Month: December 2021

Pet-proofing your holiday home

Posted on by lovelynn@smollerinsurance.com

Are your holiday decorations pet-proofed? Everyone deserves a happy and healthy holiday season, even your furry friends. Here’s our holiday gift to you: a few tips to keep the whole family safe this December!

🎄 Broken ornaments can be a choking hazard and cut your pets’ paws and/or mouth. So, if you have a Christmas tree, place fragile ornaments towards the top of the tree and plastic or fabric ones towards the bottom.

🎁 Skip the tinsel if you have a cat. Tinsel can severely damage a cat’s intestinal tract and even prove deadly if ingested.

🎄 Ribbons or strings on presents or decorations can be a choking hazard for curious pets, so tuck those loose ends away.

🎁 Electrical cords can easily become a chew toy for puppies and playful pups. Run the cords through PVC pipe or an extra cardboard roll of wrapping paper, or simply tuck them away to protect your furry friends from an accidental electrical shock.

🎄 While chocolate may be a holiday staple for people, it is toxic for cats and dogs, so desserts should be securely stored away. If you want to include your pets in your holiday snacking traditions, consider special pet-friendly treats!

🎁 Poinsettias, holly, mistletoe, hibiscus, and potpourri are very dangerous if consumed by a cat or dog. Place those plants far out of your pets’ reach or use fake plants.

🎄 Many snowglobes contain ethylene glycol (antifreeze) which is highly toxic, and even fatal, to all pets. Keep your snowglobes in a very safe location so they don’t run the risk of breaking.

More tips here!

Wreckage and Boat Insurance

Posted on by admin

Are you in the market for boat insurance? Speak to Smoller Insurance Agency serving the area of Boston, MA to find out more about the boat insurance options available to you.

Boat insurance is there to protect your watercraft assets when homeowners insurance is no longer sufficient or suitable for protecting these types of investments. One of the risks of being a boat owner is having an accident, resulting in property damage and injury.  Accidents can happen on the road while transporting your boat, while moored or while you are on the water with friends. If you are on the water, then sinking and wreckage are possible in the case of a severe accident.

Boat or watercraft insurance covers two main areas, and these are loss and liability. You can insure your boat and its fixtures against accidental physical loss in one of three ways.

  • Actual cash value – the cost of replacing or repairing your boat less depreciation
  • Market Value – what it would sell for on the open market
  • Replacement cash value – the cost of replacing or repairing your boat.

Liability insurance provides financial protection if you are liable for the injury of a third party or their property. This may include when your boat is wrecked,  causing environmental damage from fuel and oil leaks. Being legally liable for property damage and injury is expensive. Make sure you are covered.

These two aspects of your insurance work together to cover you if your boat is accidentally wrecked. When reviewing or taking out a policy, it is worthwhile to check the terms for if your boat is wrecked or has to be salvaged, and it may require special equipment and cleaning efforts.

Boat insurance is there to mitigate any loss you may suffer from an accident, so don’t get caught in the wet! Take action and speak to Smoller Insurance Agency serving Boston, MA, today!

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes this Winter

Posted on by lovelynn@smollerinsurance.com

According to Travelers homeowners claims spanning the last five years, non-weather water damage is the most common homeowners claim in both the fall and winter!

Burst pipes can cause devastating and expensive damage. Here are some tips on preparing your plumbing system for plummeting temperatures this winter.

• Drain and disconnect all hoses, and turn off the water to outside spigots during the winter. Even if this outdoor water freezes, it can increase the pressure of the pipes inside your home.

• Add insulation to outside walls that contain pipes. These walls can get much colder than indoor walls. If they feel cold or are showing signs of damage, try re-insulating or using spray foam.

• If you have a guest or pool house, or have a home with multiple heating zones, be sure to keep them all at at least 65 degrees.

• Try adding snap-on insulation or a heated plumbing tape/cable to pipes that are routed through unheated areas like attics, crawl spaces, and garages.

• If you’re especially considered, consider smart technology! This way, you can control your thermostats remotely, be alerted to freezing temperatures, and even have the water automatically shut off if a leak happens.

In the worst case scenario, your homeowners policy will cover water damage from burst pipes. Give us a call or send us an email if you want to check on your coverage amounts!