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Fida Insurance Group

244 Monroe Turnpike (Route 111)
Monroe, CT 06468

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3 Ways to Protect Your Home from a Fire if You Have a Fireplace

When the temperature drops, there is nothing cozier than a warm fire in the fireplace. Residents in Monroe, CT can turn to the agents of Fida Insurance Group to help them choose a homeowners’ policy that provides them with the coverage they need. It’s important to have the right type of coverage in place to ensure that you have sufficient coverage, especially if you have a fireplace or woodburning stove. 

Use a Fireplace Screen

A firescreen sets in front of your fireplace and works to prevent embers and sparks from finding their way onto the floor or other flammable surfaces. Fireplace screens do not block the heat, only the sparks and hot embers. Fireplace screens can be found that are very basic or extremely decorative. 

Keep Flammables Away From the Fireplace

Most resources advise homeowners to keep any flammable materials at least six feet away from your fireplace when a fire is burning. This includes rugs, furniture, curtains, clothing, home decor, or kindling. 

Keep a Fire Extinguisher Handy

Having a fire extinguisher handy is also a good idea. This will allow you to take control of a situation that does occur. Being able to put a fire out quickly is the best way to prevent extensive damage to your home. It only takes a few seconds for a fire to get out of control.

The agents of Fida Insurance Group offer Monroe, CT residents the best possible service when it comes to quality homeowners’ insurance policies. Each agent has the experience that residents can rely on. If you are looking for the best possible insurance coverage, call the office of Fida Insurance Group. The agents can provide you with the information you are looking for.

How Does Home Insurance Cover Carpeting?

When you install new carpeting in your Monroe, CT home, you’ll want to put in a call to your insurer and let them know.

As a general rule of thumb, if it’s attached to the home, it’s part of the home. If it’s not, it’s filed under possessions. This means that new carpeting, or any flooring, is included with the value of the home. And, it means that a throw rug is a possession. Even a room-sized rug is a possession. These will be included in your inventory alongside your TV, jewelry, and so on.

This extends to furniture and appliances and such, as well. A sofa is a possession. But if you convert a window into a sitting window, that’s part of the home. The throw pillows you use to cushion the seat are possessions, but what you sit on is part of your home.

There are a few exceptions to the "if it’s attached" rule, of course. A poster you’ve hung up on your bedroom door isn’t part of the house, as far as your home insurance provider is concerned. Shelves can be part of the house, but because shelves are generally cheap and easy to replace, most people don’t bother getting them covered on their policy either way. Cabinets, on the other hand, are very much a part of the structure.

If you’re ever unsure as to whether something is a personal possession or part of the home, give your insurer a call. It’s not always set-in-stone or uniform from one insurance company to the next, and your insurance agent is here to answer your questions, that’s a big part of what you pay them for.

If you’re still shopping around for home insurance in Monroe, CT, get in touch with Fida Insurance Group. At Fida Insurance Group we can compare quotes and get you protected with a policy that works for you.

5 Ways to Prepare Your Home for the Holidays

If you’re hosting festivities this holiday season, now’s a good time to prepare your home to avoid holiday stress. The following tips from Fida Insurance Group offer some good advice on prepping your Monroe, CT home for the holidays.

De-clutter

Get rid of stuff that’s cluttering up your living space and making it appear disorderly. This could include magazines, books, piles of clothing, toys, sports gear or anything else lying around where it doesn’t belong. Store useful items out of sight and give or throw away what you don’t need to spruce up your home.

Deep Clean Key Areas and Structures  

Deep clean your living room, bathrooms and kitchen to prepare for visitors to your home. Wash windows and curtains, professionally clean carpets, clean light fixtures and put a fresh coat of paint on walls. By starting early, you can get these major projects done with time to spare for holiday fun.     

Decorate Your Home

Decorations add a special touch to holiday fun. You can put up fall décor several weeks before Thanksgiving to get into the spirit of the holiday and then start decorating for Christmas shortly after Thanksgiving is done. This gives you plenty of time to create an attractive holiday atmosphere throughout your whole home.

Prepare for Guests

Tidy your guest room and organize guest towels, linens and pillows to ensure you have what you need to make guests feel at home. Don’t forget to stock up on bathroom essentials and toiletries for when visitors come.   

Review Home Insurance

Review your home insurance to ensure you have ample dwelling, liability, and property coverage to protect you against accidents. With adequate insurance protection, you can be prepared for any eventuality during the holidays.

For quality home insurance coverage at affordable costs, contact Fida Insurance Group in Monroe, CT.

What winter weather events are covered by basic homeowners insurance

Winter weather is a part of life in Monroe, CT. Wind, freezing rain, snow, hail, and arctic-like temperatures are all part of living in New England. New Englanders are a hearty bunch and have learned how to deal with the extremes of weather that must be dealt with. Part of dealing with winter weather is knowing that if a catastrophic event happens to your home, you have the coverage necessary to repair or replace the things that have been damaged or lost. A visit to the office of the Fida Insurance Group can help you to be sure you have the necessary coverage. 

Covered damage

Your roof is particularly vulnerable to weather-related damage. Wet snow can be very heavy and it can cause some roofs to collapse, This includes the roof on your shed or garage. Gutters can fill with rain and then freeze which causes an ice dam that allows water to force its way under your roof and into your home. Freezing rain can coat the trees in your yard and when trees get ice covered the branches can fall, sometimes they fall onto structures like your deck, your home or your gazebo. HIgh winds can come with some winter storms and they can cause lots of damage to the exterior of your home. 

When your driveway or sidewalk gets icy, someone may fall and get injured. Your home liability insurance will protect you in this case. 

Winter storms can knock out the electricity and this can lead to frozen pipes that burst and can cause a lot of damage. While fixing the pipe might not be covered the water damage will be. 

Winter in Monroe, CT can throw a lot of hazards your way. Why not call or stop by the office of Fida Insurance Group and let then give you a no-obligation quote so that you can relax and enjoy your home no matter what the season. 

 

 

Is it Time to Upgrade your Home Insurance?

If you haven’t reviewed or updated your home insurance in a while, now is a good time to do so. You don’t want to be caught off guard in the event of a disaster. By reviewing your coverage with a Fida Insurance Group agent, you can see if adjustments need to be made in your policy to compensate for changes in your structure, contents or lifestyle. The beginning of a new year is a good time to update home insurance to ensure you’re protected throughout the coming year.

Is It Time to Upgrade Your Insurance?

If you renovated your home over the last year, you’ll need to include these renovations in your coverage. Major renovations like a new roof,  new bathroom or deluxe kitchen remodel could increase your home’s value, making your current coverage insufficient to fully protect your property. Upgrading your dwelling insurance will help compensate for this increased value. By having your home in Monroe, CT reappraised, you can get a better idea of the new value of your property so you can adjust your coverage accordingly.

In like manner, you may have received pricey gifts or made costly purchases over the holidays that need to be added to your coverage. If the limits of your contents insurance are too low to protect these goods, you’ll need to raise them or get additional insurance (an endorsement) to fully protect your valuables.

Liability coverage is yet another area to review on your policy. If you’re entertaining more or having people stay over for extended periods of time, you may need more liability coverage to protect you against accidents.

Benefits of Upgrading Insurance Coverage

Upgrading your coverage gives you greater protection against unforeseen accidents and disasters. To upgrade your home insurance policy, contact an agent from Fida Insurance Group, Monroe, CT. 

What Kind Of Damages Are Included In Home Insurance?

When you’re living in Monroe, CT, you need to make sure you have a home insurance policy that is capable of protecting you against anything that might happen. All sorts of damages can occur to your home. Fida Insurance Group can help you to review your policy to ensure you’re sufficiently protected.

A standard policy will protect you against fire, hail, lightning, and storms. Other disasters might be listed in your policy, too. If they’re included in the policy, then you can file a claim. Otherwise, a claim would be denied if the damages are as a result of something that isn’t covered.

Floods, for example, might not be included in your home insurance policy. If you experience a flood at your home, the damages would not be covered by your home insurance company. This could leave you vulnerable for the expenses.

Damages may not be covered by earthquakes or routine wear and tear, either. This is why you want to make sure that you read through your home insurance policy carefully. It is also possible to include various riders so that you can include additional levels of coverage.

It’s nearly impossible to guess at what could happen. However, you can look at what has happened around your neighborhood in the past. If floods, earthquakes, or various other problems have occurred, you will want to make sure that you have enough protection on your home insurance policy. This way, if you file a claim, you can do so with confidence knowing that the insurance company will take care of the majority of expenses. The only thing you would have to pay out-of-pocket is the deductible.

At Fida Insurance Group, we have independent insurance agents to help you with your home insurance. We can ensure you’re covered against any damages that could occur in Monroe, CT.

 

 

When to Buy Home Insurance

Your home is likely the most expensive thing that you have purchased. This makes it one of your biggest investments, at least in things that are physical items. The last thing you want to happen is to lose that investment. However, that can happen if you do not have the proper insurance on your home to protect you from things that are outside of your control. If you want to protect your home in Monroe, CT, here at Fida Insurance Group, we recommend that you always have home insurance coverage. 

If you do not already have home insurance on your home, you should consider getting it as soon as possible. Ideally, you should get home insurance on your home as soon as you purchase it but if you have not done this, you do not want to wait another day. Your home can become the victim of a number of things including burglary, fire, or another natural disaster. You cannot predict these things and you do not want to worry about it all the time. 

So what can happen if you do not have home insurance and something happens to your home, what happens? To put it simply, you will lose everything in that incident and you will not have the money to rebuild. This means that you will no longer have a roof over your head or any of your personal belongings if it is a total loss. 

This is not something that you want to happen to your or your home. The only way to protect yourself is by getting home insurance as soon as possible. Be sure to contact us here at Fida Insurance Group, serving Monroe, CT, to get your home insurance policy today. You do not want to leave another minute to chance. 

How To Determine The Coverage Limits For Your Home Insurance

Monroe, CT is one of many “bedroom” communities in Western Connecticut. The area is known for elegant homes. Homes need insurance. There are several ways that a person can determine the coverage limits for their home insurance.

You should first understand what coverage limits mean. You must include the value of the physical structure. You can include an increase in the value of the physical structure based on the average inflation rate. This keeps you from losing anything if the home is destroyed in a disaster.

If you are buying a home, you can ask the previous owner about their coverage limits for the physical structure. You should ask about any additions and modifications the previous owner made.

You must include all of the stuff that will go in the home. Appliances, clothes, electronics, furniture, and other large items are important. You should include all the small things like tools and small appliances as well. Making a film of all the contents is a permanent record of what you have.

Your coverage limits depend on where you live in Connecticut in part. Coastal areas had a hard time in the last few years due to hurricanes. Monroe, CT had its share of damage from the weather as well. The Connecticut Insurance Department has prepared a very helpful resource for determining coverage limits for home insurance based on location and weather.

You have to coordinate any home insurance purchase with your mortgage lender if you plan on getting a mortgage. The laws are complex about insurance and mortgages. 

The easiest way to determine the coverage limits for your home insurance is to contact an independent insurance provider like Fida Insurance Group. Independent insurance providers allow you to select from the best options in home insurance available in the United States. You get insurance that is tailored to your home and your situation.

Contact Fida Insurance Group with all your questions about coverage limits for your home insurance. Twenty-five years experience in providing home insurance solutions is something you can depend on.

 

Massive Hurricanes Remind Us All To Have Adequate Home Insurance

The recent hurricanes that hit Texas and Florida remind those in Connecticut, who live near the coast, of the importance of having adequate home insurance protection. Lenders do not always require full replacement coverage because they are only concerned about getting the loan repaid. Homeowners, on the other hand, benefit greatly by making sure they have enough coverage to be able to rebuild their home if it is damaged or destroyed.

It can be a real problem if your home is underinsured. Recent news reports note that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is running completely out of money, so the government may not be able to help if your home gets damaged. Climate change is certainly causing storms to become more severe and the recent hurricanes broke all-time records.

The agents at FIDA Insurance Group serving Monroe, CT, and the surrounding areas are able to help you if you are concerned about your existing home insurance coverage or if you need brand new coverage.

Things to consider are:

  • Replacement Value – The goal is to make sure the replacement value accurately represents what it would cost to rebuild your home if it was completely destroyed. Be sure to add in the cost of any recent upgrades, renovations, or additions made to the home.
  • Disaster Coverage – While wind damage may be covered by a home insurance policy, water damage from flooding usually needs separate flood insurance coverage. Check with your agent to be sure.
  • Personal Property – Having a complete list of the values of all personal property, especially that takes note of any expensive items kept in the home, garage, or on the property, is a very useful tool to help make calculations of the coverage amounts needed.

Contact an agent at FIDA Insurance Group serving Monroe, CT, and the surrounding areas for help with home insurance in order to make sure you have adequate protection.

Does Marriage or Divorce Affect Your Home Insurance?

A change of status from single to married or vice versa could have an effect on your home insurance. When people marry, they usually combine two households, increasing the amount of goods that need coverage. As a result, you may need to increase your policy limits to get accurate protection. In the case of divorce, you may need less coverage due to a spouse leaving with his or her personal effects. Here are a few ways a change of status can impact your home insurance policy.

Marriage

If you and your new spouse bundle your home and auto policies, you could qualify for a discount on your premium, saving you money on insurance costs. This savings could be invested in increasing coverage limits to protect your combined households.

An increase in personal property will require more coverage, especially if your spouse brings valuable goods into your Monroe, CT home. At Fida Insurance Group, we can help you personalize a homeowner’s policy that meets you and your spouse’s needs.  

As newlyweds, you may also want extra liability coverage to protect your combined assets. Umbrella liability insurance will protect such assets as your home, vehicles, rental properties, etc. against major claims or lawsuits.

Divorce

Divorce will require that you alter your policy to reflect changes in your household. If your spouse leaves with his or her personal effects or you divide furniture or other assets, you could reduce property coverage to save on insurance costs. If both of you are listed on the policy, you’ll need to make changes to ensure you’re still covered once the divorce is done.

By discussing upcoming status changes with your Fida Insurance Group agent in Monroe, CT, you can avoid problems in protecting your property. We’ll do all we can to ensure a smooth transition in your home insurance coverage.