Sexsmith Insurance

You're not only an "empty-nester," but now you have an empty nest as well! And that poses a problem as far as your insurance is concerned.

Your house is now considered by your insurer to be "vacant," meaning that all occupants of the premises have moved out with no intention of returning and no new occupant has taken up residence. If your house is vacant for more than 30 consecutive days, all coverage on it ceases.

But there is a solution. You can ask your insurer for a "Vacancy Permit." However, you'll have to act fastbefore the end of the first 30 days of vacancy. A Vacancy Permit will maintain most of the coverage you had on your house, but will likely not protect against vandalism or malicious acts, water damage, or glass breakage.

It is up to the insurance company to decide whether or not to grant you a Vacancy Permit - it is not obligated to do so. The decision will depend on individual circumstances, such as loss history, location, and the expected duration of vacancy. Normally, a Vacancy Permit is limited to a maximum of three months, but again, this depends on your insurer. A monthly additional premium is charged for the duration of the Permit.

A vacant house is NOT the same as one whose residents are temporarily away, on vacation, for example. In that case, insurers consider the house "unoccupied." Because the residents plan to return to it, the house continues to be insured while they are away - even if it is for longer than 30 days. A caveat for winter vacationers: if your house is unoccupied for more than four consecutive days during the winter season, your insurance will not cover water damage that is due to the freezing of any part of a plumbing, heating, sprinkler, or air-conditioning system or domestic appliance, UNLESS you arrange for a competent person to visit your house daily to make sure the heat is maintained. Another option is to shut off the water supply and drain all pipes and appliances.

I hope you are able to sell your house in short order. But in the meantime, don't let those 30 days pass without arranging coverage, or you could lose much more than a buyer!

Despite what the song says, what goes up doesn't necessarily have to come down - at least when it comes to homeowners insurance! Although this is a common misconception among consumers, the cost of your homeowners insurance is not related to the market value of your house. The cost of your insurance - and the amount for which it is insured - is based on how much it would cost to replace your house at current prices if it were totally destroyed in a fire, for example. While housing prices in your area may have gone down, the cost of replacement has not. In fact, it continues to rise. Therefore, most insurers automatically increase the amount of insurance on your home to keep pace. That way, if disaster strikes, you'll have enough insurance to get back on solid ground - or new flooring, as the case may be.

Much of the homeowners insurance sold today is on the basis of guaranteed replacement cost. That means the insurer will pay whatever it costs to repair your house, even if it's more than what the house was insured for. Therefore, you can appreciate that the insurance company wants to keep the insurance on your house as close as possible to the true replacement cost - and you pay the premiums accordingly.

You may think the insurance company is over-insuring your house (and is therefore overcharging you). Maybe someone in the construction industry has told you it would cost less to rebuild your home than the amount for which you are insured. However, there are other factors to consider. Let's say your house was completely destroyed by fire. All that's left are the charred remains - what a mess! Before your house could be rebuilt, all the debris would have to be removed. Your insurance would pay for this too.

Also keep in mind that your homeowners insurance is a package policy that covers much more than the cost of replacing the building itself. It also covers the contents of your house, additional living expenses if you had to live elsewhere while your house was being repaired, as well as provides liability protection if you accidentally injured someone or damaged someone else's property.

So as the housing prices in your neighborhood rise and fall, remember that your homeowners insurance won't follow suit.

Note: Remember, policies vary, so when in doubt, consult your insurance representative.

• Take an inventory of your goods and ensure it is in a safe place away from your home. If you do suffer a loss, it will make filing a claim much easier. It's difficult to remember how many CDs you have, what the winter boots look like and what the pattern of Granny's silver was. Use a tape recorder, video camera or Polaroid to speed up the process. Or use a company that specializes in videotaping belongings.
• Put your valuables in a safety deposit box. Your insurance company will help if you suffer a loss, but sentimental items can never be replaced.
• Remember that your homeowner's policy will cover your possessions temporarily removed from your home - that includes the contents of your suitcase - so keep track of what you've packed.

The majority of fires in the home occur at night. If there's a fire in your home, there's a chance you won't wake up. Smoke and poisonous gases may actually numb your senses and send you even deeper into sleep. It's no kiss from a prince, but a smoke alarm will wake any Sleeping Beauty.

There are two basic types of smoke detectors: ionization and photoelectric. The ionization alarm has a small chamber that produces electronically charged air particles or ions . It sounds when smoke enters and disrupts the flow of ions. This alarm is best at detecting flaming fires with very little smoke.

The photoelectric alarm is best for detecting a smouldering fire . Its light source generates a beam that is deflected by smoke into a photo cell, causing the alarm to sound. Properly placed, an alarm can be heard from any bedroom in the house.

Alarms should be installed outside of all bedrooms and on every level of your home. Don't forget the basement; install an alarm over an old fuse box or breaker panel. If you live in a home with only one floor and all of the bedrooms share a common passageway, one alarm may be all you need. Sleeping with your bedroom door closed? Install the alarm inside your room instead, particularly if you use electrical appliances.

Scratch bathrooms, garages and kitchens from your installation list. False alarms tend to be triggered by cooking, steam, fumes and exhaust.

A battery operated fire alarm is easy to install. Mount it high on a wall or ceiling, away from any corners. The dead air space in the corners delays alarm activation. On a flat ceiling , it should be at least 150 millimetres or six inches from the nearest wall. If you install it on the wall, the top of the alarm should be between 150 millimetres (six inches) and 300 millimetres (12 inches) from the ceiling.

Test your alarm by pushing the test button at least once a week. Replace batteries twice a year unless your alarm beeps intermittently. Then replace them right away. Never use rechargeable batteries, they'll quit without warning. As you clean the house, vacuum the alarm detection chamber and protective cover. If a smoke alarm gets clogged with dirt and dust it will malfunction.

When you buy an alarm, make sure it's approved by the Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada (ULC) or the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Then devise an escape plan in case it ever goes off. If your Prince never comes to wake you from your slumber, you can bet your alarm will.

The Amazing Kreskin could recall just about anything. How's your recall? Can you remember what's in your wallet? How about what you ate for breakfast this morning? Trying to recall the contents in your wallet once it's lost or stolen can seem more like a skit on the Johnny Carson show than a mystical experience. You can't prevent your wallet from being stolen but you can be prepared. Go through your wallet and count the number of identification and credit cards.

Once you're familiar with the contents, photocopy them. This will enable you to give the authorities the right information if ever you lose them. Keep two copies, each in a separate location.

Expand your paper collection by keeping your receipts. Obviously you won't want to keep the ones from every day purchases such as groceries. File the receipts for major purchases. Receipts act as a proof of purchase which is useful if you want to repair, return, or report the item stolen. Sometimes the make and model numbers are included on the receipt, as well as the place of purchase. This is convenient if you want to replace an item with an identical one.

In the event that your home is broken into by thieves or catches fire, a personal belongings inventory will prove to be a greater investment than your receipts. An inventory should include everything you own and its approximate value, not just your most valuable or prized possessions. For example, do you have any idea how many pairs of shoes there are in your closet? Sounds like a job for Kreskin.

As you compile your inventory, go from room to room and note your possessions and their current replacement value. This is for insurance purposes -- you may need additional coverage. You records needn't be written down on paper, you can videotape or photograph your belongings. Just make sure you secure a copy of your inventory outside of your home where it won't be lost or damaged. Update your inventory twice a year.

Every room in the house has its own safety concerns, and in the basement safety revolves around one item above all: your furnace. Here's how to keep the home fires burning… without burning down your home.

• Schedule annual furnace check-ups with a heating contractor. Inspection and preventative maintenance is your best insurance against problems down the road.
• Maintenance not only helps prevent fires but carbon monoxide poisoning - insufficient combustion produces higher levels of this dangerous gas.
• Do routine checks of your heating equipment on your own. Look for rusted and loose parts, and other signs of deteriorations such as water stains and leakage. Arrange for service immediately if you suspect any problem.
• If you have an old oil tank, have a professional check it over. Small pinholes can develop after all those years, and the only thing preventing a leak could be a coat of paint.

The holiday season is a time of sharing. Don't take it to the extreme by sharing your belongings with burglars, muggers and the like. With so many people carrying more money than usual for shopping, getting new gifts, going out for parties, and leaving on vacation, this is the season of joy for thieves too.

• Keep an extra tight grip on your wallet or purse when you're out in public. Christmas time is ideal for pickpockets and muggers. The streets and malls are so crowded that people don't pay as much attention when someone bumps them - and lifts valuables in the process. During the Christmas season, the phones at the credit card companies ring off the hook with reports of stolen cards.
• It's not only your money and credit cards that are vulnerable. When you're out shopping, watch those bags and parcels. It's easy for a thief to grab a just-purchased item out of your shopping bag while you're browsing just a few feet away.
• If you're out for the night at a Christmas party or other seasonal event, make extra effort to remember some of the year-round anti-burglary steps. Lock all the windows, keep the outside lights on, use a timer for the inside lights, and use motion-sensor lights at the entrances.

• Outside lights will brighten up your house during the holiday season. But make sure not to overload your circuits - otherwise you might light up your house with flames.
• Many people make the mistake of plugging outdoor lights into standard household outlets. These outlets are often not powerful enough for the lights, causing an unnecessary and dangerous strain on your electrical system. Consider installing a heavier line with a separate circuit, specifically for the lights.
• The fuse is an electric safety valve. If too much current passes through the fuse, a wire inside melts and stops the flow of current. When a fuse blows, it's a sign of danger. The line has either been overloaded, or there's a break in the wires along the line - in an appliance cord, a switch, or inside the wall.
• If you are blowing fuses repeatedly, don't just keep replacing them. Call in an electrical contractor to evaluate your system for a dangerous overloading.
• Never over-fuse, for example, by replacing a 15-amp fuse with a 30-amp fuse to try to meet an added power demand. Because 20 and 30-amp fuses are more powerful, people assume they are adding more power; however, the wiring is incapable of accommodating the additional demand.

Nothing spruces up the Christmas decor like, well, a spruce and other evergreen trees. To ensure your Christmas isn't just merry, but also safe, read through this list of Christmas tree, ornament and lighting dos and don'ts (and check it twice, of course).

• One way to check if a tree is fresh is to bend the twigs and needles. If they spring back to life, it's fresh. If they fall, avoid the tree - dry trees are much more flammable.
• Don't pick up the tree more than two weeks before Christmas Day. That way, constant watering should keep the tree green, and prevent a fire hazard. Always keep the water level above the base of the tree.
• When placing your trees (in a non-tip stand), make sure it's away from fireplaces, heaters and other heat sources. That means no smoking around the tree, too. Whether natural, plastic or metallic, the tree shouldn't block any exits - this also makes it more accessible to Santa.
• Whether you're dragging out the old tree lights or picking up a new set, check all wiring and plugs for fraying, cracks or loose connections. Don't use strings of lights that appear damaged.
• Your bulbs shouldn't exceed the maximum allowable wattage/voltage. If you must replace a bulb, let it cool off, and unplug the light string first to avoid a shock. Replace burnt-out bulbs quickly, otherwise the other bulbs may burn at higher than normal temperatures.

• During winter, your coat needs a proper lining to protect you from the elements. Likewise, a fireplace must have an appropriate liner to help prevent damage to your home or carbon monoxide poisoning. If you have a fireplace that dates from before 1954, you need to pay particular attention to this fact.
• Today's building code requires liners in all new chimneys. These smooth metal or hard clay liners allow for a smooth flow of exhaust, and a more efficient operation of the fireplace. It is also easier to clean a lined chimney.
• Before 1954 or so, fireplaces were typically constructed of stone or bricks and mortar, and were generally not lined. If you have an old fireplace, the mortar may have broken down into its original state - sand. That means you might have small holes in the chimney that could lead to fire in the walls.
• The absence of a liner also increases the build-up of creosote, a tar-like substance. Creosote can be ignited by hear. The resulting flash fire could be intense enough to crack your masonry, or generate enough sparks to start a roof fire.
• If your fireplace is built of stone or brick, have the entire length inspected annually for signs of deterioration. You can also have a liner installed. If you're installing a metal liner, make sure it is suited to the type of fuel you are burning. Wood-burning fires, for instance, tend to generate hotter temperatures than oil or gas-fuelled fires.

• Accumulated dust is combustible and can cause house fires.
• While you're cleaning under the beds and so forth, don't forget to regularly clean the various vents and filters around your house.
• Make sure you clean the lint-collector in the clothes dryer after each use. Also check the dryer exhaust pipe periodically to make sure it's lint free.

Each year millions of Canadians deliberately set fires outdoors. No, we haven't become a mass group of arsonists - setting barbecues and campfires is perfectly normal, but they're still fires. Know how to control them safely.

• When using any barbecues, especially a gas barbecue, you want to make sure the fire spreads only as fast as the underside of your food. Keep water handy to douse flames if they go out of control. Your hose or sprinkler is a possible source.
• Keeping a small fire extinguisher near the barbecue is also a good idea. For gas barbecues you don't want any flames spreading to the tank, so act quickly.
• If you're using a gas barbecue, check for leaks occasionally by putting soap and water on the connections and watching for bubbles when you turn on the propane (just turn on the gas, don't spark up the unit). Leaks can be highly hazardous, as the gas invisible, and just striking a match could create a jet of fire.
• When you're camping, light wood fires in authorized areas only and avoid fires in high wind areas. Clear away leave and other combustible materials. While sitting at a fire, avoid loose clothing, which can ignite, and bathing suits, which expose your skin to flames and sparks.

Are you skilled in the art of fencing? We're not talking about your abilities with a sword but with an actual fence, the one around your home. Properly designed and installed, a fence promotes both safety and theft prevention.

• Out back or in front of your home, a fence can prevent small children from wandering away, onto the road or other hazardous areas. Make sure the fence is structurally sound, with no areas that are easy to slip through or under. The fence should be imbedded deep enough in the ground to eliminate gaps.
• If you own a backyard pool, a fence is essential for safety. You don't want anyone wandering onto your property and taking a dip or falling in. Don't forget to lock the gate when responsible adults aren't present and use a childproof lock. Combination-type locks may be one of the least expensive options.
• When putting up fencing, you're probably thinking about factors like style, cost and privacy. But don't forget another factor: visibility. A big solid fence might keep the eyes of your neighbours away, but that's just what burglars want - a place where they can work without anybody seeing them.

Here's the burglary prevention version of hide-and-go-seek: if you hide your valuables well enough, even the most experienced crook will have a hard time finding them. What are some of the best hiding places?

• Forget about the traditional hiding spots like under the mattress, or taped under a drawer. If those are the first places you think about, they're also the first places a burglar would look.
• These days, there are dozens of products on the market that look like everyday objects but are really hiding spots for small valuables. You can buy shaving cream, deodorant or pop cans, for instance, that look like the real thing but have screw-off bottoms and a hollow interior. They even have brand names on them, so no thief would take notice to them.
• Along the same principle, you can get hollowed out books that fit with the real ones on your shelves. Unless a thief took the time to open everyone of your books, he won't find what you're stashing inside.
• Another option for a hiding place is a real flower pot, one you can grow flowers in, with a false bottom and a good-sized space for storing small valuables like rings and cash.

Wallets, purses and luggage have always been popular targets for thieves. here are some basic ways to reduce the chances you'll be victimized by a pickpocket, purse snatcher or other thief - and to reduce the losses if you are a victim.

• Carry your wallet in the pocket in the front of your pants, not in your back pocket or jacket pocket, where it's easier to lift. Don't tip off a thief by patting the pocket containing the wallet, but do press your hand against the wallet if your jostled.
• For women, a wallet or billfold is safer in a pocket than in a purse. When you do carry a purse, keep it close to your body rather than holding it by the handles, or sling it across your body instead of hanging it off one shoulder. Don't wrap the strap around your wrist, as you can get tangled up and injured if someone tries to grab your purse.
• Whether in a purse or wallet, carry only what you need. Try to avoid excessive amount of cash. If your wallet or purse is stolen, look for it in the immediate vicinity - perhaps in a trash can. Most wallets and purses are emptied and discarded quickly. Even if you lose cash and credit cards you might be able to salvage important cards and personal belongings.
• Pouches that wrap around your waist are popular. They zip up to safeguard your valuables, and are difficult to snap off your waist (especially if you wear the hidden under your top.

Stop and consider for a moment, a world without auto insurance. How would you act differently than you do now?

If insurance did not exist to spread the burden of certain risks, would you continue to drive at night or during rush hour traffic? Would you share a car with your children or spouse? In a world laden with sudden and accidental events, insurance lessens the worry.

Even with insurance, there are ways we can reduce the likelihood of accidents on the road. Using Daytime Running Lights, securing loose objects and staying alert behind the wheel are just some ways to help reduce risk while driving. being alert behind the wheel means not succumbing to highway hypnosis.

Highway hypnosis happens when travelling long distances, especially in high performance vehicles that allow you to accelerate without realizing your travelling speed. As the vehicle speeds up, the driver's attention span may become numb, endangering the lives of everyone on the road.

Avoid highway hypnosis by taking frequent pit stops. Get out of the car when sleepy and walk around. To stay alert, open a window for some fresh air or else crank the air conditioning. Singing along to the radio or engaging in conversation -- even if you're alone -- may seem a little strange, but it helps you arrive alive.