Homeowners Insurance

Last month I spoke about the “must-have” insurance of automobile insurance.  This month I am going to discuss Homeowners Insurance and why it is also a “must-have” policy.

One of my biggest fears of my life has always been a fire in my home.  That fear actually happened to me over 15 years ago.  I was home alone (My beloved dog Allie was with me of course) on a gorgeous Sunday morning. I was preparing my crockpot for the big game later in the afternoon.  My house smelled like lavender because I had cleaned and polished it the day before!  What a great day it was going to be.

As I stirred my spaghetti sauce, I could see out of the corner of my eye, black smoke coming from the furnace register.  The feeling I had at that moment was the worst feeling I have ever had in my life.  I ran down the steps, (I had a split entry home) screaming “no-no-no!!!”  and could see the smoke coming from the ceiling tiles. 

I was in such a panic mode and I was not thinking straight at all (people say they would grab their purse, their keys, etc.- no you won’t). I did manage to grab the phone and my dog and as I passed my laundry room area, I could see the flames in the cupboard above the sink.  My house is on fire.

I ran out the backyard while trying to call 911.  And guess what? The phone was dead. Of all times to not have the phone charged, why now?  Now my fear is turning to screams.  Luckily the little girl next door to me was looking out her window.  I screamed to her to call 911 and that my house was on fire. 

The neighbors across the street were headed to church when they saw me running. I ran to them screaming the terrible news of what was happening to my house.  They took me in their house and they too called 911.

Then I watched and waited………I watched the smoke come from my house…. I cried.  My dog was scared.  I was scared.  I could hear the sirens.  What took the firemen minutes to get to my house, seemed like hours to me.  When they arrived, they ran towards my front door which was locked of course.  They had to break down the door.  Why didn’t I unlock it first before I ran out?  Another truck came, then the police. 

I watched in horror and disbelief.  There is nothing worse than watching your house burn.

But wait…. Yes, there is.  It is seeing your house after the fire is out.  That to me was like seeing parts of hell.  The smell was overwhelming, so we had to wear masks (sounds like 2020, right?) The entire lower level was destroyed.  Our big screen TV was in a pile of melted metal.  My favorite Wizard of Oz clock burnt up, hanging limp on the wall.  We made our way up to the upper level.  My once white walls were all charred black, with water streaks down them.  The furniture and all our clothing are destroyed with smoke and water damage.

We are now left homeless and clothes-less. But Thank God NOT insurance-less.

We had to stay with our family for a few days, but the homeowner’s policies that we had provided us with temporary housing and furniture, money for clothes and peace of mind that we were going to be able to rebuild. 

Can you imagine not having homeowner insurance? Or not enough coverage?  What would we have done?  I will touch more on this next month!

Please, please, make sure you have proper insurance coverage.  If you don’t have homeowner’s insurance, please call Doug or one of his informative team members to find out how you can get affordable coverage for your home and its contents.  If you currently do have homeowner’s insurance and not quite sure of what all is covered, call us.  Citywide Insurance would be happy to go over your current policy with you and discuss your options with you. Call today.  YOU never know when tragedy will hit.