Holiday incidents are surprisingly common whether you’re staying in town or traveling for the holidays. Home insurance can protect your home to give you peace of mind during the holiday season. Whether you already have home insurance or are looking to get coverage to protect your home, it is important to understand what homeowner’s insurance entails.
Typical standard homeowners insurance policies provide financial protection from losses in four different areas: home structure, personal belongings, liability, and additional living expenses. Here is what you need to know about each:
Dwelling Coverage
This type of coverage protects your home’s structure and can help repair or rebuild your home if it incurs damage from a number of different scenarios such as:
- Fire/smoke
- Severe weather
- Vandalism/theft
- Falling objects
- Damage from aircraft
- Damage from a motor vehicle
Personal Property
This type of coverage protects your personal belongings in event of theft or damage. These personal belongings include:
- Clothes
- Furniture
- Electronics
Liability Coverage
No one expects accidents to happen in their home or property, but if they do, the liability portion of your policy will protect you in the event of injury or damage that you, your family members, and even your pets cause to other people. These include:
- Court and legal defense costs
- Medical bills for injured individuals
- Pain and suffering endured by an injured person
- Lost wage
- Death benefits
Additional Living Expenses
This type of coverage helps you pay for living expenses if a covered calamity such as fire requires you to temporarily move to another house or apartment.
Typically, the most common holiday-related claims include:
- Theft
- Injuries
- Property damage
- Fires
So here are a few tips to help you protect your home whether you’re staying home for the holidays or traveling out of town:
1. Limit indoor gatherings
Protect your loved ones by practicing social distancing and keeping holiday gatherings limited to 10 people or less (depending on your state’s limitations). Consider smaller gatherings or virtual gatherings to celebrate the holiday.
2. Turn off Christmas lights before you go to bed
One of the most common claims are fires caused by Christmas tree lights that are kept on for several hours causing them to over-heat. Consider using a timer or simply unplugging indoor and outdoor lights after a few hours of use.
3. Use battery-operated candles instead of real ones
While candles can make a room smell good and add ambient lighting, they pose a threat to homes, especially around the holidays. To avoid house fires, consider investing in essential oil diffusers if you’d like to make your home smell good or purchase battery-operated candles for ambient lighting.
4. Avoid grease fires while cooking
Deep-fried turkeys are a popular dish around the holidays, but this method of cooking can cause grease fires. Avoid this common cooking disaster by placing the turkey fryer on concrete at least three feet from dry grass or shrubs.
5. Avoid fireplace mishaps
Lit fireplaces can make homes feel cozy during the holidays. If your home has a fireplace, hire a licensed specialist to inspect and clean your fireplace and chimney before winter arrives to avoid fireplace mishaps.
6. Activate your home alarm
Home alarms can be extremely helpful to avoid break-ins and theft. Consider investing in a home alarm if you don’t already have one if you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time and especially if you’re leaving town for the holidays.
7. Make use of your community
If you have a trusted neighbor, ask them to look out for your home, and report problems when you’re away.
8. Social media use
Avoid posting details of your trip on social media until it’s time for you to come home. Posting on social media while you are away from home can give potential burglars the opportunity to break into your home when you’re not there.
9. Seal all windows
Be sure to check that all of your windows are properly sealed and locked before you leave town. Not only will this help keep all the warm air inside of your home, but it will also help prevent intruders from breaking in.
10. Ensure sturdy doors
Inspect your home’s entryways to make sure that they are sturdy and have a reliable lock. Consider installing bolt locks for added security.
At Webb Insurance, we can guarantee you that our home insurance plans cover against loss from:
- Fire and lifting
- Windstorm and hail
- Weight of snow and ice
- Smoke damage
- Falling objects
- Damage by freezing
- Explosion
- Vandalism and mischief
- Theft
- Accidental overflow from plumbing
- Accidental damage to appliances
- Damage by vehicles and aircraft
- Riots
The Bottom Line
Whether you plan to decorate your home with lavish holiday decor, entertain guests, or leave town for the holidays, review your personal property coverage with your insurance agent to give you peace of mind during the holiday season so you can relax and enjoy yourself.
Call or visit Webb Group for more information about home insurance policies. Our company’s representatives are ready to help you and keep your home safe during the holiday season.
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