It’s winter! It’s cold (or maybe not)! While we enjoy beautiful weather for the majority of the year here in Sacramento, California, winter storms can still take us by surprise.
The best offense is a good defense
As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. First, you should get your home ready for cold weather as well as complete the home maintenance monthly checklists for December and January.
Know your insurance
If your home is damaged from a winter storm, will your home insurance company cover the damages? In general, yes. Most direct damage caused from winter storms is covered. However, if your home shows signs of deterioration (i.e., not keeping up with your monthly maintenance), then you might be in for a battle to get your repair costs covered.
What happens if a tree falls on my property?
If a tree falls on your property and it damages one of the structures covered on your insurance policy, then your insurance company will cover the damages. But if it (or more than one tree) just falls on your land and no structures are damaged, then you’ll be responsible for those costs. Swimming pool fences, tool sheds, septic tanks, etc. are not usually covered under your home insurance policy, that is, unless you took out an insurance rider to get those items covered.
What kind of recourse is there for a power outage?
In general, you’re on your own during a power outage. But if you lose a significant amount of refrigerated items, most policies typically have a $500 allowance for refrigerated items. So if you have medicine that went bad or a month of groceries that you just purchased have spoiled, it might make sense to contact your insurance policy. Just remember though, that every claim you make on your policy can affect your insurance premiums.
What can I do to help expedite the repairs and/or repayment?
First, you should always have copies of your insurance policy handy and kept at an off-site location that you can easily access. You should also keep copies of receipts for all major work and upgrades on your home.
If you do have to have immediate repairs done to prevent further damage, keep those receipts readily available. If you don’t have receipts for your losses, you should write up an estimate of the total value of items damaged or spoiled.
Do you have good insurance for your California home? Or are you wondering if you could be paying less each month on your home insurance? Fill out our online quote and we can get you the right insurance for your needs.
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