Whether you’re just about to purchase a starter home, or you’ve been in the same house for decades, the team at HIG believes it is very important for you to know about the invaluable benefits of having the guaranteed replacement cost endorsement.
If you’re starting to feel a winter chill in the air, then now is the perfect time to make sure that your home —and everything in it—is safe from the most common hazards of the season. From freezing rain and ice to heavy sleet and snow and drastically fluctuating temperatures, your house can take a serious beating during this time of year. But of all the perils of winter, perhaps the most harmful threat to your home is the infamous ice dam. Every year in New England, ice dams cost homeowners millions of dollars and cause serious property damage.
How the Fall River YMCA Has Stepped Up to Help the Community and Why It Needs Our Support Now More Than Ever If you grew up with a YMCA in your town, you probably thought of it as the place to learn how to swim. In fact, HIG’s Chris Hadley, principal and insurance broker, has some distinct childhood memories of his brother going to the Fall River YMCA to take swim lessons. Fortunately for Chris and others who have taken swim lessons post-1960, the Fall River YMCA has evolved significantly since those earlier days. Through its membership dues, state and
Editor’s Note: This blog was originally published in October 2015 but has been updated to reflect the latest information on fire prevention. Every October, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) cooks up a theme for its annual fire prevention week. This year, the focus will be on “Serving Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.” Raising awareness on how to stay safe in the kitchen is not only the NFPA’s priority but also the HIG team’s mission, for many reasons. The kitchen is typically the most heavily trafficked room in everyone’s home. Almost half (44%) of reported home fires started in
Now that the weather is finally warming up, there’s no denying that the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island is a great place to live — especially when you consider the beautiful beaches and scenery, fresh seafood, and sense of community found along the coast. Coastal homeowners also enjoy a boost as their home values increase, with many waterfront homes doubling in value over the last 20 years, according to a recent Zillow study. As home values increase, however, so do the costs of insuring these beautiful properties. Luckily, your HIG insurance agent is here to help. While we can’t
You thought you took the necessary steps to protect your home from freezing temperatures, but now you’re dealing with a burst pipe. What should you do? First of all, stay calm. Then, follow these steps. Shut off your water and potentially your electricity If a pipe bursts in your home, the first thing you should do is turn off your water to minimize flooding damage. Every homeowner should know where the main water valve is. Find it and shut it off immediately! If necessary, you should also turn off electricity to the areas of your home where the flooding is
Along the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, there is a high potential for flooding as a result of increasingly violent storms. High winds, downbursts, and fast-moving water are just a few examples of forces that increase the risk of water damage inside your home. Even with our close proximity to the water along the coast, most people don’t realize that flood insurance is not covered in your a homeowners insurance policy. Here at HIG Insurance, we’ve worked to protect homeowners from flood damage for more than 100 years. The first step to protect your coastal home is to
The holiday season in New England is a beautiful and festive time of year. From Christmas trees to holiday lights to family gatherings, you’ll always notice more smiles around the holidays! But there are also some safety hazards that come with food, travel, and trimmings. Decorate safely and keep your holidays merry and bright with these five holiday safety tips. Avoid The Gift of Food Poisoning Few things can mar a festive family dinner more than a bout of food poisoning! Keep your cooking top notch with these guidelines from U.S. Department of Health and Food Services: Do not wash
Severe weather can strike at any time–as we saw a few weeks ago when golf ball sized hail took Massachusetts by storm in the middle of summer. If you’ve experienced a hailstorm you know that these small balls of ice are much more dangerous than they look. The rare form of precipitation is also the most dangerous, and even small sized hail can cause substantial damage to the unprepared car or home. The average hailstorm lasts about five minutes, but according to reports by the National Weather Service, hail causes upwards of a billion dollars worth of damage every year.
The adage “safety is priceless” is rarely more apt than when it’s used to describe rental insurance. A lot of times it takes a loss before you realize that while rental insurance in Fall River or the surrounding communities isn’t always mandatory, it is always necessary. Many Fall River residents learned this the hard way after a devastating winter of intense snowfall left many apartments flooded due to ice dams and their belongings damaged. If you are getting ready to move into a new apartment and don’t have rental insurance, here are five reasons getting a quote is the right
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