The funny thing about the phrase “home for the holidays” is that most of us are actually out and about more than ever during the holiday season. Whether we’re out shopping for Christmas gifts, attending parties, or visiting family, it seems like we’re anywhere but home.
Unfortunately, being away from home paired with traditional holiday activities and decor create the perfect recipe for holiday hazards. What you as a homeowner need to know is whether or not your home insurance has you covered for those unexpected, yet all too common Christmastime mishaps.
Are you insured for common holiday home risks?
Electrical Fires from Light Displays
Christmas decorations are stunning, but if they’re not done right and monitored carefully, they can end up putting your homeowner’s insurance coverage to the test.
We all love a house and front yard covered in lights, but it’s best to never to leave your lights on when you’re not home. The enjoyment your neighbors and those walking by may receive from your unmonitored outdoor light display is not worth the cost of an electrical fire.
For your outdoor and indoor light displays, be careful not to overload your outlets. This could also start a fire – especially when your lights are wrapped around a dead tree in your living room. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 44% of Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical distribution or lighting equipment.
Fireplace-Related Fires
Perhaps it’s all of those chestnuts you’re roasting over the open fire, but fireplace-related fires skyrocket every December, according to the NFPA. Often, it’s from candles on the mantle, not necessarily the fireplace.
Either way, the best way to avoid fireplace-related fires is to use fewer decorations around flames. Give you candles and your fireplace plenty of breathing room from stocking, garland and boughs of holly.
Stolen Christmas Presents
Robberies go way up during the holidays because thieves know they can get their hands on some brand-new tech toys and whatnot via your Christmas gift stash. Basic homeowner’s insurance covers personal contents, which means most items stolen from your home would be insured. If you have valuables that you’d like to insure, you may want to consider Valuable Items Insurance.
What if an item is stolen from your car? More often than not, thieves will break into a vehicle before they rob your home, so you need to know if your home insurance policy will cover those pricey Christmas presents that never made it home. In certain cases, Penny Insurance will cover a percentage of the cost of items stolen from your car under your home insurance policy.
Certain factors – such as whether or not you locked your car – will be used to determine what percentage of the stolen items insurance will cover. One of our insurance representatives would be happy to talk with you more about specifics. In the meantime, keep your car locked, and valuables out of sight.
Slips and Falls on Your Property
What if the Amazon delivery person slips on a patch of ice in your driveway and experiences a serious injury? Most homeowner insurance policies cover liability insurance, which means you would not be liable for medical bills. However, most policies have a threshold amount that they would cover in case of a lawsuit. If you’d rather not risk hitting that threshold, you can pay a little more for umbrella liability protection which goes into effect when your liability coverage meets its threshold.
Good Tidings of Great Home Insurance
The holidays are busy, and we know contemplating home insurance is probably not number one on your to-do list. That’s why, as a smaller independent insurance agency, we won’t waste your time bouncing you around from person to person. We’ll answer your insurance questions just the way you ask them – directly, to the point, and always with your best interests at heart.