sure that your surge protector and power strips in the home are all UL approved and tested. It’s always best to unplug electrical appliances and items that are not needed when a storm is coming in.

  3. Fire – One of the most common reasons a house catches on fire is because of an unattended pot or pan on the stove. Never use water when a fire occurs in the kitchen. In addition, you want to avoid plugging too many devices into any power strip. This can easily cause an electrical fire.

  4. Theft – To help prevent theft, make sure you have plenty of exterior lights. If you aren’t going to be home, put your lights – interior and exterior – on a timer to make it seem like you are home. Don’t forget to hold your mail as well and ensure all doors and windows are securely locked.

  5. Liability – If you have a swimming pool, make certain that it is fenced in. It should also have adequate lighting. If you have a dog, make sure it is always on a leash and is not allowed to approach strangers.

  6. Flood – When a big rainstorm approaches, it isn’t uncommon for your basement to flood. You may also have to deal with a sinking foundation or damage to your porch. Proper drainage is essential to avoid this type of damage.

Every homeowner has their own set of risks, but these are some of the most common. All of these can impact homeowners here in the Evergreen Park, IL 60805 community. If you aren’t sure what risks your homeowners insurance covers, get in contact with one of our independent agents today so we can discuss your policy.