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Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Have Homeowners Insurance

How much do you know about what homeowners insurance actually does? In the event of an emergency, what would really happen? Many people would be surprised to find out that a homeowners insurance policy can cover a lot more than just their house. Below, we will take a look at what your home insurance is capable of doing and why. Without further ado, here are the top ten reasons to have a reliable homeowners insurance policy and what it may be able to do for you and for your family. 

10. Bank Requirement 
One of the requirements of almost every mortgage lender will be the purchase of adequate homeowners insurance. If you wish to satisfy your mortgage lender, you’ll need to get the minimally required amount of home insurance. Each lender will have different requirements, but a minimum policy of some kind will probably be needed. 

9. Protection From Legal Liability 
You can’t really control if your mail carrier slips and falls on ice in your driveway or if one of your tree branches breaks off and lands on their mail truck. Homeowners insurance provides liability coverage to help protect you from lawsuits that may arise from unfortunate surprises like this.

8. Home Loss Protection 
If your home gets decimated or becomes otherwise uninhabitable, a homeowners policy can pay to relocate you. This is called “loss of use” coverage. A policy with this kind of coverage will help you pay for things like hotels, meals, and other similar living expenses. 

7. Item Replacement 
A good policy will cover your personal belongings. The insurance company may reimburse you for the value of items or pay to replace them beforehand. Keep in mind that these replacement policies can have caveats so know what’s covered and read your policy thoroughly. 

6. Medical Bill Assistance 
If a guest of yours gets hurt while on your property because of some random disaster, your homeowners policy may provide coverage for their medical bills and other expenses as a result of their injury.

5. Gives Protection From Humans 
People can cause as much trouble as mother nature. If your home is robbed or vandalized, your policy is there to protect you and your property. Your belongings may be replaced and repairs may be covered. 

4.Protects Equity 
Your home is a big investment. If you have built equity in your home by adding innovations or remodeling, your homeowners policy can help you protect the value of your house if it gets damaged. This way, you don’t have to build things up all over again from scratch. 

3. Covers Certain Repairs 
After a disaster strikes, your insurance company can help you repair damages. This means assisting with the cost of contractors, materials, and more. The claim that you file will have a big impact on what will be covered, so once again, be sure to understand your policy well. 

2. Helps Protect From Unforeseen Disasters 
Wind, earth, fire, and water are more than just the elements. They’re the ingredients for disasters that will usually be protected by your insurance policy. Most policies will protect from tornadoes, fire, windstorms and hail.

1. Gives Peace of Mind 
Lastly, homeowners insurance can give you peace of mind. Knowing that your family, home, and property, are properly protected, can help you stress less and enjoy life more. Because of this, it’s number one on our list of reasons to find a good homeowners insurance policy. 

After Disaster – The Next Step 
A good homeowners policy is a must in today’s world. However, even if your home insurance policy covers the cost of damages and repairs, it will be up to you to make the next move. That’s where ReBLDing can help. In a world that’s unpredictable, ReBLDing is the contractor services specialist you can trust. Find contractors, get fair estimates, track the status of a repair or construction job, save and organize conversations, and more, all in a secure and user-friendly environment. When disaster strikes, ReBLDing has the contractor services that you can count on without any of the stress and uncertainty.

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How to Create an Emergency Survival Kit

Disasters can strike at any time and are almost always unforeseen. Creating an emergency survival kit may just be one of the smartest moves you’ll ever make. An emergency services survival kit can help you in the event of a medical emergency, allow you to stay safe during a natural disaster, and much more. Below, we will take a look at how you can create an emergency survival kit of your own in the event that you run into some unforeseen circumstances. 

Step 1: Consider Your Needs 
Before you can create your kit, you’ll want to consider what you may need for your family or specific situation. Let’s look at a few things you may wish to take into consideration. 

Family size

Are you a family of one or part of a couple? Do you have children? The size and makeup of your family will greatly impact the items that you may need in your kit. 

Individual Situation and Specialized Circumstances

Do you have any special needs? If you’re a diabetic, for instance, it may be a good idea to have a separate kit with the supplies that you require to maintain your insulin levels. This is just an example to give you an idea of individual circumstances that can affect your kit’s contents. While we can suggest the general items that you should have in an emergency services survival kit, you need to consider your specific needs as an individual as well. 

Location

Where do you currently live? If you’re in California, for example, you may not need much in the way of cold weather gear. You can put that fluffy parka back. Packing unnecessary items can weigh your kit down and make it less ergonomically efficient.

Step 2: Gather Proper Supplies
Taking the time to gather and lay out the supplies that you need is the next step to take. Here is a list of most of the basic supplies that you should be keeping in your emergency survival kit. 
• Water or water purifier 
• Food (dry or canned food that has a long expiration date) 
• Flashlight 
• Radio (battery-powered or hand-crank) 
• Batteries 
• First aid kit 
• Medications 
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items 
• Tools (Swiss army knife, multi-purpose tools, etc.) 
• Copies of important documents and ID cards 
• Extra cell phone charger 
• Family emergency services contact information 
• Cash or tradeable valuables 
• Blanket 
• Maps of the area

Step 3: Put Your Kit Together
Now you simply have to pack everything together. Depending on which type of container you’re keeping everything in, pack things in order from heaviest to lightest with heavier items on the bottom. Try to leave items that are essential (a flashlight, knife, etc.) toward the top or opening of your kit for quick accessibility. 

Remember, if you do happen to become the victim of an unforeseen natural disaster, ReBLDing can help you get your life back on track. We know that the home restoration process can seem overwhelming. Let us introduce you to numerous highly recommended contractors, home restoration specialists, repair service specialists and more. ReBLDing can also help you quickly and easily establish a secure connection with a contractor or repair specialist that is perfect for you. We’ll walk you through your entire repair process! You can keep track of repairs, communications, receipts, estimates, and more with our user-friendly platform interface. ReBLDing is equipped with a huge array of helpful features. At ReBLDing, we know that disasters are unpredictable. Our contractor service process is reliable, simple to understand, and fast. We want to make your home repair process as stress-free and easy as possible. If you need contractor services of any kind after an unforeseen catastrophe, check out ReBLDing!

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Top Home Insurance Misconceptions

home insurance

Your Homeowners Policy 
In times of trouble, your homeowner’s policy can be an important tool. This kind of home insurance is capable of protecting you from bearing the burden of certain repair costs and other expenses after an unforeseen disaster. These policies are a great help in situations where your property has become subject to fire damage, the aftermath of extreme weather, flooding, and more. The right homeowner’s policy can help you get back on your feet quickly and with less stress. 

Getting to the Bottom of Things 
Many insurance companies tend to use confusing linguistic terminology in one place or another within their policies. This can lead to a number of fairly common policy misconceptions, myths, and other frustrating miscommunications. These areas of confusion tend to go unchecked until a time of crisis rears its head. 

What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You 
At ReBLDing, we want you to know what to watch out for so that you can get the most value out of your policies. The things that homeowners don’t understand about their policies can lead to misinformation that can really sting down the road. You definitely don’t want to find out later that something important isn’t covered.

Below, we have included some common myths and misconceptions about homeowners insurance. Some of these myths are even perpetuated with misleading terminology within the policies. We hope that this knowledge will help you better understand your options and assist you in protecting your property in the event of a catastrophe.

6 Common Homeowners Policy Myths and Misconceptions

Here are the top 6 homeowners policy misconceptions that you may not have heard of. 

Myth 1: Premiums Will Increase With Every Claim 
Actually, a single claim may not result in a premium increase of any sort. The damage in this area usually comes from filing multiple claims. Still, it’s a good idea to estimate costs before filing a claim to see if it is really worth taking the hit. After all, you don’t want to file when you can cover it and be surprised by an even worse incident a few months later. While this is unlikely, a good stance to take may be to “hope for the best, prepare for the worst. “ 

Myth 2: A Detailed Home Inventory is Not Needed 
Many homeowners assume the value of their claim will be calculated by a lump sum of their damaged items and repair costs. This isn’t always the case. Some claim adjustments are required after it looks like certain items may be covered. Proof of ownership may be required by your insurance company. There are a few things you can do to protect yourself from losing out when it comes to proof of ownership claim adjustments and similar processes. There are many free worksheets available that you can fill out which allow you to do a home inventory from room to room. We recommend doing this. Better safe than sorry! 

Myth 3: Damage is Always Automatically Covered 
Certain types of damage are expected to be covered no matter what. These types of coverage include water damage, termites, weather damage, and other unforeseen catastrophes. In actuality, there are certain conditions that may apply which will prevent you from being covered. For example, in the state of Florida, where flooding is common, you’d expect a homeowners policy to cover flood damage. Guess what? It doesn’t. Coverage must be purchased separately. Watch for these little surprises. Just because something should sensibly be covered doesn’t mean that it will be. 

Myth 4: Current Market Value is Considered When Determining Premiums 
This is not always true. For instance, the cost of materials and labor today can easily surpass the market value of a home purchased years ago. On the flipside, luxury properties in coveted locations may inflate in worth over time. The rebuild cost for properties that have inflated in value will be much less than the worth of the property. Because of this, it’s smart to ensure that your insurance policy calculates replacement cost value so that you can avoid paying certain premiums for a property that has depreciated. 

Myth 5: Renewal Doesn’t Impact Coverage 
This is another common myth. In actuality, renewing your policy may have multiple stipulations and general policy updates attached to it. Reading the fine print is the first step to take when renewing coverage. If you don’t like the changes to your homeowner’s policy, you may want to look somewhere else. 

Myth 6: Umbrella Policies Cover Everything 
Personal umbrella policies sometimes claim to cover everything. Unfortunately, these policies may, in fact, have a few “leaks.” For instance, if you have an umbrella policy that covers your home, but at the time of an incident you are using your home for business-related reasons, you might not be covered. Additionally, umbrella coverage usually only kicks in after you’ve used up every other type of available coverage. 

Remember, at ReBLDing, we can help. Our system allows you to select the contractors and repair professionals that you need for any job. We also help you track costs, communications, estimates, repair progress, and much more, all in a secure and user-friendly environment. At ReBLDing we can help you make your entire home repair or renovation process simple and stress-free!

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How ReBLDing Connects You with the Right Contractors for Emergency Services after Disasters like Hurricane Michael

emergency services hurricane michael

In the wake of Hurricane Michael, a natural disaster that is being called one of the largest storms of the century, people across the nation have been re-evaluating their disaster preparedness plans. What would you do in the event that your home was damaged by a vicious and unprecedented storm? At ReBLDing, we want to help put your mind at ease. Below, we’ll go over some of the ways we can assist you if an unexpected emergency ever does make its way to your front doorstep. 

Storm of the Century: Or is it? 
With winds exceeding 155 mph, massive tidal swells, and torrential rains, Michael recently wreaked havoc across the Florida panhandle with an unbridled fury. Though this recent hurricane has been dubbed a once in a lifetime storm, you may be interested to find out that these “rare” natural disasters have actually been on the rise as of late. The rate of unprecedented weather phenomena has been steeply increasing over the last 25 years in the US and all over the world. Hurricane Michael and other severe weather events have been on the rise over the last two-and-a-half decades. 

Hurricanes in California 
California residents know that although rare, hurricanes are a legitimate threat to coastal residents. Surprisingly, the only thing preventing hurricanes from reaching areas like California more often is the generally low water temperature. A change as small as 5 degrees could mean that California residents may encounter severe weather more regularly. Recently, California has experienced high winds, surf advisories, thunderstorms, and flash flood watches after hurricanes John, Rosa, and Sergio. In light of these most recent extreme weather events, we want to inform homeowners of our excellent emergency services. 

Whether this increase of unprecedented events is due to climate change, the earth’s natural rhythm or something entirely different, storms like this have a way of reminding us all to think seriously about our options. What would you do if faced with a disaster? No need to stress; ReBLDing is here and ready to meet all of your emergency needs. 

Hurricane and Emergency Services Offered by ReBLDing
At ReBLDing, we offer a multitude of services that can assist you in disaster preparedness and emergency aftercare. Not only do we have an extensive array of highly qualified professionals and contractors on our roster, but we also offer a slew of critical emergency contact services. Check out our resources page: https://www.reblding.com/resources/1. It can help you find state-specific information for claims, Red Cross facilities, and more. 

Hurricane Tips: After the Storm

There are also quite a few things that you can do to ensure your safety after a storm has passed.

• Keep an eye on local news – Local news will have helpful announcements, storm updates, and can direct you to local resources. Having a hand-cranked radio available may be a good idea. 

• Consider where you’ll go – You may not have immediate access to your home after a big storm. Prepare a game plan so that you and your family can rendezvous at a specific location if your home is inaccessible. 

• Watch for signs of danger – Downed powerlines and gasoline leaks can be very dangerous after a storm. Use common sense and avoid areas that have been impacted until they’ve been cleared. 

For more helpful hurricane tips, check out this link: https://www.reblding.com/tips/7. 

Additional Services

ReBLDing is here to help homeowners under a wide range of circumstances. Natural disasters can be scary, knowing how to handle them is important. We can help walk you through your home repair process from start to finish with our reliable professionals and secure communication tracking systems. Get started by signing up for free today. At ReBLDing, we want to do everything we can to help you get through the storms that you may face in life.

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Ways to Prepare Your Home for Southern California Winters

Seasonal changes can have an impact on your home. Even in sunny Southern California, knowing how to properly prepare your home for winter is important. Things like temperature dips, cold rain, and occasional early morning frosts can cause damage to homes that are not prepared properly. At ReBLDing, we have many helpful tools available to assist you in your winter preparation process. It’s a lot easier to get ready now when it’s nice outside, than later on down the road. Let’s take a look at a few things you can do to get your home ready for those chilly days and long nights. 

Inspect Your Furnace 
One of the first things that you’ll want to do is inspect your furnace. You can test your furnace by turning your heat up to 80 degrees and seeing if warm air begins to blow. If not, you may have a problem. 

Clear Vents 
You will also want to make sure that everything is cleared away from your heating vents. When you’ve been leaving them dormant, things may be piled up on top of your vents or positioned either accidentally or on purpose to block them. This is a no go, as blocked vents are less effective and may become a fire hazard. 

Seal Doors and Windows 
After you have your heating systems taken care of, you’ll want to start sealing your doors and windows. Transition areas where any glass meets wood, wood meets brick, and so on, can be prone to leakage or drafts. This can increase your heating bill or even increase the possibility of water damage. Taking some time to prevent this may save you quite a bit of aggravation in the long run. You can use self-expanding caulk, sealing strips, or weatherproofing tape. Large gaps can be fixed by a local professional that are easily accessible through ReBLDing.

Prep the Fireplace 
If you have a fireplace, you’ll want to have it ready for cold winter nights. It’s a lot easier to do this now when the weather is still nice, as opposed to in the middle of a cold and rainy evening when you attempt to light a cozy fire only to find out nothing is working properly. Start with the chimney. In the warmer months, debris like bird nests and fallen leaves can cause blockages. You’ll also want to clear soot buildup from burning fireplaces. For gas fireplaces, have connectors inspected if you suspect potential problems. Hiring a service person may save you time and aggravation with certain fireplaces and chimneys and ReBLDing is the perfect place to find the right person for the job.

Pools and Hot Tubs 
In Southern California, pools and hot tubs can usually be utilized year-round. If you decide to drain your pool, remove all service equipment, clear filters, and follow instructions in your user manual so that when it comes time to use your pool again, everything will operate correctly. If you have a pool cover, inspect it for rips, tears, and other signs of damage. 

Your Roof and Rain Gutters 
Having someone inspect your roof may be wise. Prevention is much easier than responding to problems in this case. Rain gutters should also be cleaned out and prepared. For more preventative tips, check out our previous blog on Protecting Your Home’s Long-Term Value with These Cleaning Habits for more.

ReBLDing is Here to Help

Hiring contractor services is the best move to get quality work. ReBLDing has a multitude of experienced industry and service professionals on hand to help get your home properly winterized. All of our contractors have extensive profiles that you can review. After hiring contractor services, ReBLDing allows you to securely track communications, payments, progress, and more. We can help you with your entire winter preparation process from start to finish.