Spring Home Maintenance Tips for Your Roof

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It is recommended that you have your roof inspected in the fall and spring. This helps to ensure your roof is in great condition, protecting the interior of your home from water damage. If you fail to properly maintain the roof, your home insurance company may be legally allowed to deny any claims you file as a result of your poorly-maintained roof. Familia Insurance Agency in Kissimmee, FL has a few tips on when your home may need maintenance:

The Roof

Your roof needs to be examined to look for signs of damage. This may include cracked or worn shingles, tiles, or missing shingles or tiles. The damaged and missing tiles or shingles should be replaced. An inspection will also let you know when the roof is nearing the end of its lifespan and may need to be replaced.

The Chimney

A chimney is something that should be inspected and maintained when your roof is. If there are cracks in a brick chimney or the bricks are crumbling, brickwork needs to be done to solve the problem. Water can enter through these cracks causing water damage throughout your chimney system.

The Flashing

The last item on your roof that needs to be inspected in the spring is your flashing. Flashing is a metal strip that is placed between a gap and your roofing material. It helps to keep water from entering small gaps. If the flashing is rusted or bent, it may not keep water out which allows it to penetrate your roof. Replace damaged flashing as needed to protect your home from water damage.

If you have questions about your existing home insurance policy or are shopping for a new one, give Familia Insurance Agency, serving the greater Kissimmee, FL area, a call today. Our agents would love to help you with all of your insurance needs. Come by our office or use our online rating tool to get a quote for your home insurance needs.

Spring Home Maintenance Tips for Your Roof

Posted on by agentinsure

It is recommended that you have your roof inspected in the fall and spring. This helps to ensure your roof is in great condition, protecting the interior of your home from water damage. If you fail to properly maintain the roof, your home insurance company may be legally allowed to deny any claims you file as a result of your poorly-maintained roof failing. Familia Insurance Agency in Kissimmee, FL has a few tips on when your roof  may need maintenance:

The Roof

Your roof needs to be examined to look for signs of damage. This may include cracked or worn shingles, tiles, or missing shingles or tiles. The damaged or missing tiles or shingles should be replaced. An inspection will also let you know when the roof is nearing the end of its lifespan and may need to be replaced.

The Chimney

A chimney is something that should be inspected and maintained when your roof is. If there are cracks in a brick chimney or the bricks are crumbling, brickwork needs to be done to solve the problem. Water can enter through these cracks, causing water damage throughout your chimney system.

The Flashing

The last item on your roof that needs to be inspected in the spring is your flashing. Flashing is a metal strip that is placed between a gap and your roofing material. It helps to keep water from entering small gaps. If the flashing is rusted or bent, it may not keep water out which allows water to penetrate your roof. Replace damaged flashing as needed to protect your home from water damage.

If you have questions about your existing home insurance policy or are shopping for a new one, Give Familia Insurance Agency, serving the greater Kissimmee, FL area, a call today. Our agents would love to help you with all of your insurance needs.

How Driving Can Affect Your Insurance Costs

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There is more at play regarding your auto insurance costs than just the kind of vehicle you drive. Your driving habits play a big part in your auto insurance costs. You can either lower or raise the cost of insurance based on how you drive. While it may not alter costs overnight, you can help lower your insurance premiums a little bit at a time by improving auto habits. At Familia Insurance Agency, we want to help you save money while living in Kissimmee, FL or anywhere else in the state. 

No Accidents

The longer you go without an accident, the more money you can save. Auto companies often reduce your premiums for every period you go without an accident. While some accidents are not your fault and there’s nothing you can do, by practicing defensive driving you should be able to avoid most other accidents. 

Monitor Your Driving

You’ve probably seen commercials where insurance companies plug a little device into the vehicle’s computer system or set it on the dash. The device monitors your driving, how fast you drive in a set speed limit, the times you drive, and so on. If you drive well with this device in place you may be able to drop your insurance costs. 

Driving Tickets

When you accumulate points on your license, it affects your insurance costs. These typically stem from aggressive driving, drunk driving, and other illegal activities. Avoid these kinds of situations and you’ll help prevent your auto insurance from increasing. 

While it may take some time for your auto insurance costs to dive, if you improve your driving habits you’ll likely see a nice decline eventually on your premium costs. At Familia Insurance Agency, we can help you with this, whether you live in Kissimmee, FL or the surrounding area. 

How Driving Can Affect Your Insurance Costs

Posted on by agentinsure

There is more at play regarding your auto insurance costs than just the kind of vehicle you drive. Your driving habits play a big part in your auto insurance costs. You can either lower or raise the cost of insurance based on how you drive. While it may not alter costs overnight, you can help lower your insurance premiums a little bit at a time by improving auto habits. At Familia Insurance Agency, we want to help you save money while living in Kissimmee, FL or anywhere else in the state. 

No Accidents

The longer you go without an accident, the more money you can save. Auto companies often reduce your premiums for every period you go without an accident. While some accidents are not your fault and there’s nothing you can do, by practicing defensive driving you should be able to avoid most other accidents. 

Monitor Your Driving

You’ve probably seen commercials where insurance companies plug a little device into the vehicle’s computer system or set it on the dash. The device monitors your driving, how fast you drive in a set speed limit, the times you drive, and so on. If you drive well with this device in place you may be able to drop your insurance costs. 

Driving Tickets

When you accumulate points on your license, it affects your insurance costs. These typically stem from aggressive driving, drunk driving, and other illegal activities. Avoid these kinds of situations and you’ll help prevent your auto insurance from increasing. 

While it may take some time for your auto insurance costs to drive, if you improve your driving habits, you’ll likely see a nice decline eventually on your premium costs. At Familia Insurance Agency, we can help you with this, whether you live in Kissimmee, FL or the surrounding area. 

Why home insurance in Kissimmee, FL could save your finances

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When you are a homeowner, one of the first things on your mind is saving money. Not only so that you can put money away for the future, but also so that you can have a safety net in the present. One approach – one that is not advisable at all – is to cut corners on areas such as home insurance. While this might seem like a good idea initially, Kissimmee, FL residents who cut corners on that could experience first-hand why it is a bad idea.

No matter where you are in the United States, you always benefit from home insurance. Even if you never need to use it, it is ultimately a weight lifted off of your shoulders, knowing that if damage befalls your home that is covered by your insurance, you won’t end up having to pay out of pocket the money that you thought you had saved up for retirement or what have you by skipping out on your home insurance. A lack of home owner’s insurance is, even more, a problem for homeowners in Kissimmee FL and other cities in the Florida area; after all, residents are no strangers to hurricane season, where overnight, the home that you have owned for years may just completely disappear into rubble. And if you do not have home insurance, you may be left high and dry on getting a home that can reasonably compare to the one you once had.

Home insurance is one of the most important insurances that a homeowner can have, so don’t get caught without it. Contact us at Familia Insurance Agency, and we guide you through all of the hurdles and get you the insurance plan that works right for you and yours.

How are Home Insurance Premiums Determined?

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Home insurance is something that every homeowner needs even if they have paid for their home in full and are not required to hold a policy. Home insurance can make a huge difference in the recovery process after your home is damaged or destroyed and for those in the Kissimmee, FL area, the agents with Familia Insurance Agency can help you find the coverage that is right for you.

Home insurance does have a monthly or yearly premium depending on how you want to approach the payment process. Your premiums are determined by a few different factors but the main factor is going to be your actual coverage. To determine how much coverage you need, your insurance agent will take rebuild cost of your home, materials that make up your home, and the overall age of your home. These are all going to factor into the cost of your home and the value that will help calculate coverage.

The next thing that an agent will look at is fire protection in your area, how far from your home is a fire department or a fire hydrant, this will help determine how quickly help could get to you in the event of a fire. Still another factor taken into account is how many and what types of pets you have, the claims history of your area, your personal claims history, and your history with the insurance company.

Having a higher deductible can help lower your premium and so can improving your credit score, security devices in your home, bundled policies and more. Your home insurance is important and knowing how premiums are calculated can help you understand a bit more. The agents with Familia Insurance Agency in the Kissimmee, FL area can help you find your coverage.  

Holiday Lighting Safety Tips

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Holiday season is upon us in Kissimmee, FL. For many people, this means time to pull out the holiday decorations and lights.  Homes are transformed into majestic displays of holiday spirit.  Unfortunately, some homes do not survive the holiday season. In fact, the National Fire Protection Association states that 860 home fires are caused by holiday decorations every year. Protect your home and your family by following these safety tips when putting up holiday lighting.

Tip #1:  Use Caution When Buying Electrical Decorations

Be careful where you buy lights and decorations. Purchase electrical decorations from reputable stores and vendors. Also, make sure they have a seal of approval from a nationally recognized testing lab such as CSA, Intertek, or UL. 

Tip #2:  Inspect All Equipment Before Use

Before you begin hanging lights and decorations, make sure extension cords are marked for proper use. Check for any damage to lights, cords and electrical decorations. Do not use electrical decorations that have damaged cords or wires. 

Tip #3:  Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets

Plugging too many lights and decorations into one outlet can cause it to overheat and catch fire. Outdoor lighting needs to be plugged into outlets that are protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs). And avoid stringing more than three sets of incandescent lights together.

Tip #4:  Be Mindful of Where Lights and Other Electrical Decorations are Placed

If there are power lines nearby, make sure that outdoor lights and decorations are at least 10 feet away from them. Inside the home, electrical decorations need to be kept at least three feet away from an open flame or any heating equipment.

Protect your Kissimmee, FL home this holiday season. By following these simple safety tips, you can avoid unexpected disasters caused by an electrical fire. 

Florida Home Insurance

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Your home is your castle, and no doubt you’ll do anything you can to protect it. But what happens when your home can’t be protected from a devastating tragedy? In places like Kissimmee, FL, homeowners are faced every year with the possibility of severe, potentially disastrous weather events like hurricanes. In these situations, the strength of one’s home insurance coverage can make all the difference.

Home insurance is the financial blanket that protects the value of your assets should they end up in harm’s way. In the case that your home is damaged by severe weather, hit by an errant vehicle, burned in a fire or burgled by a neighborhood thief, your home policy’s hazard insurance coverage can help you to recoup some of your losses by paying out a sum of money based on the value of the covered property that was lost. Plus, home liability insurance ensures that you’re covered in the case of any accident or injury that occurs on your property.

In addition to simply being the best-bet for protecting your personal assets, home insurance is required by Florida law. If you intend to carry a mortgage on your home, it’s also likely that your mortgage lender will require you to obtain home insurance before they will approve your loan and release the necessary funds.

Don’t wait until disaster strikes–get your home and family the coverage they deserve at an affordable price. Whether you’re purchasing home insurance for the first time or looking to add additional coverage/increase coverage limits, the friendly experts at Familia Insurance Agency in Kissimmee FL are ready to help you put together the perfect policy. To learn more about coverage options, monthly premiums and Florida state home insurance requirements, call Familia Insurance Agency today at (407) 847-8007.

Protect Your Home While on Vacation

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The Familia Insurance Agency in Kissimmee, FL understands your home insurance needs. They are able to help you secure the right kind of coverage in case an unexpected event occurs while you are away on vacation. So, before you leave for your trip, you should do everything you can to prevent dangers that could happen inside your home.

Normalcy is the Key

Make sure that things appear as normal as possible. Thieves are less likely to try and burglarize your home if they believe people are inside.

  • Set up night lighting. Get a timer for your lights. You could also have a trusted friend stay at your place for a few days to make your home look occupied.
  • Stop newspaper and mail delivery. When papers pile up on the front porch, people know you are away. This is the first thing thieves look for. Have the deliveries stopped several days before you leave.
  • Park the car inside. Seeing a car parked for several days without moving lets everyone know that you are not home. You could also have a neighbor pull their vehicle in your driveway each night to show your house has constant activity.

Find the Shut-off Valve

It’s unnecessary to leave your TV or toaster oven plugged in when you’re leaving for an extended period. It could be a costly mistake if your appliances breakdown and cause a fire or flood.

  • Unplug your items. Unplug small appliances such as toaster ovens, coffee makers, and microwaves. Electrical items like computers, televisions, and game systems should also be unplugged.
  • Shut off the water valves. The valve to the dishwasher and clothes washer should be shut off before you go on vacation. You don’t want to come back home to a minor flood because you left a water valve open and a pipe burst.

In Kissimmee, FL, the independent insurance agents at Familia Insurance Agency can help you organize a policy that will protect your home from mishaps while you’re at home or away on vacation.