November Home Maintenance Tasks

Every month, we share easy tasks you can do to keep you home in tip-top shape all year long.  So here are a few tasks you can take on in November!

Maintain Large Appliances - Appliances are a big long-term investment!  That’s why it’s important to take good care of them all year long.  Your refrigerator is a great place to start.  Accumulating dust can make your fridge cooling system less efficient. 

To prevent trouble, regularly pull the fridge away from the wall and clean the condenser coils with a vacuum cleaner.  It’s also a good idea to dust and clean the front lower grille.  This five minute task can add years of service to your refrigerator!

Clean The Oven & Stove Drip Pans - Next move on to your stove.  It’s another appliance that needs a good regular cleaning to keep it working well.  Many ovens have a self cleaning feature that will do the hard work for you. 

The only problem?  It can take a while to run the cleaning feature and it usually smells pretty bad while it’s running.  Save this task for a nice day and open up the windows to keep it well ventilated.  Check your stove manual for instructions  and take a few minutes to clean the burners too. 

Have Problem Trees Trimmed - Cold weather has arrived.  Have you noticed any large branches hanging over onto your roof?  Get them trimmed as soon as possible.  A good ice storm can cause branches to break onto your roof leading to more damage and insurance claims. 

Save on Home Insurance - Homeowners Insurance is an important part of protecting your home and belongings.  To make sure you have the best coverage, call van den Heuvel & Fountain today at (973) 948-3200 for a free, no obligation quote.

Halloween Insurance Tips

It's October and that means that Halloween is on it's way!  We love any excuse to celebrate, but Halloween is especially fun around the office. However, I wouldn't be a good insurance agent if I didn't give a few good liability tips too.

You've heard most Halloween advice over and over.

Pack a flashlight for when it gets dark.

Put reflective tape on children's costumes.
Check the kid's candy before letting them eat any.

But what about the risks at your home?

Your Homeowners Insurance covers you if someone is injured on your property. But there are a few things you can do to prevent accidents before they happen!

1.    Change your lightbulbs. Is your porch light burned out? What about lights along pathways? Good lightning will help prevent children (and adults) from tripping.

2.    Clear hazards. Tree limbs in your yard? A hole you've been meaning to fill? These are all potential hazards that could cause an injury and subject you to a liability claim. Clean them up before you have people trick-or-treating at your home!

3.    No open flames. While candle filled pumpkins are fun to make, they can be dangerous too. If you use any open flame candles, make sure they are up high and away from any loose costume pieces.

And the easiest way to protect yourself?  Make sure you have plenty of liability insurance! Call us today at 973-948-3200 to schedule a free review and detailed explanation of how we can keep your home and family protected.

Preparing Your Home For Winter Freezes

With winter arriving soon, now is a great time to prepare your home for freezing temperatures.  Use the checklist below to give for ideas for keeping warm, preventing fires, and saving money.

Have your furnace inspected and serviced by a professional at least once a year.

Have chimneys and vents cleaned and inspected.  (Built up creosote is the leading cause of chimney fires!) 

Stock up on dry, seasoned wood for the fireplace or wood stove.

Check the condition of your fireplace screen.  Is it in good condition and secure?

Get a covered metal container ready to dispose of cooled ashes.  (And keep it at least 10 feet from your home.)

Review fireplace safety with your kids! 

Make sure all portable space heaters have an automatic shut-off and are kept at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn (like bedding). 

Test all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms! 

Follow these tips and your home will be ready for winter and safe from fire hazards.  If you’re concerned about protecting your belongings, give us a call at 973-948-3200 to review your home insurance policy today! 

October is Fire Prevention Month

 

October is officially Fire Prevention Month. As your insurance agency, this is an issue that is very important to us! Unfortunately, we've seen clients suffer from home fires, but there are things you can do to prepare now to prevent a disaster later.

Beyond basic fire prevention, like checking cords and not leaving a pot unattended on the stove, there are several important things to do with your children or grandchildren to make sure they're safe.

First, create a PLAN. When children know what to expect, they can remain calm, even during an emergency. Help your child know exactly what to do if a fire occurs.

Stress the importance of getting out of the house and to your family meeting spot.  Choose an area a safe distance from the house where children should go if making a fire escape. It could be a street light, mailbox, or neighbor's tree.

If you have pets, tell your kids that your pets will find their own way out safely and that they should never go back to rescue the pet on their own.

As a family, go through each room of the house and discuss TWO different ways to get out if a fire occurs. Let children practice opening a latch and unlocking doors too.

Now host a fire drill! Make the practice drills fun and informative. Create sample scenarios and build up your kid's confidence. They'll be better prepared for a fire and you will too!

When it comes to any sort of emergency situation, people are what matter most. Take precautions to protect your loved ones and let your professional insurance agents at van den Heuvel & Fountain take care of protecting your home and belongings! Call us at 973-948-3200 for a free quote on your Homeowner's Insurance today!

October Home Maintenance Tasks

Every month, we share easy tasks you can do to keep your home in tip-top shape all year long. So here are a few simple tasks you can take on in October!

Pack Away The Air Conditioner - If you use a seasonal air conditioning unit, then now is the time to pack it up for winter! Make sure to spend a few extra minutes cleaning all the filters and coils well. It will keep the unit in great shape and it will last much longer.

Winterize External Plumbing Systems - It's much better to prepare for freezing temperatures before it's freezing! Winterize all exposed outdoor pipes and you'll avoid the trouble when there is snow or ice on the ground.

Check Your Carbon Monoxide Detector - This is an important one! October is a great time to check your carbon monoxide detector to make sure it is performing well.  Change the batteries, test it, and replace older units.

Clean Up For Halloween - Trick-or-treating can be a liability hazard! Clean up any loose tree limbs, fill holes in the yard, and remove any fire hazard Halloween decorations before kids are running to your door.

Save on Home Insurance - Homeowners Insurance is an important part of protecting your belongings. To make sure you have the best coverage, call us at 973-948-3200 today for a free, no obligation quote.

Life Insurance is Affordable

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. You’ll probably see TV commercials and magazine articles talking about why this coverage is so important all month long. And you probably already know it’s important. But that doesn’t mean that you’ve got your policy set up yet!

The Life Foundation says that only 62% of people who believe they need life insurance, actually have it. And even those that have it only carry enough to replace their income for 3.6 years. If you have young children to support, that is simply not enough time! And if you're skipping life coverage all together, then you are putting your family at risk.

So why do people wait too long to purchase life insurance? Well, the Life Foundation also says that 86% of Americans say they haven't purchased it because it's "too expensive,” yet overestimate the cost by more than 2X!

Life Insurance rates are based on a number of factors, including age, health conditions, and smoking status. By not smoking and purchasing when you're younger, you can save substantial money. In fact, many term life policies are less than $30 per month!

Here’s what we recommend...call the office and set up an appointment with one of our life insurance specialists. Bring information on your annual income, as well as any debts (like your mortgage). We’ll give an accurate picture of how much coverage you need as well as different ways to make it affordable. Don’t wait another minute! Call us today at 973-948-3200 to set up an appointment.

September Home Maintenance Tasks

Every month, we share easy tasks you can do to keep your home in tip-top shape all year long.  So here are a few simple tasks you can do in September to prepare your home for cool fall weather!

Check Gutters -  Take a few minutes to make sure your gutters are clear.  With rain and falling leaves, gutters will be working overtime.  By making sure they’re clear now, you’ll avoid water damage later on. 

Clean The Dryer Vent - Lint accumulating in the dryer vent can cause a house fire.  A couple of times per year, unplug the dryer and thoroughly vacuum the area around the dryer vent and hose.  Remember to check the outside vent too! 

Gather Firewood - Will you be burning a wood stove or fireplace this winter?  Start gathering up firewood now and save yourself from the task when it’s cold outside. 

Get Ready For Autumn - Now is a great time to start planting some fall flowers.  Mums make a great addition to your front porch! 

Save On Home Insurance - Homeowners Insurance is an important part of protecting your belongings.  To make sure you have the best coverage, call us at 973-948-3200 today for a free, no obligation quote.