Checklist for Spring Cleaning Your Home and Car in a Weekend

Spring Cleaning Checklist Gilbert, AZHaving a clean home or a clean car is a great feeling. While it can be a pain to get started mentally, it’s always worth it once it’s complete. Here is a quick checklist to help you when it comes to spring cleaning your vehicle and your home. Consider committing a few hours to your car and your home over a weekend. With a solid to-do list, you may find it takes less time than you think.

Five Things to Do For Your Car –

  • Check the conditions on your tires. Any visible sidewall damage or bulging?
  • Wipe down all windows on the inside. While you’re at it, wipe down your dash with a vinyl cleaner. Not only will it be nice to wipe away any dust or grime, but it can help protect against the sun’s UV rays.
  • Check for the last maintenance visit. How long has it been since your last oil change?
  • Check your wiper blades. Are they cracked or do they leave streaks?
  • Give your car a wash, possible wax and vacuum the interior! If you have the supplies at home, great! If not, drive down to your local car wash to tidy up the interior and exterior of your vehicle. Doing so will help maintain the value of your vehicle.

Five things to do for your home –

  • Dust

Make a checklist of all the areas in your house where dust can collect. We typically look to dust televisions, window sills, baseboards, blinds, picture frames, night stands, the top of cabinets or ceiling fans or bed frames.

  • Organize

Go through your cupboards and closets. Consider donating any clothing you haven’t worn in over a year. Organize your cupboards like your food pantry, junk drawers or storage closets.

  • Change smoke detector batteries

This chore takes less than 5 minutes to complete. If you have a carbon monoxide detector, check the batteries there too.

  • Disinfect

This may take a little more time. It’s always good to wipe out your refrigerator a few times a year. You can disinfect areas like your shower, tub, toilet or wash your shower curtains. Also, disinfect your TV remote, door knobs, computer mouse or drawer handles.

  • Donate

It feels good to get rid of things! Whether it’s going through your closet to donate clothing or going through your garage, getting rid of things can make your life feel organized.

We hope this short checklist to spring cleaning your home or car is helpful. If have questions about your car insurance or other vehicle insurance, contact us! We can also do a policy review for your home or condo insurance. Take advantage of working with a local independent insurance agency to ensure you have the right insurance coverage for your needs.

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Customized Vehicle Insurance For Your Car, Truck or Motorcycle

Customized Vehicle Insurance Gilbert, AZA lot of people take great pride in their vehicles and for them it isn’t only an asset, it is something that expresses their individuality. But, if you’re customizing a vehicle, whether it be a car, motorcycle or ATV, you want to make sure that your insurance policy covers the custom parts and equipment as well as the modifications and labor that might be going into it.

Lifted Vehicles

For those of us who have owned or currently own a lifted truck or SUV, they’re a lot of fun! Not only are they more capable off-road, but you get a higher vantage point for visibility and driving them can add to your enjoyment of owning the vehicle altogether. However, be sure to let your insurance agent know that you have a vehicle with modified suspension. In the event of a claim, custom suspension and wheels and tires can be considered custom parts and equipment. This means that unless you have an endorsement for larger, more expensive wheels and tires as well as the lift kit, you may be out the difference in price from stock if you find yourself in a claims situation. Typically this is called a Custom Parts & Equipment endorsement.

Custom Paint

A custom paint job can set your vehicle apart from the rest and express your individuality. If you have a car with a custom paint job on your car or motorcycle, you’ll want to be sure to get the Custom Parts & Equipment endorsement for this too. Custom paint is expensive and if you find yourself without the coverage, you’re not likely to be compensated fairly without it.

Custom parts and equipment (CPE)

The simple rule of thumb with CPE is that if it wasn’t that way from the factory it is considered custom. Custom parts and equipment can include the following items:

  • Stereo system
  • Navigation System
  • Custom Wheels & Tires
  • Lift Kits
  • Paint Jobs
  • Chrome Accessories
  • Custom seat, handlebars, grips, exhaust & more on motorcycles for example.

Custom parts and equipment is not a standard type of coverage. Some insurance companies offer basic CPE coverage for certain types of vehicles like motorcycles but as a rule of thumb and a precautionary, never assume that your custom parts are covered. Be sure to tell your licensed independent agent about the custom parts on your car, truck or specialized vehicle like your motorcycle to ensure you have the right amount of protection and can replace your vehicle in the event of a loss.

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Separating Myth From Fact for Auto Insurance

Auto Insurance Gilbert, AZWhen it comes to purchasing auto insurance there are many myths that exist. Let’s take a closer look at some of these myths and help you understand why they may not be true.

Auto Insurance Is More Expensive For Men

If you have two individuals of the same age who live in the same town, one male and the other female, it is not true that the male will pay more for his insurance. In fact, there are many variables that come into play when an insurance company determines premium. Some of those are:

  1. Garaging Zip Code
  2. Driving history
  3. Credit report
  4. Loss history
  5. Education level
  6. Type of vehicle
  7. And many more!

To find out what your premium might be, the only way is to get a quote. Compare companies and coverage options that you need by talking to an independent agent. We can compare many companies side by side.

Older Cars Cost Less To Insure

Not true. For instance, your personal injury protection will likely be less on a newer vehicle because it is equipped with more safety features to aid you in the event of an accident – meaning you’re more likely to be injured in an older vehicle without airbags for example. However, insurance costs for comprehensive and collision coverage do tend to go down the older a vehicle gets because it is simply worth less money.

If someone borrows your car, they are responsible for the insurance.

In most states, insurance follows the vehicle. It is called “permissive use.” If you give someone permission to drive your vehicle, you’re also essentially giving them permission to use your insurance. Now, be careful here because if someone is in your household and not listed on your insurance policy and has regular access and use to your vehicle, you may find yourself in a tricky claims situation because that person should be listed on your insurance policy.

I have an auto insurance policy so it will cover me when I’m delivering food or working for a rideshare company.

If your job requires you to deliver food using your own vehicle or you work part time as an Uber or Lyft driver, you need a special insurance policy. Typically an endorsement to your regular auto insurance, this provides coverage for you while you’re using your vehicle for work related purposes.

Your friend pays less for their insurance than you do so that means you’re paying too much.

Insurance is specific to the driver, their history, vehicle, garaging zip code, usage and so many other factors. There are hundreds of different scenarios that can be calculated to determine your auto insurance premiums. Just because your friend pays less for a similar car, does not mean you’re overpaying.

If you ever want to know if you’re paying too much or want to know all your options for auto insurance, call us! As an independent insurance agency, we have many choices for insurance. Oftentimes we can share with you the insurance premiums of up to 10 different insurance companies in the same time it takes to do a single quote. Trust us to find you the best rates and service for your specific situation. We can also help you dispel other myths that exist with insurance premiums.

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