Five Things You Should Always Have on Hand 24/7 in Your Home & Vehicle

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Prepping your home in the event you lose power or a natural disaster strikes - in Seattle, WashingtonWe all know the importance of being prepared, but what percentage of us actually do the prep work? A good way to ask yourself if you are prepared is to assess what you have on hand now. If a disaster struck today or if you lost power for several hours to days, would you be prepared? If the answer is no, use this list to start preparing yourself this week. January can be a great time of year to start a new habit!

Checklist for home –

  • Non-perishable food: canned goods, noodles, bars, cereal, dried fruit, nut butter, crackers and other items with a longer shelf life are important to have on hand. If you currently use an electronic can opener, be sure to have a manual can opener too. You should have enough food supply for several days. Check on your inventory every six months. Also, make sure everything you have for an emergency your family will eat.
  • Water: Water isn’t just essential for drinking, but can be used for brushing your teeth, cooking food, and washing your hands. Keep one gallon of water on hand per person minimum. A several-day supply is even better.
  • Flashlights: when your power is out, flashlights are essential. Be sure to have a few on hand. A variety of flashlights are handy – traditional and lantern style. Be sure to have extra batteries stored away too.
  • First Aid Kit: you can get a variety of sizes and features with many first aid kits. Even without planning for a power outage or natural disaster, this is a good one to have in your home or car.
  • Battery-powered generators or gas generators: An ideal item to have for a natural disaster is a power generator. This allows you to run lights, refrigerators and change your cell phones. This technology has come a long way recently so be sure to look at the options available and get one with enough power to suit your needs.
  • Bonus items: filtered masks to protect you from contaminated air and an emergency whistle.

Your home should require more emergency items on hand. It is important to keep your vehicle stocked with essentials in the event you get into a car accident, experience a flat tire or your car breaks down, as well as items for cold weather.

Checklist for your vehicle –

  • Reflective triangle
  • Flashlight
  • Ice Scraper
  • Cell Phone Charger
  • Blanket
  • Bonus: jumper cables & first aid kit

All of these items can prepare you if you have a flat tire, need roadside assistance, and aid with bad weather.

While we hope you never have to experience a natural disaster or accident, we hope you are always prepared. If you have questions about your home or auto insurance, call our agency. We can review your coverage to ensure you have the protection you need.

Protect Your Home from Water and Ice Damage

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Water and ice damage affects homeowners everywhere, but you can protect your home with the following tips.

Icicles hanging from gutter along roofline

Water damage can cause serious problems, ranging from mold and mildew to structural weakness. Between 2015 and 2019, 1 in 50 insured homes filed a water damage claim with their insurance. While it’s important to have homeowners insurance to protect your property from water damage, you can avoid these problems by taking care of your property.

Clean and Protect Your Gutters

Your home’s gutters protect your house from water damage by directing water away from your roof and foundation. Clogged gutters overflow during rainstorms and allow water to pool around the eaves and foundation, which can cause problems like soil heaving, foundation cracking, ice dams, and roof leaks.

Clean your gutters at least once annually to prevent your gutters from clogging. You may need to clean your gutters multiple times per year if your property has a lot of trees.

If your gutters need more than twice the annual cleaning, gutter guards can protect your gutters and prevent them from clogging. Trim nearby trees to remove overhanging branches that will drop leaves, sticks, and needles into the gutters.

Insulate

In 2021, many residents of Texas experienced a winter storm that froze pipes and caused ice dams. This storm was a perfect example of what happens when power outages and extremely cold temperatures co-occur. A survey of affected Texans showed that approximately 15% of impacted homeowners had frozen pipes, and countless others saw ice dams form on their roofs.

What’s an ice dam? An ice dam happens when “hot spots” on the roof cause snow to melt. The melting snow rolls down the roof to the colder eaves, where it refreezes. Eventually, the ice backs up under the shingles and into the attic itself.

How can you protect yourself? Insulation can protect your home’s pipes from cold temperatures in winter. Attic insulation also promotes even heating of the roof, which can prevent an ice dam (and thus a roof leak) from forming.

Insulate the pipes in your home with pipe insulation. Pipe insulation wraps around the pipes and protects them from below-freezing temperatures. You can find pipe insulation at hardware stores and home improvement centers. Simply cut down the insulation to the length of the pipe, remove the adhesive backing, then attach the insulation.

Insulate your attic if it’s needed. You’ll know your attic needs more insulation if you can see the floor joists. As a general rule, insulation should cover the joists so they can no longer be seen. For best results, hire a professional to install attic insulation.

Regulate Your Home’s Temperature

Never turn off your thermostat in winter, even if you’re leaving town. If you’re planning to be out of the house for a few days, turn down your home’s furnace to 55 degrees. This allows you to save money on heating costs while preventing your pipes from freezing.

Some additional tips:

  • Program your home’s thermostat to maintain a temperature at or above 55 degrees
  • Service your home’s heating system in the fall or early winter to avoid a furnace breakdown
  • Leave a trickle of water running when temperatures outside are expected to drop below freezing

Seal Cracks

Tiny cracks in your home’s siding or foundation can become a hiding place for water, which can freeze during times of severe weather, causing cracks to widen and make way for water leaks. Seal all cracks in your home’s exterior before winter comes.

Update Your Homeowner’s Policy

Water and ice damage can lead to hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs. Is your house protected? Contact your insurance agent to evaluate your coverage.

New Year’s Eve Party Tips & Things to Consider in the New Year

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New Years Eve Party Tips in Seattle, WashingtonMany people prefer to host a New Year’s Eve party instead of going out to celebrate. If you plan to gather with friends and family at your house, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to being a host.

Watch how much alcohol you are serving your guests

Not only should you be aware of how much you are serving your guests, but you should also be aware of who is driving home. It’s always best to have a designated driver if your guests plan to leave your home the same night as the party. If you over-serve alcohol & a guest drives home & gets into a car accident, you could be found liable for the damages. Instead of risking an accident, call an Uber, Lyft, or local taxi service to ensure they get home safely.

Do you have any tripping hazards or icy walkways?

Did you know you could be liable if someone injures themselves on your property? If someone trips over an object outside or slips on your walkway, you could be responsible to pay for any medical bills that may accrue from the injury.

Is it time to review your insurance policies in the New Year?

If you have experienced life changes, reach out to your insurance carrier about reviewing your current insurance coverage. Life changes should be a good time to review or update your policy.

For example, if you recently remodeled your home, be sure to relay this to your agent. This is important for your home insurance policy. If your home ever experiences significant damage, your home may not be covered at the correct amount if you failed to tell your insurance carrier of major remodeling updates.

If you find yourself driving less, you may want to make an update to your auto insurance policy. Teen drivers can also impact your auto insurance coverage. If your teen is going to start driving in 2023, talk to your agent about getting your teen added to your policy.

Life insurance also should be updated if you are getting married, divorced, having children, retiring, etc. There may be certain years where you want more insurance coverage or certain years where you need less coverage. Our agents are here to provide you with professional advice so you have the right coverage at the right time for your unique situation.

Lastly, if your insurance premiums have increased significantly, reach out to us. While insurance premiums have been up across the board this year, we may still be able to help match you with a different carrier at a more affordable price. We’ll shop all our carriers & can provide you with options to choose from.

Wishing you and your family the happiest New Year.