3 Ways to Protect Your Home


 

Owning a home often requires you to expect the unexpected. If your house hasn’t taken you by surprise, don’t worry―you will. This is especially true for new homeowners or first-time buyers. Your oven will short-circuit as you are getting ready to cook the Thanksgiving turkey, or your plumbing system will start to leak when you can’t afford it. In short, homes have a knack for catching you at the most inconvenient times. However, for moments when you either cannot afford a repair or you simply lack the skills to be able to fix it up yourself, there are resources available to you that can pick up the slack. Maintaining a home can be a ton of hard work, but by taking extra measures to ensure the protection of your home you will find yourself capable of handling any untoward situation that may arise.

Water Valve

Locate your water valve and know how to turn it off. Learn how the valve works so that you can save yourself time when an emergency situation occurs (e.g. a flooding basement, a busted pipe in your bathroom). While your at it, take time to figure out how to shut off your power and gas lines. Before you leave on vacations or business trips, make sure to shut off these valves to avoid potential hazards and extensive damage while you are away. Your main water valve is the most important plumbing feature in your home because it supplies water to the entire house. If you live in a part of the world that is susceptible to freezing temperatures, knowing how your water valve works is crucial to stop leakage and water damage if your pipes freeze and break. Overall, understanding your main water valve will save you heartache down the road and protect your home from extensive and costly damage.

Warranties

While homeowners insurance is helpful for certain perils like flooding and fires, there are certain things your policy will not cover, regardless of how much extra coverage you pay for. This often includes the daily wear and tear of appliances throughout your home. This is where home warranty insurance can come in handy. Home warranties protect your house’s major appliances and systems as they wear out. So, if your dishwasher stops working unexpectedly, or your water heater finally goes kaput, a home warranty policy can help save you money. One of the biggest benefits comes from the fact that you can rely on a professional to come out to your home and make the necessary repairs. For those who are worried about financial planning or who are working with a shoestring budget, home warranty policies provide for fewer unexpected costs. Knowing your premium costs and deductibles will help you weather the unanticipated.

Appliance Insurance

Home appliance insurance, or a home appliance warranty plan, is a policy that covers the cost of repairs for appliances in your home. This kind of insurance is important to consider, especially if you have older appliances that would break the bank to fix up or replace, or you have moved into a new home that comes with appliances and you are unsure of their condition. Appliance insurance ensures that you have access to a licensed repair technician to come to your home and make repairs when your dryer breaks down or your refrigerator suddenly stops working.

You may be thinking, what is the difference between appliance insurance and a home warranty policy? That is a good question. The main difference lies in the fact that appliance insurance covers specific appliances not included in your home warranty coverage. Another difference is that appliance insurance generally covers all service and repair expenses, whereas home warranty policies often charge a deductible fee. Regardless, appliance insurance is yet another way of making sure that your home doesn’t take you by surprise. Being prepared for accidents and problems is essential to enjoying life, whether you are a new homeowner or you have lived in your home for fifty years.    

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