Can Winterizing My Home Help Lower My Insurance?

When it comes to your home, you will likely not make a more expensive or important investment. Caring for your home properly throughout the year can help you to protect your home from some of the wear and tear it might otherwise undergo. Your home will continue to be a place of safety and will help keep your family and friends well for many years to come.

With winter here there are many steps that can be taken to help protect and weatherize your home which can help reduce the likelihood of an expensive homeowners claim. The following is a list of tips to help you get started down the right path.

• Homes that rely on heating fuel should ensure an adequate supply remains on hand. In the event of a heavy snow, carriers may not be available for days afterward. By keeping a proper supply your family can stay warm and toasty during the wait.
• If you haven’t already done so, replace or clean your furnace filter. While it is best to do so before the need for the furnace arises, it is better late than never. It is also advisable to have your heating system serviced by a professional before the winter months hit.
• The heat in your home should never be set lower than 55 degrees. Any lower and it can be difficult, and expensive, to get the heat back up to a tolerable and safe level.
• If there are rooms that are not in use close them off while also making sure that there is sufficient heat to prevent frozen pipes.
• All pipes that run through areas that are not heated should be well insulated. This includes those that run through the attic or crawlspace of your home.
• A tip for any time of the year – always check your hoses on your washing machine making sure to replace them when any sign of wear or leakage appears. Also, clean out the exhaust duct and the space underneath your clothes dryer so that lint will not have a chance to build up which could lead to a fire.
• Check your gutters and roof drains clear of debris which could clog them. Doing so will better allow run-off to flow from the roof and help prevent rotting eaves and fascia.
• Make sure to check all outdoor fixtures and outlets for loose connections and/or frayed wires. Also, never overload a circuit by using too many plugs on one outlet or by overuse of extension cords.

By following each of these home maintenance tips you will be better prepared for the winter weather to come. This can make a world of difference in whether or not you will be facing an expensive homeowner’s claim this season. Not only that, proper care of your home can help to keep the cost of your homeowner’s insurance down as well as there will be less need for claims. With winter heading our way you would be best served by taking these steps asap. Need more info? Call us today!