It’s Winter(izing) Time!

We had snow in New York this week!  I don’t usually talk about insurance here, but every once in a while there’s information I have to share.  As the temperatures fall, there are steps you can take increase your safety and possibly decrease your insurance costs.

Let’s start with homes.  If you have a secondary home that you may not return to for some time, don’t forget to empty the water pipes.  If you maintain heat in your secondary home throughout the year, I’d highly recommend looking into a low temperature monitoring device.  Not only can this avoid bursting pipes, but it can also be a discount on your homeowner policy.

There’s nothing cozier than a woodstove or fireplace in the wintertime!  Remember, we need to know if you install a supplemental heating device.  We don’t want to cost you more money.  We DO want to make sure you have the proper coverage should something ever happen!  Now is a great time to schedule an appointment with a professional to look at your chimney or flue. Keeping them clean can prevent lots of problems down the road.

Pick up some driveway salt ahead of time.  I like to store mine in a decorative container right next to my front door.  That way, if we get a sneaky overnight frost, I can easily salt the steps before the mailman or any other deliveries arrive.  We don’t want anyone getting hurt!

Winterizing your car is just as important.  I need new tires myself.  Driving on worn tires is never a good idea, but it’s especially dangerous in winter conditions.  An overall vehicle check isn’t a bad idea either.  Take a look at your fluids, wiper quality, lights, jumper cables, and brakes.

I like to throw a spare jacket, flashlight, water bottle, and granola bar in my car.  Waiting for a tow in the New York winter weather without a good jacket, light, and something to eat does not sound fun!  Throw that ice scraper in there too

Do you have any vehicles that you garage for the winter?  Some insurance companies offer what’s called a “lay-up” credit for vehicles that aren’t used for a portion of the year – think motorcycles, campers, antique cars, stuff like that.  Let us know if this could apply to you, and we’ll look into it.  The savings can be great.

That’s enough insurance talk for one day, but thank you for hearing me out!  It’s worth thinking about this stuff!