Preparing for the event of a flood is important, and having good flood insurance is one of the best steps you can take. However, there are a few other flood preparation tips you should keep in mind to keep your family safe and minimize losses.

Tip #1 – Keep Possessions Safe

Come up with a flood file that offers information on all your current possessions. Ensure this information is kept in a safe place, such as a waterproof container or a safe deposit box. Your file should include a copy of all insurance policies, copies of important documents, and an inventory of your household possessions. It’s a good idea to have photos or video, as well as a written record, of all your valuables and major household items.

Tip #2 – Ensure Your Home is Prepared

Before a flood prepare your home, and ensuring a sump pump is on hand is a great idea if you know a flood is coming. You can also prepare your home by raising any electrical components at least a foot above the projected flood elevation for your home. Clear out any debris from downspouts and gutters and anchor fuel tanks. Important documents, valuables, and furniture should be moved to a safe place when you’re preparing for a flood.

Tip #3 – Have a Family Emergency Plan in Place

Make sure your family has a family emergency plan in place. Make sure you have a safety kit that includes first aid items, drinking water, a flashlight, a radio, blankets, and some canned food. Have emergency telephone numbers posted by your phone and ensure kids are taught how they can dial 911 if needed. Plan out and practice flood evacuation and ensure you have a plan in place to take care of pets.

Make sure you’re prepared for a flood with good flood insurance. Contact the Advantage Insurance Network serving Cincinnati, OH today to learn more about your flood insurance options.

 

Home insurance is often misunderstood by the policy holder, and it’s easy to see why. With contracts that seem to have no end, people often make poor decisions based on the simple fact that it’s difficult to understand exactly which events are covered, and which aren’t. After all, you can’t discuss everything that might take place under the sun. However, you can become better aware of home insurance so you have a better chance of being prepared with these 5 tips. 

1. Find Out About Your Possessions 

Home owners may think that their new laptop will be reimbursed if it goes up in flames, and then find out in a panic that they should have updated their policy or their possessions were never covered at all. 

2. Your Questions Matter 

Often it has nothing to do with your insurance keeping anything from you (though that often happens), it’s more about specifically addressing different scenarios where you find out more about your coverage. 

3. Flooding and Earthquake Damage 

Two events that are often excluded from policies, you want to know whether or not you’ll receive the help you need if you have any type of structural or property damage due to them. Keep in mind that the weather can be hard to predict, so don’t assume it can’t happen to you. 

4. Get More Than the Minimum 

It seems like you’re saving money to go with the cheapest plan, but will you really save anything if something major happens to your home?

5. Choose the Right Carrier 

Your home is likely the most important investment you’ll ever make. Call on Advantage Insurance Network if you’re looking for new coverage. Our staff is waiting to talk to you about your policy, so contact us today. 

A boat is no different than a car or a home in that you need to put constant care into it to get the most enjoyment from it. However, boats come with the added responsibility of having to get it back into shape after it’s been sitting around for so many months. Here are 5 tips to get you back out on the water safely in Cincinnati, 

1. Cleaning and Safety 

Taking a sponge to your boat or waxing and polishing everything up doesn’t just make your boat look and smell nicer. Beyond the cosmetic benefits, it gives you a chance to see where you may need repairs from normal wear and tear.

2. Taking a Look Under the Hood 

From the electrical system to the hoses, test everything possible to determine if anything needs to be replaced or fixed. If your engine has trouble starting, your battery may have severely diminished since you last used it. You don’t want a complete failure when you’re out enjoying your day off. 

3. Make an Emergency Plan 

Panic is an unfortunate occurrence of emergencies, but going through the plan several times can mean the difference between calm and order and potentially dangerous mistakes. 

4. Get a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Just like you have one in your home, put one on your boat so there’s no chance you’ll be affected by stray fumes. 

5. Having the Right Insurance Policy 

Preparing your boat means preparing for whatever summer brings you. Insure your boat against common calamities with Advantage Insurance Network. We serve the people of Cincinnati, OH, and have people here to get you the coverage you want, so call today if you’re looking for a new policy or a quote. 

If you’re like many people your closets are overstuffed.  Besides creating a hazard this can make it next to impossible to find anything that you really need.  Cleaning out your closet, however, can be a massive undertaking that can take weeks.  Instead of trying to tackle the whole project at once, try these tips to organize just a small part everyday until you’re done.

1. Start on the floor.  Clearing the floor will allow the doors to close and give you the room to reach the upper shelves safely.  Since larger items are usually kept down here, it will be easier to clear out the smaller stuff.
2. Assign a place for everything.  Think about what you want to store in the closet, then use sticky notes to label where everything should go.  As you work over the coming days, you’ll have the notes to remind you of your plan.
3. Group like items in baskets.  Filling a basket with smaller items will keep a small part of the closet organized.  Be sure to label the basket so that everyone else in your house knows what belongs there.
4. Clear one day, organize the next. If you separate the purging and organizing, you’ll be able to better judge what you need to get rid of.  By alternating days, you’ll be able to get rid of stuff one day, then re-evaluate your space needs on the next.

As you’re cleaning out your closets, you’ll probably come across some things you forgot you had, and get rid of a lot of stuff.  That means that you’ll need to change your insurance policy.  Call the agents at Advantage Insurance Network to make sure that your homeowner’s or renter’s policy is up to date.

There are so many things that need to be done when you think of spring cleaning. To make the process more manageable, you need a checklist. This is a checklist of some of the things that can easily be overlooked when you are spring cleaning.

Waxing and Polishing

• Wax Floors: Whether your floors are wood, vinyl, linoleum, tile, or stone, there is a type of wax that you can use to bring out the shine and make them easier to clean. Just make sure you get the correct kind for your floors.
• Wood Furniture: You would furniture should also get a good waxing or at the very least a good polishing.
• Polish Metal: Polish doorknobs and handles, kitchen hardware, and any other metal items in your home. This small detail will make your house look cleaner.
• Dust everything: Don’t forget to dust your entire home. This includes ceilings and walls, ceiling fans, window casings, and on top of your refrigerator.

Windows

• Clean your window glass. If they are really dirty, getting ammonia and mixing it with water can be effective. This allows you to control the concentration. It has a strong chemical smell, so you should only use it in a well-ventilated area.
• Wash window panes, trim, and screens with soapy water.
• Take down your curtains and wash them. Check the tag to see if they are machine washable. 
• If you have blinds, take them down and wash them in the bathtub.

Walls

• Wash your walls with soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner. If you use a cleaner, test a small spot first to make sure it is safe.
• Take down and clean your pictures.

Sping Cleaning is a great way to take care of your home, but you should also protect your investment with insurance. If you need homeowners insurance, get a free quote from Advantage Insurance Network.

 

There are far too many people who believe a natural disaster will never impact the Cincinnati, OH area in such a way that it will disrupt or devastate their lives. As a result, they often don’t create an emergency disaster plan for their home or family. The fact is, you can never predict what will happen and being prepared is the only way to make sure you and your family will come through the situation safely.

Inability to contact help

Regardless of if you are facing a blizzard, flood or strong thunderstorm, being able to call for help in these situations is essential. It is a good idea to purchase communication equipment that will work during bad weather. There are a number of devices available and without them you may not be able to receive the help you need during the time of emergency.

Inability to rebuild your life

Another consequence you may face if you fail to plan for a disaster is the inability to rebuild your home and life. Things such as insurance will provide you the ability to rebuild your life if disaster strikes. Without proper coverage you will not be able to rebuild after a disaster. This is why it is essential to purchase quality insurance coverage.

Your home and your family need to be protected. If you fail to see to this protection you may not know where to begin after disaster strikes. While being prepared takes work, it will be well worth it in the long run.

If you want to ensure you and your home is protected, then be sure to find home insurance through Advantage Insurance Network. This will ensure you are protected and ready to weather the storm, regardless of what may come your way. 

 

You always hear about ways to be prepared for when the power goes out, but very few times are these preparation tips actually shared. Below you will find five tips that will help you if you lose power so that you can last for hours or even days.

Have Flashlights

When the power goes out, you aren’t going to be able to turn on lights. This is why it’s a good idea to have flashlights as well as backup batteries. Everyone in your home should be able to have their own flashlight so that they can safely move from room to room.

Have a Means of Heating up Water

Water needs to be heated up for purification, sanitation, and even doing laundry. Since you cannot use your electric stove, you may want to think about an outdoor rocket stove, a solar oven, or even a gas grill.

Stock the Pantry

Stock the pantry with items that don’t need to be heated. You want to choose high protein items that your entire family will enjoy. Jerky, Spam, protein shakes, peanut butter, granola bars, and other items are all good choices.

Freeze Water Bottles

Keep bottles of water frozen in your freezer at all times. If the power goes out, these can help to maintain the temperature for longer so that your food doesn’t spoil.

Purchase the Necessities

Various necessity should be purchased so that you always have them available – such as an emergency radio, a solar charger for your cell phone, and battery-powered fans.

At Advantage Insurance Network we are here to help you stay safe within your home in Cincinnati. Call now and one of our friendly agents can guide you through the process of purchasing the right policy, including getting quotes from some of the best insurance company that issue policies in Ohio.

 

 

Having a business in Cincinnati that is in your home requires specific types of insurance. While you likely have a homeowner’s insurance policy, this coverage is likely not going to extend to your business. This means it is important to know about the coverage that is available so that you can build the best possible policy.

Business property coverage: this is the kind of coverage that can protect against computer and merchandise loss, as well as any other property that is business related.

General liability coverage: liability is important because you may have clients visiting you at your home. This kind of coverage can provide protection against lawsuits, particularly claims of negligence, injuries, and more.

Employment practices liability coverage: this kind of coverage is needed when you start to hire employees. It can provide coverage in the event of facing allegations for wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and other issues.

Business interruption coverage: your business may be interrupted as a result of cover losses, such as fires or tornadoes. This coverage can provide business income throughout the interim so that you are not facing a complete financial loss.

Running a business out of your home is just like driving a business car around. Even though you have auto insurance, it is not necessarily going to provide full coverage because you are using it for business, not for pleasure. Your home is not being used solely for living – you are operating a business.

Call us at the Advantage Insurance Network today to learn what kind of business is needed for your home-based business, based upon what is unique to you as a homeowner and business owner. We will work to help you get the most affordable premiums and provide you with peace of mind knowing that you have sufficient coverage.