Prepping for Cold Weather: What Your Home Insurance Agent Wants You to Know

The chill of winter is just around the corner, and your home must be fully prepared for the cold weather to set in. At The Ryan Insurance Agency, serving Clarkston, MI, we’re here to meet all your insurance needs and help you keep your home safe as the warm summer weather begins to give way to sleet and snow. 

Winterizing Your Home

Taking a few simple steps to prepare your home for winter can go a long way in keeping you and your family safe. 

Check Your Fireplace

Over the summer, birds and other animals may reside in your fireplace. It’s essential to have a fireplace inspection each year before you light the first fire of the winter. 

Bring the Outdoors Indoors

There’s no reason to leave your grill or outdoor furniture outside during winter. You’ll want to bring most of the contents of your patio indoors, if possible. If you don’t have the room you need to store your outdoor furniture, purchase covers to protect it from the elements. 

Take a Look at Your Roof

Before the first snow of the winter, you’ll want to look at your roof to make sure nothing needs repair. Clear any debris collected on the roof, install snow guards, and be sure you have a snow roof rake tucked away in your garage if you tend to get heavy snow in your area. 

Reach Out to The Ryan Insurance Agency, serving Clarkston, MI, Today.

At The Ryan Insurance Agency, serving Clarkston, MI, we’re here to meet all of your home insurance needs. Please stop by or call us today to discuss the right policy. 

Three Surprising Facts About Your Home Insurance Coverage Policy

Those of us with homeowner’s insurance know the basics of our coverage. Most policies offer adequate coverage for the typical home. However, there are some surprising facts about insurance you may not know. They include:

They only cover certain natural disasters. You probably think your insurance covers you for all damages caused by natural disasters. But that’s only partially true.

Most policies protect against losses from ice damage, lightning stickers, and forest fires. But, if you’re in an area prone to floods or earthquakes, you may need additional coverage.

It’s important to reevaluate your coverage annually. As a homeowner, you’ll likely add features to make it into your castle. But the amount of coverage your home needs at closing before you buy new goodies to fill it differs significantly from your needs after you move in and begin turning it into your home.

It’s important to speak to your insurance agent at the Ryan Insurance Agency before your annual renewal period to inform them of any significant changes you’ve made. It would help if you also discussed the things you’ve bought for your home – especially those that are more expensive.

The location of your property in Clarkston, MI affects its value and your premiums. For instance, if you live in a suburban or urban location, your premium is higher than a similar home in a rural area. This is because it costs more in cities. This is especially true with construction costs, physical materials, and the like. 

Home insurance is a valuable resource for homeowners in Clarkston, MI. That’s why it’s essential to work with your local agent at the Ryan Insurance Agency to find the specific policy that best suits your needs. They will guide you concerning the pitfalls and benefits specific to your neighborhood. Contact them today to find out how. 

What every homeowner should know about umbrella insurance

Personal umbrella insurance is a complicated policy designed to provide an extra layer of liability protection to your existing policies. Many homeowners believe they don’t need the policy if they have home insurance until they’re sued for damages exceeding their home insurance liability coverage limits. If you’re looking to buy umbrella insurance in Clarkston, MI? Here is what you need to know about the policy.

You need home insurance to get umbrella insurance

Umbrella insurance is not self-sufficient. That means you need to buy home insurance before purchasing umbrella insurance.  In the event of an accidental injury or property damage, your home insurance will be used to pay for medical expenses or losses. Umbrella insurance only comes in if home insurance is inadequate to cover all the costs.

Your personal property is not covered

Umbrella insurance does not cover your personal belongings. That’s why The Ryan Insurance Agency recommends buying home insurance to protect your property. Umbrella insurance is only an extension of your home or auto insurance liability coverage.

Umbrella insurance is not the same as excess liability insurance

Many people in Clarkston, MI, often refer to umbrella insurance as excess liability insurance, but these are actually different types of policies. For instance, if you bought excess liability coverage on your home insurance, you’re likely to get additional protection in case a guest is injured in your home. However, you will not get coverage for libel or slander as it is not part of home insurance.

Malicious or intentional acts are not covered

If your child or another person living in your home attacks or damages another person’s property intentionally, both home and umbrella insurance will not cover the damages.

If you have more questions or need to buy umbrella insurance, you can always speak to our agents at The Ryan Insurance Agency, and they will be happy to assist you. Feel free to call us anytime.

How Home Insurance Protects You

If you own a home, it’s important that you have an effective home insurance policy for it for as long as you live there. If you need a home policy, give us a call now at The Ryan Insurance Agency in Clarkston, MI.

Risks to Your Home

When you own a home, there are many risks that can threaten it. There are disasters that can cause untold damage to a house. There are accidents that can cause just as much damage. There are calamities that can require a lot of repairs. When you have a home insurance policy, you have coverage against a wide variety of risks that can damage a house. Without this insurance, you would have to come up with repair funds, or even rebuilding funds, all by yourself. A home insurance policy covers your dwelling and takes care of those covered situations by paying for repairs. 

Risks to Your Finances

In addition to the risks that your home faces, you could face even more risks to your finances. If a third party is in your home and becomes injured or ill there, you can be found liable for all of the medical bills that result from it. With the high cost of medical bills today, these bills can be enormous. However, with a home insurance policy, those bills are covered. You won’t have to come up with the money yourself. Liability coverage is included in home insurance, and it can save you from incredibly high bills after an accident in your home. 

Get Your Home Protected

If your home doesn’t have a home insurance policy, don’t wait. Call us right away at The Ryan Insurance Agency in Clarkston, MI to find out more about these valuable insurance policies. Don’t be caught without insurance protection for your home. 

What isn’t covered by home insurance

Most people buy home insurance with the expectation that it will be there to protect them no matter what bad things happen. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Every bad thing that happens isn’t covered by home insurance. Home insurance policies have items called exclusions, and these are the things that aren’t covered by your home insurance.

With over 13 years of experience, The Ryan Insurance Agency in Clarkston, MI is locally owned and operated. As an independent agency, we do all the work for you to get the coverage you need at a competitive rate. 

Flooding

Floods are one of the most common and damaging natural occurring events. Almost no home insurance policies cover flooding. It only takes a few inches of surface water to cause catastrophic damage to the structure and contents of your home. 

Moving Earth

Heavy rains can cause mudslides, and earthquakes are common in certain parts of the country, and sinkholes are a phenomenon that has spread to many areas. None of these types of moving earth are covered in a typical home insurance policy. 

Negligence

This is a hard one because it can include things like termites and mold. You are required to maintain your home, and if you don’t take care of something like a roof that needs to be replaced and it causes damage to your home, your insurance is not going to pay for the resulting damage. With termites, if you live in an area where they are common, you should be getting your home treated. 

Don’t worry too much about the things that are not covered by your home insurance. In most cases, you can add a rider to get the coverage that you want. The Ryan Insurance Agency in Clarkston, MI is ready to sit down with you to discuss your home insurance coverage. Give us a call or stop by our office for a no-obligation quote. 

What Clarkson Homeowners Need to Know About Home Insurance

One of the best long term decisions that you can make financially would be to purchase your home as opposed to continuing to rent. Homeowners will benefit a number of different ways when they buy a home but they need to make sure that their important asset is properly protected. For those that are in the Clarkston, MI area and either own a home or are looking to buy one, there is a lot that needs to be understood about home insurance.

It Covers Many Assets

When most people get home insurance they immediately think about how it could protect their home. However, a quality policy can also help to protect all of their personal assets as well. If you suffer from a fire, weather damage, or even theft, your personal belongings will be covered under the policy. More expensive items that exceed the policy limit, such as art or jewelry, can also be covered under a policy rider. 

Gives Liability Protection

When you own a home, you will take on liability risk whenever someone enters your property. Fortunately, a home insurance policy can help you to protect against this risk. When you have home insurance, you will receive liability insurance protection that will help you pay restitution if you are found liable for an accident. 

Choosing the right home insurance policy is a big decision and can also be quite confusing. When you are looking to purchase a home in the Clarkston, MI area, it would be a good idea to The Ryan Insurance Agency to discuss your home insurance needs. The team at The Ryan Insurance Agency can help you to better understand how home insurance works, all of the benefits that it provides, and why you need it. This will then help you to get into a policy that provides the right type and level of coverage.