If you were given minutes to collect any important items and evacuate your home, what would you take with you?
This isn’t just an exercise; it’s a real dilemma for many B.C. residents threatened every year by fires, severe weather, environmental hazards or other disasters.
The summer months are peak times for moving. Many families with school-age children prefer to move between school terms; summer weddings also lead to changes of address. And if a move also involves renovations, the warmer summer months may be more amenable. When it comes to your home insurance, a move is a material change of risk, and requires an adjustment to your coverage. This is the case even if you are a tenant moving from one rental property to another and the possessions you're insuring will remain the same.
Odds are as high as 1 in 30 that robbers will try to break into your home. Burglars are opportunists – they look for easy entry. A home alarm will reduce those opportunities. Installed alarms can also, in some cases, mean discounts on your home or tenant insurance.
We’re often so busy in our day-to-day lives that it’s easy to overlook that some changes may have affected our insurance coverage. When it’s time to renew your insurance policy, take a few minutes to give it a check-up. Be sure that you still have the appropriate coverage in place.
If it weren’t for insurance, most people would not be able to buy a house. Insurance not only protects the owner’s investment, it also makes it possible for the house to serve as collateral for the mortgage. Without insurance, most people who suffer major losses would not be able to afford to buy again.
Everybody loves getting away any time of year; you will enjoy it even more knowing your home is safe. A few precautions like using lights and sound to make it appear as though someone is home is a step in the right direction.
Summer is now upon us and as many of us think about ways to stay cool or escape to a peaceful spot under the sun, we also need to keep in mind various crime prevention and safety tips to keep ourselves, our family and property safe.
