Finding the right home service pros is an important part of managing your home.
Something a lot of people don’t think about until it’s too late after moving into a new home and/or neighborhood is finding trustworthy service professionals. What makes these decisions so tough is that you often don’t know if they are worth your trust until it’s too late. If you’ve moved, or if it’s your first time tackling a new type of project, it’s time to start building a list. Whether you found this post because you’ve found yourself in need, or because you like to plan ahead, here are six tips to make sure you’re hiring pros, from plumbing and painting to lawn care and roofers, that deserve you as a client.
Define The Work You Need Done
Before you can even begin your search for a pro, take a moment to nail down as much detail as possible for your project. While sometimes your goals will be very clear, for example, if your bathroom is flooding, you know that your goal is to fix whatever issues are causing that and repair any damage. However, if you are also thinking about taking advantage of this incident to take on some remodeling of your flooded bathroom, having a vision for your remodel will help you find the right pros.
Get To Know Your Neighbors
If you haven’t already, now’s a good time to introduce yourself to your neighbors and ask around. Reach out to your coworkers if they live in the area for recommendations. If you’re unsure about reaching out to your neighbors and coworkers, there is one person that we can assure you are invested in your success as a homeowner AND is in the know about everything to do with managing your home, and that person is your real estate agent (Pro Tip: When you use the ZYYAH App, from our partner ZYYAH, you are able to access your real estate agents’ Pro List and build your own Home Team, all on one easy to use, and free, platform).
Once you have a list of recommendations and notes, take a moment to compare everything and narrow down your choices to continue vetting.
Spend Some Time On Social Media… And Don’t Forget Google
When in doubt, Google, and when you want more information, become a social media sleuth. While Google is still the standard for finding client reviews and even pictures. However, they can sometimes be skewed, and if you feel like the reviews you are looking at aren’t showing the full picture, social media platforms are a great way to fill in the gaps. From searching for nearby providers to looking through tagged posts to get a more informed view.
Review Some Of Their Finished Projects
This is especially true when researching home service pros to help with bigger projects like a remodel. Most home service professionals have portfolios of their work. Once you have your shortlist of potential home service pros for your project, ask for their portfolios and take your time. Pay attention to details, note any themes in their style, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Get More Than One Bid
Even if you’ve done all your research and think you’ve found ‘the one’ it’s still a good idea to get at least get three bids before you make your final decision.
Check Credentials & Ask For A Guarantee
If you haven’t already, the last thing you should do before signing anything is to check their credentials. Also, make sure they offer a guarantee or warranty for their work.
Take some time now to make sure your property is ready for trick-or-treaters so you can rest easy and enjoy the smiles and costumes.
Trick-or-Treating is a fun night of costumes and candies. What you may not have considered is that as a homeowner, you do have a level of responsibility for the guests on your property (yes, trick-or-treaters are considered guests, keep reading). So, to save you some worrying we thought we’d put together some information about liability and what to consider before you turn on that porch light and start passing out those treats.
Are Trick-Or-Treaters Guests?
In short, yes. If your porch light is turned on during Trick-Or-Treating, that is considered an invitation. Which makes Trick-Or-Treaters your guests, and means you have a level of responsibility for their safety on your property. Should your porch light be turned off, that is translated as not offering an invitation, making any Trick-Or-Treater that comes onto your property a trespasser.
Premises Liability & Trick-Or-Treating
As a property owner, you have a responsibility to create a reasonable and safe environment for guests. And if a guest is injured on your property due to your inability to provide that safe environment, you may be deemed responsible. However, it’s not that clear cut, there are a couple of things that need to be a part of the incident to constitute liability; actual damages, and negligent conduct being the reason for an injury.
It could be as simple as your Halloween decorations malfunctioning and hurting a guest, or even a simple trip and fall due to uneven pavement (that you should have fixed when you used our fall checklist to prepare your house for fall and winter). Ultimately, you are responsible for providing appropriate warnings for any dangers, or hazardous areas, of your property and/or taking actions to amend any and all risks possible (like that uneven pavement we just talked about).
What About Dogs?
We love our furry friends but Halloween can be a tough night for Fido. From spooky decorations to masks and costumes, there is a lot happening that is not normal and for many dogs, their threshold for the unknown can be reached quickly, causing even a mild-mannered dog to act abnormally. As the property owner and dog owner, you are responsible for the actions of your pet. Because of that, we recommend making your pets comfortably safe in a room away from where you will be handing out treats, with some soft music, or sounds to drown out any unexpected noises, and don’t forget to provide snacks and water as well. Ultimately, for the team at ZYYAH, it is not worth the risk of what could go wrong if your pet is startled.
Can Tricks Cause Problems?
Halloween means TRICKS and treats. If you love to set the mood on your property with scary decorations and lighting there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly be aware of the area around where you plan on scaring the guests on your property. For example, don’t set up a ‘jump scare’ (find an example of a classic candy bowl jump scare at the 13:45 mark) at the top of steps, should your guest fall backward down the steps when. Secondly, be aware of the materials and/or props used to scare your guests. Avoid anything that is sharp, hard, or could generally cause harm. Finally, it’s spooky season, so don’t be afraid to have some fun, just make sure that you are aware of how your trick will be experienced by someone that is not familiar with your property.
Some Things To Think Of Before Trick-Or-Treating
Are there any cracks or uneven pavement or steps that I need to address?
Is my property lit well enough to navigate easily?
Are my walkways clear of debris?
Is there anything on my lawn, the garden or near my walkways that could harm my guests?
If I scaring Trick-Or-Treaters is the area safe and is my ‘scare plan’ reasonable?
Remember that Trick-Or-Treaters are not familiar with your property, it is worth walking through your property with that in mind to identify and potential issues.
Taking a few extra minutes in your preparation to ensure that your guests are safe and that you can enjoy handing out treats without any concerns. Leaving you to raid your candy bowl, or your child’s loot, with some peace of mind.
Building your own emergency kit allows you to customize your kit and provides some peace of mind and support when you need it most.
Building your own emergency kit can give you some peace of mind and support when you need it most.
From wildfires and hurricanes to an event that forces you to shelter in place or unexpected loss of access to water and/or food, the events that could lead you to need your own emergency kit are often dependent on where your home is located. While you hope you never need it, the term ‘better to have and not need, than need and not have’ comes to mind.
Why A DIY Emergency Kit?
While there are great emergency kits that you can purchase online, your needs, in the case of an emergency, vary from where you live to who you need to consider in your planning. Simply put, no two people/families will have the same needs. Taking the DIY approach to building an emergency kit will allow you to customize your emergency kit to your specific needs.
What Do I Even Pack My Emergency Kit In?
The best option for packing your emergency kit will be a bag or bin, that is waterproof and can be transported. Some easily accessible options are dry bags and even 5-gallon buckets.
Am I Now A Doomsday Prepper?
For now, no, this guide is not for those looking to assemble a kit that will allow you to survive and thrive after a catastrophic event. Our guide is for those looking to have an emergency kit that will get them through a few days, should they need to wait for services to be restored, or if there is a need to travel to an unaffected area without warning. So, if you are looking for ways to prepare for a ‘basic’ emergency, read on for our basic list and other things to include in your DIY Emergency Kit.
Basic Emergency Kit
Water and/or a water filter: Red Cross recommends one gallon per day, per person
Non-perishable, easy to prepare, food
Flashlight
Extra Batteries
Well-stocked first aid or trauma kit such as the ones offered by MyMedic
A week’s supply of any medications and medical items (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, extra glasses, etc)
Copies of important documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
Two-way radios
Extra set of car keys and house keys
Manual can opener
Whistle
N95 or surgical masks
Matches
Rain gear
Towels
Work gloves
Tools/supplies for securing your home
Extra clothing, hat, and sturdy shoes
Plastic sheeting
Duct tape
Scissors
Household liquid bleach
Alcohol (No, not for drinking but rather for disinfectant and first aid use)
Entertainment items
Blankets or sleeping bags
Once your kit is assembled, store it someplace safe but easily accessible within your home and check it annually to ensure food and water have not expired (yes, water can expire). Now, you can rest easy, knowing that your home is a little more prepared should something unexpected happen.
Take care of your home and prepare it for winter with our Fall Checklist.
Now’s the time to prepare your home for the colder months to come. We know it can be daunting to track every task you need to tackle, we’ve put together our fall checklist to help you get organized, so you can get it done. So, before you pull out the holiday lights and warm up some hot chocolate, spend some time ensuring that your home is protected for the changing season. It may even help prevent catastrophes, and possibly even save you some $$$.
Indoor Fall Checklist:
1. Prepare Your Furnace For Winter
Consider getting your furnace professionally serviced and ready for the colder months now. If you aren’t planning on having a professional come inspect your furnace, make a point of visually inspecting your furnace and replacing the furnace filter.
Here are some signs that it’s time to call a professional:
Your Home Just Isn’t Heating Up: If your furnace doesn’t seem to work as well as it has in the past that could be a sign of various problems.
Your Furnace Is Noisy: Unusual sounds such as screeches or whines could be a signal that belts connected to the blower motor are worn or damaged.
Erratic Behavior: This could be caused by a faulty thermostat or a misadjusted furnace but only a professional can identify the root of the problem.
2. Clean The Fireplace & Chimney
Before your first fire make sure your fireplace is safe and ready to be used. Take some time to clean out and inspect your fireplace and wood fire stove.
Inspect the flue for creosote, a flammable by-product of burning wood. Accumulation of too much creosote in a flue or chimney can result in a devastating fire. Get your chimney inspected annually (or more, depending on use) for creosote buildup to ensure your health and safety.
Finally, check your chimney for damage or flue blockages. Ensure the flue cap (the screen or baffle covering the top of the chimney) is in place. These are popular places for animals, such as birds, to take up residence and better to find out now. If you have a brick chimney, break out your binoculars and inspect your chimney for loose or broken joints.
And remember, when in doubt, call a professional to come to inspect and sweep your chimney.
3. Keep The Warm Air Inside & The Cold Air Outside
You can inspect your windows for drafts by lighting a stick of incense or candle and holding it up to your closed windows, if the smoke or flame ‘moves’, you have a draft. If you do discover a draft, seal any gaps with caulk and if replacing the caulk does not solve the problem, it may be time to consider replacing your windows.
If your windows are not as insulated as you would like and replacing them is not an option, now would be a great time to purchase and install plastic film window insulating kits.
Weatherstripping is an easy and cost-effective way to cut reducing drafts. You can check the weatherstripping by opening a door, placing a piece of paper in the entryway, and closing the door. The paper should not slide back and forth easily. If it does, the weatherstripping isn’t doing its job.
4. Avoid Gas Problems
If you utilize a gas heater, fall is the right time to have a professional check your gas heaters. Not keeping them in shape will not only cost you extra cash to run, but it could also cost you your health by emitting toxic gases into your home. To help keep it running in between professional services, you will want to check the air-shutter openings and exhaust vents for dust and dirt. Give the air passages to the burner a vacuum and clean the burner. Finally, follow any other advice the manufacturer offers.
5. Review Your Home’s Safety
It’s time to perform a complete review of your home’s safety features and go over any emergency plans such as your fire evacuation plan.
Some things to check:
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Fire extinguishers
Clean up any fire risks such as dry leaves
Review the storage of fire risks, hazardous materials, and any poisons
6. Clean and Reverse Ceiling Fan Blades
To be honest, when’s the last time you even looked at the blades of your ceiling fans? Ceiling fans get pretty dirty. To clean them, use an extension pole and duster to clean them off. Then, push the switch on the side of the motor housing to reverse their direction, causing the blades to rotate clockwise, pulling warm air down from the ceiling.
7. Give Your AC Unit A Rinse
Just like your ceiling fans, a summer of heavy-duty usage has your AC unit looking a bit rough around the edges. Get rid of the dirt, pollen, dust, and who knows what else by spending a few minutes rinsing it off and preparing it for next summer.
Outdoor Fall Checklist:
1. Fix Any Flaws In Your Driveway and Foot Paths
If you haven’t already, this is your last chance to repair any driveway and sidewalk cracks before the temperatures drop. We recommend taking some time to check your driveway and/or footpaths for any cracks, disintegration, or washed-out materials. You can likely handle most cracks or smaller jobs with some DIY motivation. And if you’re thinking those small cracks aren’t worth the trouble, we’d like to remind you that when water freezes in a small crack it will expand, expanding the crack as well.
2. Inspect your roof.
What was the one fear you had when you bought your first home? We’re guessing roof problems come to mind. Then add winter into the mix and it’s truly a nightmare. With that in mind, now’s the time to inspect your roof in as much detail as possible. Look for damage in metal flashing, scan for missing or damaged shingles, thinning coatings, and any other damage or wear and tear that could make winter worse.
3. Clean, Inspect & Possibly Replace Your Gutters
When’s the last time you even thought about your gutters? It’s ok, most people don’t think about their gutters until they have. Clogged gutters can lead to damaged exterior surfaces, water in your basement, foundation issues, and are more prone to rust and corrosion. Take some time to give your gutters a look over, clean them, install gutter guards, and if necessary, have them replaced.
4. Touch up exterior paint
Touching up your exterior paint can prolong the life of your siding and trim by protecting you from the elements. The key is to get this to-do done before the temperature drops below 50 degrees when most paints are no longer suitable.
5. Clean Outdoor Furniture & Tools
If you have a fire pit, you may not be putting your outdoor furniture away for the season just yet but you’ll want to get everything cleaned before you turn off your outdoor plumbing. Saving you some time when you do store them away for winter.
6. Wash Your Windows and Inspect Screens
Over the spring and summer, your screens have been through a lot and have built up some grossness. You could save this for spring, or you could save the trouble and tackle your screens now. All you need is a bucket, a squeegee, a streak-free cleaner for the windows, and some elbow grease. This is also a good opportunity to check your screens for damage and repair them if you live in an area that gets hail.
7. Prep Your Lawn For Winter & Plant Your Spring Flower Bulbs
If you want to have a green lawn and lush garden come early spring, you’ll have to put some work in now.
Raking leaves and aerating soil will prevent your lawn and garden beds from suffocating under snow. While applying mulch and fertilizer now will nourish your plants’ roots and help protect your plants from winter damage.
8. Start Composting, Your Garden Will Thank You
If you don’t already have compost bins, now’s the time to make or get some.
9. Clean Your Storage Areas, Shed, & Garage
Clean your storage areas, such as your garage, basement, attics, and shed so they are organized and ready for the season. While you don’t have to leave them sparkling, a general clean and look over will help make sure you won’t have any ‘house guests’ for the winter, have room for your outdoor furniture storage, and that you can get to any seasonal decorations (because you will not want to be digging in your shed, outside, in December).
10. Test Your Winter Equipment
Save some trouble come the first snowfall and make sure any winter equipment, like your snowblower, is working properly.
11. Store Your Outdoor Furniture
Store your outdoor furniture, inflatable pools, trampolines, and other larger outdoor items before it’s too late in the season, or invest in some decent waterproof covers if you are not able to store them.
12. Stock Up & Store Your Firewood
It’s time to stock up and store your firewood for the winter. Demand will surely rise as the temperature drops, so stocking up now to save some time and stress.
13. Turn Off Your Outdoor Plumbing
Take a few moments to drain and disconnect all garden hoses from outside spigots and sprinkler systems to prevent freezing. Not doing this can result in pipes bursting. Which is a preventable nightmare.
Now that you’re armed with our fall checklist, it’s time to get to work and while you’re taking care of your home, it’s worth taking a moment to review your coverage and make any changes you may need to make.
Renters insurance is one of those things you likely never think about until you need it. If you’re currently renting an apartment, a home, or even a bedroom inside of a family member’s guest house, you may want to consider renters insurance. While most residential properties require residents to obtain renters insurance before handing over the keys, there are many instances where it gets swept under the rug and forgotten until an issue arises. If you’ve never considered renters insurance or have been questioning if you really need it, here are a few reasons why you absolutely should have renters insurance protecting you at all times.
Get help with property or personal item damages
Let’s face it, things happen like sewer backups or pipe damage that can cause damage to a residence you don’t own or your personal belongings. With renters insurance, the damages are covered so you don’t have to worry about fixing the property or replacing damaged items out of pocket. Having the right insurance coverage can not only save you time and money, but also save you the liability of having to restore unexpected damages to your living space.
Rebound from theft
Theft is scary and having your residence burglarized can cause enough stress alone. If your residence is broken into and your personal items are stolen, renters insurance helps to replace the valuables you’ve lost more easily. Burglaries and theft can also leave your residence turned up-side-down, with broken furniture or damaged windows and door handles. With renters insurance, a professional agent can help walk you through the process of filing all your damages so your claim covers all your losses and you’re able to restore as much as possible.
Have protection in the event of an accident
It’s easy to make small damages as you go about your daily routine. Things like handle replacements or doors accidentally rotating off the hinges are usually covered by maintenance or your landlord. In the case of accidents where property damage is done and you don’t have anyone to assist with repairs, renters insurance may cover getting your fixtures or features back in order.
Protect yourself from personal injury liabilities
A slip and fall in your driveway, a fall down an uneven step, or a guest stepping over a rusty nail can become a huge issue if it happens at your residence. Though things happen, it’s comforting to know that if someone experiences a personal injury at your home, renters insurance can cover it. In lieu of medical insurance or when you need additional coverage to help take care of personal injury claims that have transpired at your residence; it’s good to have renters insurance to process the incident and provide all parties with proper solutions.
If you’re considering renters insurance, look no further than the team here at Hello Covered. We help you find the perfect plan with the perfect provider through an easy-to-follow process. Get started with us today and explore the wide variety of insurance plans and providers we work with to provide you top-tier solutions. Schedule a call from our team!
If you’re a homeowner or if you currently rent, you may already know what umbrella insurance is and you might even have it. If you haven’t heard about umbrella insurance, you’re likely asking yourself ‘what is umbrella insurance?’ and ‘why would I need it?’ While it’s not the kind of protection you get when your umbrella gives out in the middle of a rainstorm, it is the kind of insurance that you have waiting for a rainy day. Keep reading if you want to learn more about umbrella insurance and why you may want to have the extra layer of protection it provides.
Everyone is familiar with the protection that insurance such as car insurance provides and if you’re a homeowner or renter, you probably already have protection plans like home insurance and/or renter’s insurance in place. While insurance can protect you from many disasters, each individual plan has limitations. So what happens when your car is unfortunately totaled and your auto insurance policy has maxed out? Or what will happen if your pet insurance only covers short-term pet illnesses and not ongoing expenses like unique procedures or medicines? That’s where umbrella insurance steps in to save the day.
Umbrella insurance is a type of liability insurance that individuals and families hold in excess of other policies. In many circumstances, umbrella insurance can serve as the primary insurance for liabilities or losses not covered by your other policies. When a person’s primary policy is exhausted, umbrella insurance is the additional cushion needed to protect whatever is being covered or cared for. In some cases, umbrella insurance may even cover risks or damages that may have not been covered in a person’s primary policy and often brings an added sense of relief.
Umbrella insurance coverage can vary from policy to policy, so it’s wise to speak with your agent about how your coverage will work in conjunction with the current plans you have in place. If your agent is super detailed and cares about the bigger picture, like our agents at Hello Covered, they can recommend adjustments in your other policies that will better suit your umbrella insurance policy and potentially save you money. The main source of umbrella insurance claims are made to cover further protection in auto accidents, though umbrella insurance can work in addition to a wide range of policies.
So what should you take away from all this information? Insurance plans often have policies and limitations in place that may lead to claims not being covered, you can do yourself a favor and add another layer of protection by securing umbrella insurance.
If you’re thinking about adding umbrella insurance to your existing insurance plan, let us be the first to say you’re on the right path. It’s one of the wisest decisions you can make to ensure deeper levels of protection for the things that matter most to you.
If you’d like to get started with exploring umbrella insurance plans that suit your unique needs, budget, and lifestyle, fill out a quote form today and our team at Hello Covered will get you started.
If you knew what was wrong with your stove, you wouldn’t have to call a repairman to fix it. This gap in knowledge can intimidate some people. How do you know what your technician is referring to? What if you describe what’s broken incorrectly?
If you’ve come upon this article by trying to quickly learn repairman’s lingo or figure out what’s wrong, we can offer you some assurance.
Professionals You Can Trust
When you work with Hello Covered, our network of fully-vetted professionals is at your disposal. We recruit and select the very best technicians because it’s important to us to deliver reliable, fast service to our customers. In fact, we ensure we are knowledgeable about speaking to and acquiring the best in technicians and repairmen so that you can begin getting your home needs met.
Use Your Own Repairmen
One of the benefits of choosing Hello Covered for your home warranty company is that we allow our clients to choose their own technician. They must be licensed and approved by our team, but the best way, we’ve found, to work with customers is to trust them to know what’s best for themselves.
But if you’re still feeling a little uneasy, when booking and solidifying your serviceperson we have provided some terms below to help you feel confident!
Some industry lingo for you…
BTU (British thermal unit) Cold or hot, you can measure energy as temperature using this handy acronym. It applies to fridges, HVACs, and anything else that changes temperature.
Fully Integrated Also known as the hidden door style. This finish on an appliance (typically a dishwasher or refrigerator) camouflages the appliance by covering the doors in the same finish as the rest of the kitchen cabinetry.
Holiday Mode What you go into when you get on the plane for vacation… but for your refrigerator. Some models allow you to enter it into a lower-power mode to conserve energy while you’re away.
Mechanical Failure The term for when something goes wrong with an item and it’s no longer able to perform its primary function — fridges that don’t cool, heaters that don’t heat.
Necessary/Required Upgrade Things change. When things change that affect your appliances, this can trigger a necessary or required upgrade. Some examples include an inability to obtain parts, a product recall, or government-mandated upgrades.
Proper Operating Condition The item in question is working as intended, placed in the place it was intended to be, connected to the systems it was intended to connect to. A microwave on the edge of a hot tub is not proper for either device, for example.
Simple Mechanical Test These are the intuitive tests you probably already take when you suspect something might be broken. Turn the device on and off. Run through its primary functions. A determination, simply, of whether or not something works.
Sweating a Joint No, this is not something you do in the gym. This is a term for soldering metal joints together.
Torpedo Level Not the angle that torpedoes are shot at. Rather, it’s the explosive name for the diminutive, torpedo-shaped, bubble-equipped level.
Universal Design These are the design rules that help make spaces accessible to everybody. It’s the reason your doors are all thirty-six inches wide.
Visual inspection More superficial than a mechanical test, this is just an assessment of how something appears and does not include a physical test of its functions.
Hopefully now you feel like you can confidently call us, or your repairman, and get what needs doing done. This is just one of the many ways Hello Covered can keep your washing machine washing, your home office humming, and your kitchen simmering with our “no contract” coverage and rapid-response services team.
You’ve finally realized the American dream. But nobody ever told you what a home warranty was for. We got you covered. A home warranty is actually a super simple way to protect your home. If you’re a new homeowner, you’re probably used to having a landlord from renting. A number you call when the dishwasher stops working or the pipes back up. That’s basically what a home warranty is. A number to call when things break down. There’s a few things to consider, though, before you buy yours.
For New Homes
If you’re building a home, or buying a brand new one, there’s a good chance that a home warranty is, or could be, included as part of the transaction. This home warranty is sometimes referred to as a builder’s warranty. It’s basically a guarantee from the builder that their work will last a reasonable length of time. However, it doesn’t always cover everything. For instance, new electronics would not be covered under a building warranty, you would need an additional home policy for those sorts of things.
For Lived-In Properties
Previously lived in properties are where home warranties make the most sense. The first step to choosing the right one for your lifestyle and property is to assess what it is you’re trying to protect! Is there an HVAC system? Pools or saunas? What in the kitchen do you need to protect from breakdowns? With a thorough inventory of your new home, you’ll be able to make an informed decision on the size and scope of your home warranty.
If you’ve done an inspection of your home and you’ve considered a few warranties, but you still have questions, you can always reach out to the Hello Covered staff. Our team of qualified professionals can walk you through your options in simple, easy-to-understand terms to help you find the policy that fits you and your home.
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