Category: Home Insurance

Creating and maintaining a home inventory is not easy, but it is far easier than creating one from scratch after a fire or significant loss. The key to creating a home inventory is to create a plan that breaks the process into manageable chunks and then execute the plan step by step. If you need home insurance that suits your needs, contact the Worthington Carroll Agency, serving Port Jervis, NY.

Creating Your Home Inventory

A home inventory following a significant loss allows for a faster, more accurate insurance settlement. You have detailed documentation of the lost items, eliminating guesswork and the impact of poor memory, allowing you to recover from the loss financially. You can create a home inventory using a spreadsheet or app in combination with photos, videos, and saved receipts. Whatever tools you use, you must store your inventory or back it up at a location other than your home.

Here are some critical steps for creating and managing your inventory.

• Create a plan. Many people organize their inventory by room to facilitate video recording of their possessions. Organize your images, receipts, and appraisals using the same method.
• Big-ticket items. Document big-ticket items first, including serial numbers, and less valuable items in groups, such as "5 pairs of shoes."
• Regular updates. Inventory significant new purchases immediately and update your video and documents annually. Some people update it several rooms per quarter.

The Worthington Carroll Agency Difference

Creating a home inventory takes work and discipline, but it will be tremendously valuable if you suffer a loss. Our team at the Worthington Carroll Agency, serving Port Jervis, NY, will work with you to structure a home insurance plan that fits your situation. Call us at (845) 856-5125 or stop by today.

At Worthington Carroll Agency in Port Jervis, NY, we understand the benefits of additional living expense coverage on your homeowner’s insurance policy and believe you should know them, too.

Additional living expense (ALE) coverage, a unique feature of our homeowner’s insurance policy, is designed to cover the cost of being displaced after a covered loss. This benefit is particularly valuable in situations such as a fire or natural disaster, where you may incur excess living costs. ALE may also provide additional coverage if your home is uninhabitable due to loss of utilities, such as heat during the winter. Typical coverage includes hotel expenses for a month while displaced but not regular monthly expenses like utility bills or mortgage payments.

Our ALE coverage is designed to be flexible, paying out up to 30% of your dwelling coverage. However, if you feel this amount wouldn’t be adequate in the event of a covered loss, you have the option to purchase additional ALE coverage. This flexibility ensures you can tailor your coverage to your needs and circumstances.

Things covered by ALE include:

• Laundry costs
• Food costs exceeding what you usually pay.
• Hotel stays.
• Temporary rental housing
• Storage Fees
• Pet Boarding
• Excess travel expenses / additional fuel costs
• Moving cost

Things not covered by ALE coverage:

• Childcare
• Mortgage
• Insurance premiums
• Utilities
• Anything you routinely pay for.

It’s important to note that additional living expense coverages vary depending on your insurance carrier. ALE policies have a set payout limit and a set amount of time for which they will pay for your added cost. So, it is essential to read your homeowners policy or check with your insurance agent to know what is covered and for how long when suffering loss.

Bring us your questions or concerns.

We at Worthington Carroll Agency in Port Jervis, NY, value your questions and concerns. Call us today at (845) 856-5125 to discuss the benefits of additional living expense coverage and give you peace of mind that you and your family can be protected as you recover from an unfortunate loss.

Owning a home in the beautiful city of Port Jervis, NY comes with its share of joys and responsibilities. Responsible local homeowners get home insurance to protect their most important investments and secure their family’s futures. 

Licensed insurance agents at the Worthington Carroll Agency can help you decide on the best home insurance options based on your and your family’s needs. 

Top 5 Benefits of Home Insurance

Benefit #1. – Protection from Unexpected Damages

Home insurance can protect against unexpected financial damages resulting from weather-related perils, natural disasters, fires, flooding, theft, and vandalism. Residents rest easier when they know their home’s interior and exterior are covered. 

Benefit #2. – Liability Coverage Shields Homeowners from Legal Claims

Home and property-related accidents happen when visitors injure themselves on your property. Protect your future finances from medical expenses and legal liability claims and other accidents that can happen on your land. 

Benefit #3. – Protect Your Favorite Belongings

Home is where we go to shield ourselves from outside worries and enjoy our favorite things. Get home insurance to protect your favorite outfits, electronics, appliances, and collections from theft and damage. 

Benefit #4. – Emergency Living Expense Coverage

Unexpected perils can lead to temporary bouts of homelessness when your home becomes uninhabitable while undergoing clearing or repairs. Talk to a trusted insurance agent to learn how you can get living expense coverage in the event of a housing-related emergency. 

Benefit #5. – Most Mortgage Lenders Require It 

New homeowners will often find that mortgage lenders require them to have comprehensive home insurance before closing the deal.

Reach Out To Us

Contact licensed agents at the Worthington Carroll Agency in Port Jervis, NY, find out about your options for coverage, and get a free quote! 

If you live in the greater Port Jervis, NY area, you can count on the local team here at the Worthington Carroll Agency. We’re proud to serve the insurance needs of our community and look forward to working with you, too. Contact us today to learn more about the ways that a major renovation project can affect your home insurance needs.

Major Improvement Projects Can Affect Your Insurance Needs

As more people make the decision to stay in their homes for longer periods of time, the number of homeowners making improvements to their properties continues to grow. However, some people overlook the need to review their home policies before starting a major remodeling project.

If you’re updating your kitchen or bathrooms or building an addition to your home, it’s important to review your home policy before any work gets started. This can help you avoid a situation where you don’t have the protection you need. As you improve your property, its value will increase. And, as you spend more time in your home, the equity you have will also increase. Add to this the general home value increases that happen over time, and you’ll likely need a higher level of coverage.

Liability protection is also a concern during the project. You’ll want to be sure that any contractors working on your property have their own liability protection in addition to your home policy providing adequate coverage.

Call or stop by today to learn more!

Worthington Carroll Agency is here for the residents of the Port Jervis, NY area. If you have questions about your home policy or any other type of insurance, we’re here to help. Give us a call or stop by today to learn more about our services.

When you are a homeowner, there are a lot of things that have to be done to protect your home and keep it running. One of these is to get home insurance from the first day that you own your home. Home insurance is required by virtually all lenders, and it’s usually required by homeowners associations as well. When you have this insurance, it offers you a number of types of coverage to protect you in multiple ways.

When you’re in need of home insurance, call us at Worthington Carroll Agency in Port Jervis, NY.

Home Coverage

One of the ways that home insurance protects you is that it protects the home itself. It covers the home so that certain repairs can be paid for by the policy after the home has been damaged in a covered event. Home insurance covers you against a wide range of potential risks that can happen to a home and cause it to be damaged. When damage does happen from a covered disaster or other incidents, there may be tens of thousands due for repairs to get the home back to normal. Having home insurance makes it possible to get all of those repairs done without causing your immense financial pain. 

Belongings Coverage

It isn’t just your home that can be damaged in a covered incident. It’s also the items that are inside your home. Home insurance also covers your belongings against the same incidents that your home is covered for. The items in your home can add up to an enormous amount of value. Without home insurance, you could be left having to get everything replaced on your own instead of having a home policy pay for those replacements. 

Get Home Insurance 

If you’re without home insurance, it’s time to call us at Worthington Carroll Agency in Port Jervis, NY.