Your house is a big investment - probably one of the biggest you're every likely to make. It is also the place that you and your loved ones call home; a shelter and haven from the outside world. That's why it is so important to ensure that your home and family are protected in the event of your death. It's not a topic that any of us like to dwell on, but the sad fact is that should you die and the family are no longer able to afford repayments on the house, they will lose the property and the roof from over their heads.
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There's a lot to know about Property Insurance. From learning how it can help protect you and your assets to choosing the right insurance company to deciding what coverage options are right for you. Explore answers to those questions and more here. You can even learn how you might be able to save some money along the way with our special property discounts. Then request a quote online or from your local Allstate agent.
Not everyone has the same insurance needs. See if one of these scenarios describes your situation.
I'm buying a home.
I've got a condominium.
I've got a mobilehome.
I'm renting.
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The typical lock in most homes will not provide protection against break-ins. A professional burglar can usually enter your manufactured home with no more than a plastic credit card or a thin screwdriver. Give your doors the best resistance to forced entry by installing dead bolt locks and a reinforcing strike plate with 3-inch screws. If you secure your doors with double-keyed dead bolt locks, make sure you have ready access to the key from inside if an emergency demands you exit quickly.
Arrange to have newspapers, magazines, mail and other regular deliveries stopped. Ask a neighbor to pick up any flyers that are thrown on your drive or lawn. Old newspapers and overflowing mail are a clear indication that you're not home. Also make arrangements to have your lawn mowed. Ask a neighbor or hire a landscape service to assure it will be done regularly.
Buy and use a few inexpensive electronic timers. Don't set the timers so all the lights are turned on or off at one time. Or, use random access timers that automatically change the time your lights go on and off each evening. Burglars watch for unusual patterns, such as total darkness in your home. Variations in lighting patterns look more natural to an outside observer.
Give your park manager the dates when you'll be gone, phone numbers where you can be reached, and your trip itinerary. Ask your immediate neighbors to contact the police if they spot unusual activity around your home. Don't leave a message that you're on vacation on your answering machine message. Just say you can't answer their call right then, but suggest leaving a message. Many machines can be set up so you can retrieve messages even when you're away from home. Answering machines that don't give away your plans are a good idea, since a phone ringing on and on can also be a tip to burglars that no one's home.
Store small valuables such as silverware or jewelry in a safe deposit box. Hide TVs, stereo components, computers, VCRs, or other large valuables in an inconspicuous closet. The idea is to keep expensive items out of view from the street or yard.
Protect sliding glass windows or doors with anti-jimmy bars that can be laid in slider tracks to prevent them from being opened. You can also install a second lock on the sliding panel of the door. Pin door hinges on exterior doors so they can't be removed, even with the hinge posts out. Also, make sure you protect storage sheds with a heavy-duty lock. Locks with steel-reinforced shanks are more difficult to break than other types. If you have a door with glass panes, install grille work or take other measures to prevent a thief from breaking the glass, reaching in and opening the door from the inside.
In addition, don't broadcast your vacation plans. A recent ten-year study of home burglaries by the U.S. Justice Department discovered that a startling 42 percent of apprehended burglars were known by the victim. The fewer people you tell about your being away, the safer your home will be.
Fall and spring tend to be our wettest seasons making our homes most susceptible to the backup of sewer or drain lines. While these events don't occur often, when they do, the problem can be a small disaster. Did you know a standard homeowner's insurance policy excludes coverage for such an event?
It's true. The backup of sewer and drains as well as the failure of a sump pump is excluded. The damage you sustain from either of these problems will not be covered and you'll be responsible to pay for the loss and the clean up. If you have a finished basement, or use your basement area for storage, you shouldn't go without this coverage endorsement.
Heavy rains can trigger a backup. A storm sewer or sanitary sewer backs up into your home and usually comes in through a sump well, washtubs in the basement, or toilets in the basement. However, the damage can happen anywhere in the house. Sump pump failures normally occur from power outages or motor failures. Sump pumps run on electricity and during a bad storm many times the power goes out. That’s when you need the sump pump the most, to pump the heavy water from the rain out of the basement.
The damage can be quite costly. Normally damage occurs in the basement, which houses the mechanical systems of the house such as: washer and dryer, furnace, hot water tank and the numerous items people store there. Water or sewage usually destroys anything it comes in contact with. For the thousands of dollars in damage, it would be well worth purchasing the additional coverage with your homeowner's policy to cover such an event.
Be sure to ask your agent about this coverage to make sure you already have it on your policy This coverage ,. Well worth the peace of mind. The key is to ask your agent or company what you best option is.
