Home Insurance

What is a Home Insurance Adjuster

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Home insurance and everything that has to do with it can be difficult if you do not have some basic knowledge on the subject. There are a wide range of people that work for an insurance agency and one that you might come in contact with is the home insurance adjuster. The agents with Aspen Gold Insurance Brokers in the Westminster, CO area can help you learn more.

An insurance adjuster is someone that is versed both in the insurance laws and regulations for their area and for the country and is also versed in basic repairs and what it might cost to have something repaired. They can also spot fraud and are obligated to report is back to the agency. An adjuster will visit your home when a claim is made.

The adjuster will work to document and evaluate what has happened to your home and will ultimately tell your insurance agency if they think a payout should be made or not and will tell them specifically what they found. An adjuster is out to make sure that claims are not fraudulent and that they are based in fact.

They are also there to help document claims and help the process along. When you file a claim an adjuster will visit the home or property to hear what happened and to see for themselves and take notes and photos so that they can document what has happened and help move the claim to completion. Adjusters are there to help work as a proxy between those that are being insured and the insurance agency. These agents might also come to your home to help you raise or lower your coverage and in order to help establish your policy. For those in the Westminster, CO area, the agents with Aspen Gold Insurance Brokers can help explain.

Tips for Making A Kid-friendly Home

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If you have children, it is of the utmost importance that you have a kid-friendly home. Fortunately, there are several tips you can follow to make sure your home is friendly for children of all ages. Here is a quick look at three of these tips.

Kid-Friendly Home Tip #1: Add ample storage space for toys

One of the biggest problems families with kids face is having toys everywhere and tripping over them. Whether it be the mom or the child tripping over the toys, this can be very dangerous. A great way to get past this problem is by having ample storage for all toys. Thankfully, today’s furniture is often versatile in that it serves as storage containers in addition to furniture pieces. Take for example an ottoman in your living room. If you invest in an ottoman that opens up, this is a great place to store some of your kid’s toys.

Tip #2: Add towel hooks that are easy to reach

You do not want your kids jumping up to reach their towels in the bathroom; this can easily lead to an injury. A great way to avoid this issue is by adding towel hooks that are in the reach of your children. This also creates the kids to be responsible to clean up their towels.

Tip #3: Create a play space

If you do not have an area in your home that is specifically designated for play, you should really consider adding one. This does not mean you have to add an extra addition onto your home, rather you can simply transform a current area in your home into a play area.

To learn more about creating a kid-friendly home, contact Aspen Gold Insurance Brokers serving the Broomfield, CO area.

See our Home Insurance Blogs for more information regarding homeowners insurance policies.

Fall Home Checklist

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Whether you know it or not, you do need to make sure that you winterize your home on a yearly basis.  Fall is the perfect time to do that.  Here is a look at some of the things that you might want to do on our fall home checklist.

  • You are probably used to hearing the phrase “get your mind out of the gutter”.  Forget that and get it IN the gutter instead.  You need to inspect all of the downspouts and gutters on your home.
  • Button up your house.  Make sure that all of the cracks and gaps around your doors and windows are sealed with caulk and weather stripping.
  • Take care of any roof issues.  Get on the roof and inspect it for curled and/or damaged shingles, leaky vents and flashing that might be corroded.
  • Walk your drive and walkways.  If you have any damaged steps, driveways or sidewalks, take the necessary steps to repair them.
  • Winterize and drain your outdoor irrigation systems and faucets.
  • Make sure that you have your heating system inspected by professionals.
  • If you have a fireplace, hire a chimney sweep to clean any creosote or soot buildup from your chimney.
  • Clean the pads and/or plates on your humidifier to ensure that it operates efficiently.
  • Take care of any gas problems before they start.  If you have heat provided by gas, make sure to get it inspected by a professional.  You also need to make sure that any manufacturer specified maintenance needs to be performed.
  • If you have a wood stove, get it inspected before using it.

For more information on our fall home checklist and to make sure that your homeowners policy is up to date, contact Aspen Gold Insurance Brokers in Broomfield, CO today.  They are standing by to answer any and all of your questions regarding your insurance and winterizing your home.

How to Winterize Your Home

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As winter approaches, it is time to start preparing for the colder blasts of weather.  Is your home prepared?  At Aspen Gold Insurance Brokers, we want our customers to be armed with the knowledge necessary to keep their homes well-protected throughout each season.  This is especially the case during Colorado winters when the temperatures can drop to freezing levels. Use these tips from Aspen Gold Insurance to winterize your home:

Winterizing the Exterior of Your Home

As the weather cools down you will probably want to utilize your fireplace this season.  Make sure to check the exterior brick and repair any mortar joints that need to be fixed.  Look in the chimney for bird nests of other debris that need to be removed.  While you are inspecting your chimney, you should also examine your roof.  Make sure the flashing around the chimney is in good shape as this is often a source of water leaks.  Have any damaged shingles replaced and clear the gutters of debris.  Clear any debris such as leaves and branches from your yard and make sure to winterize your sprinkler system.  Drain and disconnect water hoses too.

Winterize the Interior of Your Home

Keeping the inside of the house warm is a must during a Colorado winter.  Make sure that the insulation in your attic is in good shape.  If any ceiling joists are visible, then you will need additional insulation.  Test both your smoke and radon detectors and keep a supply of extra batteries on hand.  Keep cold air from seeping through your windows by caulking them.  Check around your doors to see if the weather stripping needs to be replaced.  Also, it is a good idea to get your furnace inspected and cleaned.

The agents at Aspen Gold Insurance Brokers hope that by carrying out these simple tips your home will be in good shape and ready to go this winter.  

Ways To Make Packing Easier

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Everyone hates packing. It is a fact of life. People also hate unpacking. Although, we all love moving to a new and better place. There is no way to magically pack everything up without lifting a finger, but there are some ways that you can make the entire process easier on yourself. The best way to do that is by planning ahead and taking the time to pack everything in an organized way. This will make unpacking and the moving process easier for everyone involved in the process. Use these tips to do just that. When you are ready to move into your new home, be sure to contact us at Aspen Gold Insurance Brokers for all of your insurance needs.

  • Color code all boxes. This may seem silly but you will be so thankful for it when you are unpacking. Color code all of your boxes based on the room they go in. When you move it, place those boxes in the corresponding room. Then everything you need for that room will be in there when it is time to unpack.
  • Label your boxes and take inventory. When you are packing, make sure you take the time to label your boxes and take an inventory. Then, you will know where everything is at all times and if you need to find something, you can go straight to the box that has the item you are looking for. This will save time when you are unpacking and make your life a lot less stressful.
  • Pack a first night box. After moving, you will want to unpack but you will need some basic items. Make sure you pack everything you need in a first night box so you can easily find it and rest nicely on your first night, without unpacking everything.

Checking Your Insurance Before Preparing Your Driveway for Colder Temperatures Ahead

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With the leaves turning and temperatures dropping, fall is here. Soon, winter will be here, and with it possible snow and ice. If you own a home in Westminister, CO,  checking your insurance when getting your home ready for winter, before inclement weather sets in is important. There are many fall home checklists that address indoor maintenance, but we at Aspen Gold Insurance Brokers wanted to draw attention to fall driveway maintenance.

Repairing Your Driveway

Over time, cracks develop in driveways. During the summer, they usually aren’t a major issue. In winter, however, water can seep into them and freeze. As water freezes, it widens the cracks. Eventually, large cracks that do pose problems will appear if you don’t address the issue when cracks are small.

Fall is a great time of year to check your driveway for cracks and have it repaired if you see any. First, it’s important to fill in or seal over small cracks before the winter weather sets in. Second, driveway repair companies are usually slower during the fall than during the summer, so you might be able to get a lower price on repairing your driveway.

Checking Your Insurance

Before you hire a driveway repair or resurface company, check your homeowners insurance to see if your repair costs are covered. Coverages vary from policy to policy. Whether the price of fixing cracks in your driveway is covered will depend on the cause of the cracks and your policy’s specific coverages.

If you’re having a hard time telling whether a repair is covered by your policy, contact us. Our independent insurance agents can help you review your policy to see what coverages you have. If your driveway isn’t fully covered, they may even be able to find you a policy that will better protect your driveway in the future. To talk with one of our agents, contact them through our website.