“Clean the Gutters” and Other Tips for New Bedford Homeowners

There are a lot of responsibilities that come with home ownership. It pays to work with an insurance agency in New Bedford that can provide you with reliable, comprehensive coverage and an affordable home insurance quote. Never choose your New Bedford home insurance policy based on price alone. It is important to work with your agent to get the best coverage at the best price. When it comes to protecting your investments and your home, it pays to take some time to ask questions, do a little research, and select a trusted agency with decades of experience protecting homeowners in your local area.

Spring Cleaning Tips for New Bedford Homeowners
It is important to do everything you can to clean out the dust from the house being closed up during the winter months, as it helps to create a healthier home. However, there are other “spring cleaning” tips that you should make sure to add to your list that will help to protect your home in the coming seasons. While your MA homeowners insurance policy is there to protect your investment, the goal is to do everything you can to avoid ever having to make a claim. The more that you can do each season with regard to basic home maintenance and cleaning, the less likely you will be to have problems that require major repairs or replacement.

• CLEAN THE GUTTERS – Probably the least favorite chore for all homeowners everywhere regardless of where they live, cleaning the gutters is something that needs to be done at least twice each year. In the fall, cleaning the leaves, pine needles, twigs and debris from the gutters can help to prevent water and ice from building up in gutters, resulting in a potentially damaging ice dam. In the spring, cleaning any new debris that found its way into the gutters can prevent clogs that might cause damage to gutters when the spring rains hit. Clots can lead to water damage inside your home, resulting in mold, mildew, and other serious problems.
• CLEAN THE DRYER – The home dryer is one of the leading causes of fires in homes throughout America. Make sure to check and clean the dryer hose twice each year or more frequently if you see a lot of build-ups. Clean out the lint trap in your dryer regularly to prevent increased amounts of lint from finding its way into the hose. Clogged hoses are a fire hazard, but they can also increase the cost to run your dryer on a daily basis and make drying a load of laundry take longer than it should. Get more dryer safety tips from your insurance agency in New Bedford.
• REPLACE BATTERIES IN DETECTORS – Your home should be equipped with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. The batteries need to be replaced twice each year. Some people used to do this at the daylight savings time change, but the increased time makes it longer than six months between changes during the spring, summer and early fall months. Get on a schedule of replacing batteries every April and October to ensure that it really is every six months between changes.
• HVAC SERVICING – Another important chore that must be done twice each year prior to switching to the A/C or flipping on the heat. Consider getting on an annual service program to save money and make sure you don’t miss preventive maintenance work before you need heating and cooling throughout the year. MA homeowners insurance claims regarding malfunctioning heaters and air conditioning units that cause damage could be greatly reduced if homeowners would just keep up with regular maintenance, change out filters monthly, and stay on top of keeping everything clean.
• CLEAN THE YARD – A lot of damage can occur to your trees, shrubs, and other landscaping elements during the winter. Once the snow and ice melt, take this opportunity to assess the situation and when the weather clears up, go ahead and remove any dead or broken branches, especially if they are hanging over the roof, garage, patio, or any other part of your home. If the branches are too high to reach safely, hire a professional that is properly licensed and insured in Massachusetts to do the work for you. Your New Bedford home insurance policy won’t cover damage that is caused by outright neglect on your part, so it’s important to stay on top of trees that could damage your home.

Update Your Policy at Borden Insurance
Another thing that you should get in the habit of doing each year to make sure that your MA homeowners insurance policy is up to date is to visit your insurance agency in New Bedford to update any changes that have taken place. Remodeling your kitchen? Upgrading your HVAC system? Adding outdoor lighting and security? You might be able to get discounts that would lower your home insurance quote if you make certain upgrades to your home. Even if you don’t, the upgraded items and any new purchases that you want to be covered, should all be added to your New Bedford home insurance policy. Give us a call at 508-999-3636 or stop by our location Kempton Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts.