Monthly Archives: November 2011

 Brand new washing machine!

Are you considering replacing that old workhorse, your washing machine? The washing machine truly is a labor saving device: just think how many hours you’d spend at the wash tub each week if you had no washing machine. Because washing machine technology is fairly straightforward the appliances are quite reliable but when things do go wrong with a washing machine there’s a risk of flooding, water damage and claims on your New York homeowners insurance.

It’s a good idea to spend some time researching the types of washing machines that are available, because your new washing machine will probably be used regularly for many years. Some of the factors that you might want to consider include:

• Top loading styles are more popular and affordable and are also easier to load and unload than front loading styles.
• Washing machines with high EnergyStar ratings are more energy efficient and more economical to run than machines with lower ratings.
• Front loading washing machines use less water than top loading machines.

Floods in laundry rooms are most often caused by split or damages water hoses. Keep an eye on the hoses and connections during the years your machine is in use, and replace hoses immediately if you notice signs of wear or damage. Regular inspection of your washing machine might help to prevent a washing machine failure, and avoid the inconvenience of mopping up after a floor flood and the drama of filing a New York homeowners insurance claim. With C.H. Edwards, Inc., you can get the coverage you need for your home. Contact us today for more information!

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A homeowner
who has not yet created a home inventory is at risk of being underinsured or
being unable to support a claim for insurance compensation. An up-to-date home
inventory helps you accurately estimate the value of your belongings when you
review your New
York homeowners insurance coverage. It’s also a useful
checklist so that no item is overlooked if you need to file an insurance claim.

There’s no
set format or medium for a home inventory but many people find that using a
spreadsheet for the basic information helps with making rapid automatic
calculations of value and depreciation figures. 
Here are six easy steps towards creating a comprehensive home inventory.

1.   
Start by listing major possessions like valuable jewelry and
artworks and go on to list furniture, home appliances, collections and family
heirlooms.

2.   
Don’t forget to add commonplace belongings such as cutlery,
pots and pans, linen and bedding, hand tools, sports equipment, and clothing. Look
inside drawers and closets.

3.   
Photograph major items, record descriptions and other details
like age, model and serial numbers, purchase price and current value, and
attach copies of sales receipts and appraisal certificates if you have them.

4.   
Separate the list into logical sections such as by the room
in your home where an item is kept.

5.   
Store the home inventory and other associated documents in a
safe deposit box, fire proof box or online file.

6.   
Update your inventory annually and whenever you make a major
purchase.

Don’t be
deterred from creating your inventory because some documents like sales
receipts are missing; it’s far better to have an almost-complete inventory than
no inventory at all. Spend some time now to create your home inventory – if you
ever need to claim on your New York
homeowners insurance coverage you’ll be glad you did! With C.H.
Edwards Insurance, you can get the coverage you need with our agency. Contact
us today for more information!

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A great winter vacation can be ruined by returning home to damage caused by severe winter weather.

Most New York homeowners insurance policies require that you use reasonable care to maintain heat in the dwelling, or shut off the water supply and drain the plumbing system while the dwelling is unoccupied for extended periods of time.

Taking Care of Your Water Pipes While On Vacation
Water pipes are especially vulnerable to damage during cold weather. Water pipes can freeze and burst. Pipes that are most vulnerable are located in attics, crawl spaces, and outside walls. There are several simple precautions homeowners can take to reduce the chances of these pipes freezing.
-Pipes that are accessible can be fitted with foam or fiberglass insulation sleeves, or wrapping. The thicker the insulation, the better. It’s important not to leave any gaps in the insulation that expose the pipe to cold air.

-All cracks and openings in outside walls and foundations near water pipes should be sealed with caulking or foam insulation. Recheck sealed areas, as caulking can crumble with age and let in cold air.

-Keep kitchen and bath pipes exposed to warm air from your heating system by keeping cabinet doors open during periods of extreme cold.

-If you have a crawl space, make sure the outside air vents underneath the flooring are closed.

-For short absences, allow all your faucets to drip a steady stream of water. It is important to remember that if both hot and cold water pipes serve a single faucet, each one should contribute to the water flow, since both pipes are susceptible to freezing. You may wish to consider draining your water system and shutting off the main valve for extended absences

-If you return home and suspect a pipe is frozen, turn on all faucets. If a pipe has already burst, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve and call a professional plumber immediately. (Keep your faucets open until the pipe is repaired.) Never try to thaw a frozen pipe with a torch or other open flame!

TV wall mounts have been designed to be easily put up by a homeowner who has fairly basic carpentry skills. However, installation of a TV wall mount may also require some electrical work to conceal the cables in the wall cavity. This part of the installation should be carried out by a licensed electrical contractor to avoid compromising your New York homeowners insurance coverage.

A TV wall mount is a device for mounting flat screen LCD or plasma TVs onto a wall. There are many different designs on the market, and designs are available in several sizes to suit different weights and screen sizes. Choose a design of TV wall mount that suits the type of TV it supports:

• Arm mounts that allow you to swing the TV away from the wall can be suitable for small screen TVs that are watched in the kitchen. 
• Tilting wall mounts are designed for large screen LCD or plasma TVs that will be viewed from chairs in the living room. This type of mount allows the TV to be placed high up on the wall and the screen can be tilted to offer the best viewing angle.
• Motorized TV wall mounts that allow you to adjust the viewing angle remotely are suitable for large viewing rooms with multiple seating positions.

Most TV wall mounts are relatively inexpensive pieces of hardware and the mounting of the hardware on the wall is a simple job for a home handy person. Concealing TV cables in the wall cavity is a job best done by a professional. Don’t forget, if you are purchasing a big new television, keep your receipt and make sure you have adequate coverage for your home contents on your New York homeowners insurance. With C.H. Edwards, Inc., you can receive the coverage you need for your home. Contact us today for more information!

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It is generally accepted among insurance agents that the state minimum policy limits are not enough. Most insurance professionals would agree for the average driver the best liability limits to have on New York automobile insurance are 100/300/100. This means:

·  100,000 per person for bodily injury

·  300,000 per accident for bodily injury

·  100,000 per accident for property damage

Since in most areas medical treatment is in fairly the same range, the last limit, per accident for property damage, is the one you may want to take into account if you are not the average driver. If you live in an area where you feel that if there was an accident, that was your fault, and property damage may exceed 100,000, you may want to consider higher limits. Remember, property damage is the other person’s car and any other property damaged during the accident if you are at fault. In some areas one’s landscaping can cost over 100,000!

New Yorkers are always interested in ways to save money or, at least, to avoid wasting money. It’s possible to make your home insurance dollar stretch further by purchasing appropriate coverage under New York homeowners insurance and taking advantage of any opportunity to claim premium discounts that may be available to you. We’ve listed six things that might help to lower your insurance rates.

• Some security systems attract discounts. Although sophisticated systems to enhance home security can be quite costly, insurance discounts may make them more affordable.
• Insurers sometimes offer discounts when no member of a household is a smoker and the risk of house fire is reduced. 
• Retired householders are often eligible for insurance discounts because they tend to spend more time at home and are consequently at lower risk of theft and fire.
• Loyalty discounts are offered by many insurance companies to encourage people to stay with the same company for three years or more.
• Reviewing your insurance coverage for personal possessions can save on insurance costs. If the market value of some of your possessions has decreased, bringing down coverage so that it reflects the current value of your possessions can reduce insurance premiums.
• Increasing deductibles may reduce insurance premiums – but remember that this cost-saving strategy is also likely to also reduce the amount that would be paid out if you had to file an insurance claim.

Installing security and safety systems, taking advantage of discounts for loyalty and adjusting the level of insurance coverage are all ways to reduce the cost of New York home insurance. Your agent or insurer will be pleased to discuss ways of ensuring that you get the best value for your insurance dollar. With C.H. Edwards, Inc., you can get the coverage you need for your home, so contact us today for more information!