The holidays are upon us, bringing a close to one heck of a year not just in the Phoenix/Scottsdale areas, but around the world, as well. As we get ready to close out 2020 and celebrate the holidays, it’s a good idea to take a few minutes and review your coverage for home insurance in Phoenix. The holidays bring with them everything from hours and hours of extra cooking, baking, and heating, along with decorations, gifting, and activities.
That also means that most people will be adding plenty of holiday lights to their properties in celebration of this time of year. Caution is always needed, however – when warm lights, more electricity, candles, live Christmas trees, and lots of oven and stove use all come together, it can spell a recipe for disaster. House fires occur more often than many people think during this time of year, so other than being extra careful with your tree (making sure it never gets too dry), keeping your cooking appliances in good condition (to reduce the risk of malfunction), and keeping lights and cords away from water, areas where people walk, and flammable materials, you need to make sure your Scottsdale home insurance policy covers accidents that are common during the season.
Holiday Mishaps That Might Be Covered
It may be the furthest thing from your mind right now, but disasters can easily wreck the holiday season – especially if you thought something was covered by your home insurance that actually isn’t. Here are some things that could happen that you should make sure are covered under your policy:
- Fires from lights, candles, etc: This is a big one. Lights on a very dry natural Christmas tree, someone knocking over a lit candle onto carpeting, overworked electrical outlets, and even a fireplace spitting out a hot ember suddenly can cause fires. While most policies cover property damage from mishaps like these with dwelling coverage and contents coverage, not all policies include fire protection. If it is included on yours, there might be some fine print exclusions and exceptions you need to be aware of, so check the specifics.
- A holiday guest gets injured at your home: If someone trips and falls over cords at your home, falls down the porch steps, slips on ice in the driveway, or endures some other type of injury on your property, you could be held responsible for damages. Make sure your Phoenix home insurance includes liability protection if someone sues you for damages – you could even be held partially responsible if you host a party and someone drives home drunk from your property and causes damage!
- Stolen gifts: Whether it’s packages sitting on your porch that are whisked away by a thief or someone breaks into your home and swipes the goods right out from under the tree, losing the gifts you’ve purchased for your loved ones can be devastating. If they are stolen from your home, the goods would likely be covered by the “contents coverage” clause in your policy. Do note that if you are purchasing an extremely expensive item for someone and it will be kept in your home that you need to let your insurance company know this the minute you leave the store with the item. Insurance companies may not pay for that new $6,000 diamond bracelet you bought your wife if it’s not listed on your contents list.
Accidents and mishaps happen, and the chances of them happening in your home increase during the holidays, thanks to more activity, more electricity, more people, and more presents all around. Protecting yourself now by going over your coverage can potentially save you thousands of dollars and a lot of heartache, should any accident happen to you this holiday season.
Contact us today and get free online quotes for home insurance in Phoenix, Scottsdale home insurance, and coverage anywhere in the surrounding areas. There’s no obligation; we’ll help you secure the coverage you need so you can enjoy this holiday season to the fullest and rest with peace of mind knowing you’re protected.