Burglars succeed too often because of obvious mistakes. But there are clear steps to limit burglary risk to your Columbia SC home when you're away.
There are some obvious things you can do — installing deadbolt locks or double key locks (in doors with glass), getting a dog, or installing a home-security system — these require planning far in advance. Here are 16 easier precautions you can take:
Outside Your Columbia SC Home
- Stop the mail or ask a friend to get it.
- Ask a trusted neighbor to park their cars in your driveway and to come inside occasionally and change curtain positions.
- Install motion-sensor lights where a burglar can't easily unscrew the bulbs.
- Follow the 3/6 rule: Trim shrubs in front of the house to no higher than 3 feet from the ground, and trim trees so that the lowest branches are at least 6 feet up (less hiding room for burglars).
- Don't hide a spare key anywhere that's remotely obvious. Better yet, don't hide one outside at all.
- Secure first-floor air conditioners with a bracket outside and a sliding window lock on each side of the window frame.
Inside Your Columbia SC Home
- Keep empty boxes (especially from pricey items) in the garage until garbage day.
- Cover garage windows so no one knows whether a car is inside.
- Lock up ladders and tools that could be used to break in.
- Leave a radio on, tuned to a talk-show station.
- Put lamps on a timer, preferably one that comes on and goes off at a different time each day.
- Turn down the phone's ringer.
- Consider placing safety film over windows near door handles to make glass hard to smash.
- Hide valuables in a hollowed-out book or a fake wall outlet, for example.
- Bolt down safes so that they can't be picked up and carried out.
- Place a solid stick in slider tracks.
These are just a few tips for keeping your Columbia SC home safe from burglars while you're away on vacation this summer. Some of these things may help get you a discount on your homeowners insurance. Tell us what other tips and tricks you use for keeping your Columbia SC home safe while you're away.
According
to a survey by Bankrate.com, 81% of Columbia SC homeowners know that a standard homeowners insurance policy doesn't cover flood damage, but a separate survey by the Insurance Information Institute found that only 13% of Columbia SC homeowners had a flood insurance policy.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) identify flooding as the United States’ No. 1 natural hazard.
Princeton Survey Research Associates International surveyed 1,003 U.S. adults, on behalf of Bankrate.com. The telephone survey was fielded from April 4 to 7, 2013. The survey responses were weighted by gender, age, education, race, Hispanic origin, region, and telephone status. Interviews were conducted by landline and cell phone.
Based on a Researchscape assessment of the questionnaire and methodology, this survey is moderately likely to be representative of U.S. consumers in general. The awareness question is a leading question that may overstate actual understanding that flood insurance is not included in homeowners insurance.
In a prepared statement, Michael Barry, spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute, an industry trade group, said "I was very happy that 4 out of 5 survey respondents understood that standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood. This number is a much higher awareness level than we've seen in the past."
FEMA usually classifies properties as either high flood risks or low-to-moderate flood risks. Bankrate.com asked Columbia SC homeowners whether or not they know the correct classification for their home and only 51% said they know the correct risk category.
Statistics show that recognizing the need for separate flood insurance does not always lead homeowners to purchase it. An Insurance Information Institute poll last year found that the number of American households with flood insurance actually decreased from 17 percent in 2008 to 13 percent in 2012.
Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a San Francisco-based non-profit advocacy group for insurance consumers, says some homeowners get lured by history into a false sense of security. "People have this notion that if it hasn't flooded in the past, it's not going to flood," she says. "While I can understand that thinking, I wouldn't trust it anymore because of Sandy and all the talk about climate change. If you live near a body of water, it behooves you not to use the past as your only decision point."
Columbia SC homeowners are urged to study their local flood map carefully to make an informed decision. The best place to start? The NFIP's user-friendly consumer site, FloodSmart.gov.
For more information concerning insurance, check out our other articles about Columbia SC Insurance to your right under the Columbia SC Real Estate Categories.
Are you like most Columbia SC homeowners when it comes to their homeowners insurance? We buy our policy and stuff it away, never thinking about it again until something happens and we need to file a claim? As our renewal notices come, we may take note of the increases, reluctantly writing out a check for yet another year of protection.
Automatically assuming that your Columbia SC homeowners insurance coverage is sufficient year after year may be a given, but it can also cost you in ways you may not have considered. Let's look at some reasons why you just might want to pull out your Columbia SC homeowners insurance policy today for a fresh review.
Columbia SC Homeowners Insurance – What Changed?
Your Home Value
After several years of sharp retreats, home values are on the rise again. For many homeowners, the strong home values of years past may take many more years to reach again, but if you bought your home within the past year, you may be in for a pleasant surprise or a rude awakening.
That rude awakening can hit you if you were to file a claim following a total loss. For example, when you purchased your Columbia SC homeowners insurance, you paid $375,000 for your home, a steal in your neighborhood. To replace your home today, you might pay more than $475,000, a difference of $100,000. Your home may not have been properly valued in the first place and with the recent increases in the Columbia SC area home values, it may be worth a lot more than you think.
Market Value, Replacement Costs
Market values change, therefore it can be difficult for Columbia SC area homeowners to know what their residences are worth from month to month. Basing your insurance coverage on market value is not the best option, rather you want insurance that is based on its replacement cost.
Replacement cost is preferred because it allows you to rebuild a home at its current location with comparable construction materials that were used in the home that you lost. You aren't at the mercy of ever-changing home values. Instead, your home is replaced whether home values advance or decline.
Many insurance companies insure your home for replacement cost rather than current value, knowing full well that prices may vary a great deal more than the cost to replace, should tragedy strike.
The Inflation Guard Option
You have another option when it comes to your Columbia SC homeowners insurance: asking your agent to automatically include an inflation guard that adjusts your coverage to reflect changes in the cost of construction.
An inflation guard can be especially helpful if your home needs to be rebuilt and the building codes have been upgraded. Normally, you would have to pay extra to upgrade your home, but with an inflation guard in place so-called "ordinance" or "law" coverage would help close that gap.
If you're not sure whether your coverage is adequate for your needs, contact your insurance agent to discuss your situation. You may also want to shop around for insurance elsewhere, giving you the opportunity to compare prices and coverage options with competing insurers.
For more articles and tips on Columbia SC homeowners insurance, check out our Columbia SC Insurance section under Columbia SC Real Estate Categories to your right.
If a Meteorite were to hit your Columbia SC home, does your insurance cover that?
It’s been an odd time lately for Earth and celestial objects. A 10-ton meteorite crashed into the earth and exploded near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, injuring hundreds and causing widespread panic. Meanwhile, a 143,000-ton asteroid passed just 17,000 miles away from Earth on February 15th, a little too close for comfort.
NASA scientist Don Yeomans recently noted that a basketball size object hits the earth’s atmosphere every day. This may have you wondering how a meteor shower or asteroid collision could theoretically affect your family or your Columbia SC home.
If a meteorite crashes through your roof, the damage to your Columbia SC home and belongings would generally be covered by your standard homeowner’s insurance policy, according to the Insurance Information Institute, a consumer education organization funded by the insurance industry.
Meteorites are classified as a falling object, one of the many “named perils” for which insurance companies cover personal property damage. Other odd perils include a volcanic eruption, a riot, and a falling airplane. In fact, you’re covered if your Columbia SC home is hit by “blue ice”, which is the frozen discharge that comes from airplane lavatories. (This might be a fate worse than a meteor crash).
While you’re most likely covered if a space rock hits your Columbia SC home directly, things would be more complicated (in a lot of ways, obviously) if an Armageddon-sized asteroid like the one cruising near Earth on February 15th entered your neighborhood. Standard insurance policies only cover personal property damage in your Columbia SC home if the falling object blasts directly through your roof or your walls. If an asteroid slams into the Earth a mile away from your Columbia SC home and your prized art deco sculptures tumble to the ground and shatter, insurance isn’t likely going to cover it. It has to be a direct hit.
The rules for meteors are actually no different than for a much more common falling object: trees. Your car would also be insured in this instance of cosmically bad luck, assuming you have comprehensive auto insurance.
For more timely insurance articles and information, check out our Columbia SC Insurance section under the Columbia SC Real Estate Categories to your right.
Trying to determine what the average cost of Columbia SC homeowner insurance might be can be tricky, and is also determined by a whole list of factors and circumstances. Learn about some of those factors that make up your insurance rates by watching this short video…
Before you can make sure your Columbia SC homeowner insurance policy is actually serving your needs, you need to take the time to educate yourself about the specifics of the policy. Learn more about your insurance needs with help from an experienced insurance agent, and also check out our other insurance tips by visiting our Columbia SC Insurance section under the Columbia SC Real Estate Articles to your right.