Mould is everywhere, indoors and outdoors – and is generally excluded on your homeowner’s policy. Depending on where it grows, it can be helpful or harmful. When mould grows inside homes or buildings, it may cause health problems and reduce the value of your home. Moulds release chemicals and spores that can cause irritation of…
The first step in dealing with basement flooding comes from minimizing the risk through a few precautions: Never pour fats, oils or grease down your drains. Reduce home water use during heavy rains. Keep the storm sewer grates on your street clear of yard waste, leaves, garbage, ice and snow. Clean and maintain your eaves…
As taxes and other expenses for cottages continue to increase many cottage owners are looking for creative ways to soften these costs. This has motivated some cottage owners to rent out the cottage on a weekly basis during peak season when the cottage is not in use. However, it is vital that your insurance provider…
Spring is here, which means it’s time for a thorough, semi-annual maintenance check of your home. Many of these simple tasks can add years to the life of your home and prevent major repair headaches. Invest a little time now and you’ll save money on repair bills and have more time to enjoy the summer.…
Do you know what ‘liability’ is? Here’s an example: If you own a house, you might assume that somebody walking on your property, uninvited, couldn’t possibly sue you and get money from you or your homeowner’s insurance policy because they tripped and fell on your concrete walkway. However, you may very well be liable for…
Six out of 10 homeowners, when asked, are unable to actually point out all the basic components of their homeowner’s insurance policy. They assume they’re protected from fire, theft, flooding, natural disasters, and other potential threats. However, when they begin to look at the policy in more detail, they realize that they aren’t protected like…
Shopping around for a house can be exciting. If this is your first time, you probably have a lot of questions mixed in with all that excitement. Those questions are important to ask, whether it’s of your realtor, mortgage lender, or even an insurance broker. One of the most common stipulations of mortgage lenders is…
If you’ve taken out a mortgage to purchase your home or refinance it, the mortgage lender may very well require that you have some level of homeowner’s insurance. As a result, you want to save as much money as possible, but you don’t want to get caught unprotected. Here are three simple tips that can…
When you purchase a home, your mortgage lender is going to require that you carry homeowner’s insurance. Each financial institution has varying requirements with regard to what needs to be covered under the policy. You need to check with your insurance company to make sure the policy you’re considering getting is going to be adequate…
Depending on where you live, where you’re looking to buy a home, your history, and other factors, you could be looking at a significant payment every month just to protect your home. Most lenders require homeowner’s insurance, and depending on the lender itself, their expectations and requirements may be significant. When you’re talking about any…