The New Year often brings changes to people’s lives. If upgrading your home is one of those changes, make sure to update your insurance accordingly. Home renovations can alter your current home insurance coverage. By updating your home insurance policy from Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc in Lynnwood, WA, you can continue to receive the protection you need.

How do home renovations affect your home insurance?

Increase Home Value

Major home renovations like a kitchen remodel or a new patio can increase your home’s value. A substantial increase in home value could make your current dwelling coverage insufficient to protect your property. Your dwelling insurance should be enough to cover the cost of replacing your home in the event it’s totally destroyed in a catastrophe. By assessing the value of your home after the renovations are done, you’ll know if you need to increase your dwelling coverage to fully protect your property.

Alter Coverage

Home renovations will need to be added to your home insurance in order to be protected against unforeseen perils. Home renovations will alter your current dwelling coverage, making it necessary to update your policy.

Reduce Insurance Costs

Some home renovations such as upgrading your plumbing or electrical systems, installing energy-efficient windows or installing a new security system can help reduce your home insurance costs. A new plumbing and electrical system will reduce your risk of water and fire damage. A new security system can protect your home against theft, vandalism, and intrusion. By enhancing your home’s safety and security, you could qualify for a discount on your home insurance.

If home renovations are on your agenda for 2020, contact Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc in Lynnwood, WA about updating your home insurance to maintain optimal coverage. We look forward to meeting your home insurance needs.

Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc offers homeowners insurance to residents of Lynnwood, WA. The coverage they provide covers a wide range of damages that are caused by storms. There are certain natural events that are not covered by your traditional home insurance policy. These events must be covered by a specific type of policy that is written for that unique form of damage.

Know What Your Home Insurance Covers

When you purchase your home and sign up for new homeowner insurance, it’s essential that you talk to your insurance agent to determine what type of insurance policies you need to be fully protected from financial disaster caused by a storm or other weather event. By working with your insurance agent, you can find the information you need so you can purchase the right types of insurance.

Hurricane and Flood Insurance

Homes that are in hurricane zones or floodplains will require specific policies that are written for those particular events. If you live in a floodplain but have not purchased flood insurance, your home will not be fully protected against water damage from storms or large amounts of precipitation. The same is true if you live in a hurricane zone. If your home receives damage caused by a hurricane-related storm, your home won’t be covered if you don’t have the right policy in place.

Homeowners who live in or near Lynnwood, WA are encouraged to call the agents of Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc. when they decide to upgrade their existing homeowners’ insurance or purchase a new policy altogether. By calling their office, you can find out what types of home insurance are needed to cover weather-related events in your area.

These days everyone is looking to boost their income. One popular way to do this in Lynnwood, WA is through a home-based business. Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc encourages this spirit of entrepreneurship by extending our expertise to help home business owners understand commercial insurance and why it’s important. 

Does A Home Business Need Commercial Insurance?

Yes. It’s easy to assume that your regular home insurance would cover your business assets, but the truth is a standard home policy rarely provides enough. Sometimes, homeowner’s policies specifically exclude use as business insurance. This also goes for vehicles being used in majority business operations.

How Much Insurance Does A Home Business Need?

That depends on the business you run. Sometimes your insurance agent could find a rider or extension to add to your existing home policy to cover your business assets. In other cases, purchasing a wholly separate commercial liability policy might be your best option. When considering your options, you and your agent should look into the typical equipment you use and the common risk factors your business might experience. Coverages you might need include:

• Personal property such as furniture and computers
• Physical inventory of goods
• Liability for injury and product faults
• Business interruption

How Do I Find The Right Insurance For My Home Business?

If you operate in and around the Lynnwood, WA area, the agents at Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc are on hand to discuss your options. We work with you to discuss your individual insurance needs to find the policy that fits you and your business. Whether you’re just starting up or have been established in the community for years, let us make sure your home business is insured for the future. 

Now that the kids are back in school you may have breathed a sigh of relief. With a little more time to yourself, it’s time a good time to tackle those chores that you may have put off over the summer. Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc recommends that all of our clients in the greater Lynnwood, WA area review their home insurance policies at least once a year, and what better time than now? 

Why we recommend an annual policy review to our clients

A lot can change in a year: you can make a significant improvement to your home, make some large purchases, or see the dynamics of your neighborhood change. The policy that fit your needs to a tee last year may now be inadequate. It makes sense to sit down with your local agent and undergo a comprehensive review of all of your policies on a regular basis. Whether you need to increase your coverage levels, or you want to make sure that you are protected against certain events, now is a good time to take action. Along with fluctuations in home values, replacement costs vary over time.  And it always makes sense to do a review of your inventory lists to ensure that they are complete and up to date. Don’t wait until you have a covered event to discover your home policy hasn’t kept pace with your life. 

Has your family made any major improvements to your home or has it just been a while since you’ve had a comprehensive review of your Lynnwood, WA are homeowner’s policy? Contact Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc today and learn more about why we recommend an annual review for all of your policies.

It’s summer and time to travel the world. But, before purchasing the plane tickets and reserving the villa you will be staying at your desired location, you better keep your home safe while on vacation. The data information shows July and August are the busiest months of the year for homes to be burglarized and the majority of the homeowners were away on vacation at the time of the break-in. 

Precautions Inside The Home

To deter burglars from targeting your home, set timers for your interior lighting and television to go on periodically throughout the day and night. It’s the best approach to showing potential stalkers that someone appears to home at the time of their inquiry. Home invasion burglaries are crimes of fortunate opportunity with a zero chance of getting caught by the authorities.

If you have an automatic home security system, alert the company that you will be away from home on vacation for an extended period of time. This will give them ample time to assign an employee to monitor all activity from inside the home. However, to accomplish this, you must set the security system before leaving on your vacation.

Don’t Let Your Mail Pile Up Outside

A clear sign for burglars that no one is home is having your mail and delivery packages pile up on your front porch or inside the mailbox. This is one of the first signs burglars look for when canvassing neighborhoods as unattended homes are ideal to strike first. Your best option is having a neighbor collect your mail or alert the post office that you’re temporary stopping delivery until you return from your vacation. 

Keep a Low Profile on Social Media 

Never self-promote or advertise an upcoming vacation on your favorite social media sites. Plus, check all of your recent posts to make sure that you haven’t inadvertently placed your street address in the text. If so, then edit or remove the post altogether. Providing this information makes your home an easy target for burglars who are trying to gain access to online searches. 

Before leaving Lynnwood, WA on vacation, contact Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc on suggestions to keeping your home safe while you’re away. 

Owning a home is likely the largest investment that you will make in your lifetime. It only makes sense to ensure that this investment is protected from damage and destruction. While your basic homeowners’ policy will provide protection from many events such as wind, water, and fire, you may wonder if your current policy also gives you relief in the event of theft or burglary. The team of helpful agents at Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc are proud to answer this question and more for their clients in the greater Lynnwood, WA area.

The Short Answer: Yes

Most home insurance policies will protect you from theft, both inside and away from your home. However, if this is a situation that concerns you, it is always a great idea to have your current policy reviewed for completeness. One of the easiest ways to look at how your home insurance policy functions is to think of your coverage taking care of your home and your belongings. 

For example, if your bicycle is stolen from your local park, the loss will likely be covered by your home policy. Bear in mind, that most base policies do have value limits that define coverage as up to a certain point of coverage per article. If you have a lot of expensive sports or electronic equipment, or a collection of art or jewelry, you may want to consider a personal articles rider for your policy. All of these questions and more can be addressed at your annual policy review.

Ready for a comprehensive review of your homeowners’ policy? Call or stop by today and let the team at Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc review your policy with you. We look forward to serving you and the entire Lynnwood, WA community!

If you are considering buying or selling a home, home insurance is part of the process. When selling a home and buying another one, it is important to make sure adequate home insurance stays in place for the home that is sold until such time as the title is officially transferred to the new owner. It is just as important to have the insurance for the new home being purchased to go into effect, at the right moment, upon accepting the title for it.

Work with your agent at Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc, serving Lynnwood, WA and the nearby areas, to get good advice about how to manage the process of insuring a home that is being sold and one that is being bought

The Timing of Home Insurance Coverage

It is not necessary to get the date and time exactly down to an accurate moment of title transfer from one owner to another. In fact, it is better to have a bit of overlap. Overlap means that the insurance for a home being sold extends a few days after the title transfer. For a home being purchased, the insurance should start up a few days before the title is transferred. By using this method, there is no moment where your home will not be insured. Using a few days after and before the title transfer also avoids any problems with interpretation of the time zones.

A Smooth Transition is a Goal

The goal is to make sure your home insurance stays in place until 1) the title is transferred; 2) all of your things are removed from a home that is sold, and; 3) the keys have been turned over to the new owners. Likewise, when buying a home, you want to make sure your new home insurance is in place before any of your things are moved in.

Contact your agent your agent at Sound Choice Insurance Agency Inc in Lynnwood, WA to discuss any special needs.

Imagine you’re mowing the lawn on a beautiful day in Lynnwood, WA. One moment you’re smiling up at the sunshine, and the next, a rock flies out from the mower and hits your neighbor’s window. After a moment of panic, what do you do? Chances are your homeowner’s insurance covers you in this case. However, before it does happen, be sure to check in with your friends at Sound Choice Insurance Agency, Inc. to see if you need a new or updated policy.

What Does Homeowner’s Insurance Cover?

Homeowner’s insurance covers your home and its contents. Family liability insurance is standard on most policies in Lynnwood, WA. It also covers lawsuits resulting from an injury on your property. Remember, injuries don’t only apply to the mailman getting bit by your dog. If the neighborhood kids sneak into your pool and get hurt, you can be held liable. 

Legal Protection

Luckily, homeowner’s insurance also covers accidents in Lynnwood, WA, and a sound policy extends to incidents away from home. Legal and medical bills, even lost paychecks are covered if an injured party is forced out of work due to an accident on your property.

Home insurance protects you against judgments when a judge finds you negligent. It features medical payments for those hurt on your property. Additionally, liability home insurance covers people you hurt, and the same goes for any household member or pets when they’re away from home. For example, no-fault insurance pays for an injury no matter who’s at fault.

Ask your representative at Sound Choice Insurance Agency, Inc. about home insurance and any other coverage options that may benefit you. Protect yourself from frivolous lawsuits that threaten the financial well-being of your family.

 

Keeping your home safe from intruders and making sure you have the proper amount of insurance is the best way to keep your home protected. In Lynnwood, WA, Sound Choice Insurance Agency, Inc. can get you started on a home insurance policy.

Every season there are always tasks that need to get done so your home looks and feels brand new. With these quick and easy home-cleaning tips for this summer, you’ll never spend too much time scrubbing again.

Start with the Bathroom

The bathroom seems to be the most difficult and well-avoided area to clean. Remove any dust from corners or tight spaces with a vacuum, then wash the bathroom mat or rug. Depending on the type of tub you have, you may want to use a cleaning material that is safe for all types of tubs. With deep stains and a porous surface, you should use Borax and water to clean the stains. The sink and toilet can be cleaned with bleach and water, but don’t mix bleach with any other chemicals.

Mopping and Dusting the Floors

For people with hardwood flooring, it may seem easy to clean, but there is a lot to think about. You cannot just use any floor cleaning material, or you will risk stripping the wood. The first step would be to get a Swiffer dust mop to remove any dust. If you decide to vacuum, the wheels may scratch the flooring. You could do a test before going that route. Once you’ve removed all of the dust bunnies, then you can mop the floor with a cleaner specifically designed to clean wood floors. If part of your home is tile, you should get a multipurpose floor cleaner that can be used on wood and tile.

Sound Choice Insurance Agency, Inc. in Lynnwood, WA have representatives available to help you secure your home’s insurance policy today. Reach out to our offices to get a quote and get started on a policy.

A lot of home insurance policyholders in Lynnwood, WA do not see the importance of reviewing their policies annually. Unfortunately, this does more harm than good. In Lynnwood, WA, a lot of policyholders believe that reviewing their policies will lead to increases in their premium. They often ignore the benefits therein.

Sound Choice Insurance Agency, Inc. will always notify you if there is an increase in your premium. Based on the terms of service in Sound Choice Insurance Agency, Inc. and other reputable insurance companies in the state, here are the reasons you should review your home insurance annually.

In case of an upgrade in your home

It is possible to renovate or retrofit your home. You could also build an additional structure on your property.These upgrades to your home raise its value tremendously. Yes, reviewing your home after the upgrade may lead to an increase in your premium and deductible, but it also means you will be paid more in case of loss or damage.

In case of a disaster, you don’t want to be compensated based on the old value of your home after upgrading it. So, it is essential to review your home insurance policy after an upgrade.

Increase in premium

The premium on your home insurance policy can increase without your knowledge. Although reputable insurance companies will not increase your premium without a legitimate reason, premiums do seldom increase. You will be informed why during the review.

Possible discounts

If you decide to install security gadgets or alarm systems in your home to prevent intrusion and burglary, you should review your insurance as you may be entitled to certain discounts. An insurance review is not only about an increase in the premiums, but it is also about possible discounts as well.

Home rental

It has become a common occurrence to rent out homes to tourists. If you decide to rent out your home to guests, you should also review your home insurance policy. You don’t want to pay for the carelessness of your tenants.

In conclusion, whether there is a change in your home or not, it is important to review your home insurance policy annually because the laws guiding home insurance often change. You may lose money for years if you are not aware of specific changes. An annual review is a great way to keep yourself updated.