Summer Heat and Your Homeowners Insurance

Summer is in full force here in Florida and with the heat comes thunderstorms, hurricane season, flooding, and lightning.  It is the time of year to look over your homeowners insurance and make sure you have the correct coverage.  Here are some things to ask yourself when examining your policy:

• Have you reviewed your home since its last appraisal?  Have you made additions?  You will want to add those to your policy so you are correctly covered.
• Have you made an inventory of your homes contents?  It is recommended you make an inventory and make sure your personal property coverage is adequate.
• Have you looked at the liability coverage?  We recommend you discuss this with your agent to make sure it is adequate.
• Do you have additional coverage on things like jewelry, furs, guns, etc?  If not you may want to add it.
• Do you have flood insurance?  You live in Florida so it is recommended you have a flood policy.
• Have you met with your insurance agent this year?  It is recommended you meet with your agent at least once a year to discuss your policy.

Enjoy the summer and with a little investigating you can make sure you are covered when the summer storms occur.

Varsity Insurance Inc.
12412 San Jose Blvd Unit 201
Jacksonville, FL 32223
904-268-6365
http://www.varsityinsuranceagency.com/
photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leszekleszczynski/

Grilling Safety Tips

It is summer and that means it is the season for grilling!!!  House fires are started every year due to unsafe grilling practices and can be avoided by following some simple tips.

• Never leave your grill unattended.
• Keep children and pets away from the grill.
• Keep your grill clean.  Remove the grease and buildup.
• Place your grill at least 10 feet away from your home.
• Keep grill away from deck railings, overhanging branches, and out from under eaves.
• Use your grill outdoors.  Not inside your garage.
• With charcoal grills the best way to get it started is with a charcoal chimney starter with newspaper
• Never add charcoal fluid to any other flammable fluid.
• Keep charcoal fluid out of reach.
• When you are done grilling.  Let the charcoal cool before putting it in a metal container.
• With propane grills check the hoses before use.
• Test hoses by applying soapy water.  If the hose has a leak you will see bubbles.  If there is a leak turn off the propane immediately.  If the leak stops get the grill serviced.  If it doesn't call the fire department and do not move the grill.