homeowner’s insurance

by
The Prewitt Group Spring Storms

Spring is quickly approaching and so is the time when the weather could become volatile without notice. The Southeast tends to be more prone to spring storms than other parts of the country. Now is not the time to fool Mother Nature, so take today to review your homeowner’s insurance policies to make sure you are prepared and covered should a storm blow your way. 

We strive to help keep you and your family safe. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) offers the following recommendations for safeguarding and adding a layer of protection to your home should it suffer damage from wind, rain, tornadoes or hurricanes:

  • Review Your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy:

It’s a good idea to review your policies to make sure you’re covered for any damage or losses caused by natural disasters or storms. You may have to purchase additional coverages not included in your homeowner’s policy to cover damage from hurricanes, flooding or tornadoes.  You should also take photos and videos of your belongings as documentation.

  • Seal Your Windows and Doors: 

According to the NAHB, to prevent wind and water from entering through windows, cracks, entry doors and garage doors, make sure you check for leaks in vulnerable areas. Wind funneling through your house pushes upward and could lift the roof, allowing heavy rains to damage the interior of your home.

Especially in hurricane-prone areas, it is important to seal your windows and doors as tightly as possible. You can purchase and install special storm shutters to cover your windows.

  • Storm Shutters:

For those living in the coastal regions, you may want to consider installing storm shutter panels. The panels can be fitted to protect your windows and can easily cover your windows when you are preparing for a storm. They also can be stored conveniently when not in use.

  • Steel Doors:

If your area is prone to more storms, the NAHB recommends that you consider replacing double doors, french doors or sliding glass doors with steel doors as an added layer of protection. Standard doors in homes do not protect either side during high winds.

  • Roof:

Make sure your roof is in good condition. If your roof needs work, make sure it is completed before storm season. You may want to hire a contractor to check the structural integrity of your roof. Make sure that you have appropriate sealing around vent pipes and chimneys to keep water out of your home. Clean out gutters and downspouts; excess water can leak into the foundations and cause structural damage if a spillover occurs.

  • Clear Your Yard:

When a storm is approaching, secure any lawn furniture, trash cans, and lawn ornaments and check your trees for low-hanging limbs.

  • Sheltering in Place:

Designate a room or basement in your home to stock up on items you need should you decide to shelter in place during a storm. The NAHB recommends keeping a battery-operated radio, several flashlights in case you lose electricity, and plastic sheeting to cover exposed areas. 

It is also a good idea to purchase helmets to protect your head during tornado warnings. Make sure you also have an emergency kit with extra medications as well as important documentation stored in a weatherproof box or safe.

The Prewitt Group offers a comprehensive policy that protects your personal residence, your personal property (and contents) and your personal liability. 

by
The Prewitt Group EvennSanta Needs Insurance

The Prewitt Group EvennSanta Needs Insurance

Up on the housetop reindeer pause, out jumps good ole Santa Claus. Down through the chimney with lots of toys, all for the little ones with Christmas joys. This song, written in 1864 and which Gene Autry made famous in 1953, makes Santa’s job sound easy enough, but what is Santa really putting at risk when he delivers toys to children all over the world? What happens when something goes wrong or there’s an accident with his sleigh? Is Santa immune from being held accountable? 

It may all sound very magical, but let’s face it even Santa needs insurance. As we see it, there are a number of items that Santa would need insurance coverage for in order to help him mitigate the risks involved in delivering toys to children:

1. North Pole Home: Santa needs a Homeowner’s policy to cover any damage to the structure or its belongings caused by fire or theft. It’s also good for any elves who may be injured in Santa’s home.

2. Santa’s Workshop: For this particular part of Santa’s business, he will need a Commercial Insurance policy that will financially protect his business from common risks such as lawsuits, cyber-attacks, theft, damage, customer or employee injuries or any other events that may come up. He also will need a Worker’s Compensation policy to help cover medical costs if one of his elves is injured or falls ill while performing their duties on the job. We also recommend a Product Liability policy to protect his business from claims on products he made in or sold from his workshop. This policy also protects against bodily injury or property damage.

3. Elf Health Insurance: Because it takes many elves to make toys for children all over the world, Santa will want to make sure his elves remain in tip-top shape and are healthy. There are many employee benefits options to choose from when deciding the appropriate coverage. We also want to ensure that Santa and Mrs. Claus are healthy as well. We definitely want Santa to have a good policy that covers him just in case he’s medically injured on the job.

4. Santa’s Sleigh: As with any vehicle, automated or guided by reindeer, Santa Claus needs to ensure that he has enough coverage should he get into an accident. We recommend commercial vehicle policies that cover unforeseen damages as well as damage from collisions. Comprehensive coverage would help Santa cover damage from fire, theft, animal damage, natural disasters and falling objects. Collision coverage covers any damage from an accident with another vehicle, vehicular rollover and collisions with objects, like a chimney.

5. Reindeer: We definitely can’t forget about Rudolph; we want to keep his shiny nose shining. Because Santa works with four-legged associates, he will need a good policy that covers any illness or injury to his reindeer on or off the job.

We want your holidays to be worry-free, and just like Santa, you too need to make sure that you have the right policies to cover all of your needs and help you mitigate your risks. Schedule your policy review today with one of our trusted advisors: https://prewitt.group/.

by
iStock 1026205392

As temperatures begin to drop, check for drafts near doors and windows and insulate each area. Weatherstrips and caulking can help with closing those drafty places.

Fans can help circulate warmer air in a room. By changing the directional switch and lowering the speed on the fan, this will help push the warmer air throughout with adding cooler air to the space.

Dusting both vents and radiators and clearing any furniture near vents will provide adequate space for air to flow throughout the home.

Note the temperature indoors when you feel the slight chill that makes you reach for the thermostat and keep it one to two degrees warmer. This will help you be more comfortable.

Have a basket of warm blankets in the common rooms you and your family spend the most time in so when the first cool front comes through, the first instinct might be to grab a throw or blanket instead of turning on the furnace.

A few additional tips can save money and help to further winterize your home –

  • Check your fireplace before the first fire.
  • Close doors to unused spaces in your home.
  • Protect any plants that might live outdoors or bring them inside before freezing temps arrive.
  • Replace air filters.
  • Protect your pipes from bursting with insulation.
  • Cook at home, the warmth from the kitchen will help warm other parts of the home, too.

The Prewitt Group encourages everyone to prepare for the changing temperatures and seasons, it can save you money by lowering power bills and preparation is priceless.