PCI's Roadmap to Summer Safety: Gardening and Garage Sales

CHICAGO, IL – June 21st marks the first day of summer, make sure you are prepared to have a safe and enjoyable summer. As you think about your Roadmap to Summer PCI offers tips and facts to keep you and your family safe.

Outside summer activities can be not only enjoyable but can also help your pocketbook. Did you know that gardening and keeping a well maintained landscape could increase your property value up to 25%? Planting trees could provide shade on your home and help you save money in utility bills if planted correctly. Shade your windows and walls and you could help reduce AC costs by 25-50%. If a tree falls and hits an insured structure, standard homeowners’ insurance policies will provide coverage for the damage.

There are approximately 165,000 garage sales each week in the US bringing in more than $4,000,000 in revenue. Summer is a good time to create an insurance home inventory list and have a garage sale for items no longer needed.  This helps you get rid of unnecessary clutter in your home as well as helping you prepare if a natural disaster were to hit, your house floods from a dishwasher leak or you experience some other homeowners loss. Make sure you are prepared and not part of the 59% of consumers who do not have a home inventory list.

Before you head out to play catch in the yard, take fifteen minutes to create an insurance home inventory. PCI offers Home Inventory Guidelines

• Physically walk around your home and build your list – do not rely just on memory

• Save receipts – giving the actual cost of inventoried items will help you if you need to file a claim

• Take pictures and videos – having a visual record of your belongings and where you had them in your home will help in the claims process

• Create a Digital Record – by storing your home inventory in your email or smartphone you are able to pull it up anywhere

For more information on Summer Facts and Tips you can follow @PCIAA on Twitter

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