Home Insurance

There is a lot of uncertainty and stress going on right now due to the pandemic. If you are managing employees who are currently working remotely, it’s important to be aware of the fact that your workers might have kids doing online school. They might be lonely, they might be having issues separating from work at the end of the day, they might be having trouble staying focused. How can you as an employer support and help your employees, or reduce their stress level? There is a lot going on in your employees’ heads and lives right now. Here are some tips for supporting your workers while they’re working from home.

How you can support employees who are working from home?

1. Listen to suggestions from employees.

Your employees are the ones who are doing their jobs at home. They might have some suggestions for how to improve work-from-home and what could make the situation better. Your work-from-home system has to match your company and your employees’ needs. The team might have some feedback, so encourage them to go to you with their thoughts or concerns. You can let them know that they can tell you if they have any issues.

2. Check-in with your employees often.

It’s also important to check in with your employees often to see how they’re doing. That can help them feel more connected. Think about doing some video calls or setting up a messaging system so people can have some social interaction. You need to gauge how often these check-ins should be done – you don’t want to overdo it, either. You can arrange virtual team meetings and your management can do one-on-one check-ins. Of course, you can adjust the meeting schedule as you go until you find the balance and what works best for everyone.

3. Do virtual get-togethers.

It’s also really helpful to arrange virtual get-togethers to give your employees the opportunity to have some social time with each other. These can be very casual meetings. It’s just a way for your team to catch up with each other outside of work. During these times, having a nice, informal virtual get-together to have a chat can feel really refreshing. So, see if you can make that happen.

4. Encourage routine.

Your employees are going to need some routine in their lives. And with the current situation, it’s important to understand that your employees might need some flexibility within the routine that they establish to get through work-from-home during quarantine. Encourage your employees to be open about the things that might need to shape their schedules or routines – for example, child care and/or online school – with you and the relevant team members so you can make it work and help make everyone’s lives easier. It’s important to reduce everyone’s stress by working with people’s schedules.

5. Consider offering trainings.

Even though employees are working from home, you can still help them grow their skillset. Can you do online training? What about webinars or online classes? Your workers might not be able to come to the office, but you can still provide opportunities for your employees to learn and develop new skills. So, think about different ways you can help your employees continue their professional development.

6. Encourage wellness.

As an employer, it’s important to recognize that this is a really stressful time for your employees. It can have some very real effects on peoples’ mental health, so consider how you can encourage your employees to look after themselves. How can you support the mental health of your workers? Can you start doing meditation breaks? Is there a way you can be promoting fitness? Can you encourage people to take time off if needed so they can refuel and recharge?

7. Remember that loyalty begets loyalty.

This is a difficult time, and you might be asking a lot of your employees. But remember that you need to prioritize the mental and physical well-being of your employees. Remember, people are loyal to those who are good to them and treat them well. Loyalty from you towards your team can inspire loyalty from your team in return. Besides, what if remote work doesn’t just go away? By figuring out a system for work from home and supporting your employees through that, you’ll be all set even if work-from-home persists past the pandemic. Your team is extremely important and you care about your people, so remember that a bit of kindness and compassion goes a long way.

Remote work is a new thing for a lot of employees and a lot of employers. If you’ve got your team working from home, you need to support them and take care of them as an employer. Be sure to get feedback from your employees and listen to their suggestions. Check in with them and understand that with online schooling and kids at home, your employees might need to adjust their routine or schedule. The important thing is that your team knows you’re there for them and on their side.

Get home insurance quotes.

There’s a lot going on right now, but maybe you need to get some quotes for Atlanta home insurance. Our team would be happy to help you get some quotes and save money on your insurance. We strive to make insurance easy. You can get started with your quotes for your Atlanta home by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat. Our team of agents is ready to help you with your insurance needs.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/07/06/how-to-support-employees-while-they-work-from-home/#3d98cfa17d94

https://www.forbes.com/sites/hvmacarthur/2020/04/01/company-survival-guide-to-care-for-staff-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/#2a4b63d9327a

The pandemic has not been easy. There are many, many challenges that families are facing and dealing with together. Many metro-Atlanta area schools have gone to online learning in response to the coronavirus pandemic. That has created many new challenges for parents who are having to work from home. Not only are you having to support your kids as they do online school, but you have to juggle work and home responsibilities. Here are some tips for balancing work-from-home, kid care, and online school.

Juggling work-from-home and online schooling in Atlanta

1. Be open with your boss and team.

If your kids are going back to school, that creates a whole new set of challenges. You might need to adjust your schedule, or you might need to make some changes. We are in a crisis situation, so hopefully your manager will be understanding and willing to work with you. If you don’t reach out to your manager with a request, you’ll never know if they could have helped you out. Everybody’s in a similar boat, and your boss might very well be accommodating if you need a bit of leeway. Let them know that you’re still dedicated to your job and the company, and be realistic about what you can commit to and what you can do as navigate work-from-home and online school for the kids.

2. Enlist the support of family.

Even though you might not be able to have visits with the grandparents or aunts and uncles, is there a way you can schedule video calls with them? For example, maybe one of the grandparents can video chat with the kids to help them with their math homework. Though they might not be able to be there in person, your extended family can still lend a hand by video calling – whether they’re helping with homework or just occupying the kids so you can attend a meeting without interruption. And besides, that gives your kids an opportunity to have some social time. They can stay connected with their family.

3. Create a schedule with your family.

It can be really helpful to plan out a schedule with your family. That way everyone knows what everyone else is up to. Don’t forget to include time for breaks. You need some time to have a breather, and it might make you feel better if you’ve allotted a specific time to have a break and check on the kids to see how they’re doing. Have set meal times together so you can catch up. Routine is great, and it also gives you the chance to have some interaction so no one feels too lonely – that can happen if you’ve been working or doing schoolwork alone all day.

4. Make sure everyone has their own space.

Everyone needs to have their own place to work. You need your designated work-zone and your kids need theirs. So, set up your workspace and create a mini home-office for your kids. Stock it with the school supplies the kids are going to need. If your kids are old enough and you feel comfortable closing the door to your office space, you can reduce distractions. Peace and quiet are important for kids and grown-ups alike.

5. Think about how the kids can help around the house.

There’s a lot of housework that probably needs to get done. Are there little tasks or chores your kids can do to help out? Maybe you can create a sticker system for good behavior for your younger kids. Can your older kids be encouraged to pitch in? Everybody needs to pull together during this time. All the responsibility for housework doesn’t have to fall on your shoulders. Try to come up with a fun way for the kids to do some chores (suited for their age, of course). It’ll keep them occupied, at any rate.

6. Re-prioritize tasks.

With the current situation, it’s really important to evaluate which work tasks are essential for your job. These are the things you are going to have to balance and juggle along with taking care of your family. Sure, you might have been able to get more done at the office, but this is the new normal for the time being. You have to find the balance. So, check on your deadlines. Find out what items are still top priorities so you can devote your attention to those things. And if you need to call on a co-worker for assistance, you can make sure you’re asking for help on those things that are really, truly necessary.

7. Take care of yourself.

This is a really difficult time. You need to be able to take care of yourself. That means eating well and taking care not to get dehydrated. Try to get plenty of sleep and have time to relax. Manage your stress with things like meditation. You’ve got to look after yourself to keep your energy up so you can juggle work-from-home and caring for your family.

8. Be good about communicating.

You also need to be good about communicating with your family. If you’re not letting them know what’s going on, frustration might build up. Share your thoughts sooner rather than later. Be sure you’re letting your family know about what’s going through your head.

Work-from-home and having kids doing online school can be a huge test of work-life balance. This is a really tough time for a lot of people. But remember – we’re all only human. Be kind to yourself. Juggling is not easy. You and your family are in this together.

Get insurance quotes.

Our team can help you get Atlanta home insurance quotes and Atlanta car insurance quotes. We like to make insurance as easy as possible. We also like to help people save money on their insurance. You can get in touch with us by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us. We’d be happy to help with your Atlanta insurance needs.

Source 1 | Source 2

The coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on a lot of parts of life. As a result of COVID-19, lots of businesses have had to shift to allowing remote work. But a recent article from the AJC explains that teleworking might hang around in Atlanta long after the pandemic is over. We’ll explain why that is and give some tips for working from home. It’s something that could be long-term for a lot of people, so it’s something that we all need to learn how to do.

Will work from home in Atlanta last beyond the pandemic?

The pandemic has meant that instead of battling Atlanta traffic in the grueling city commute, lots of people are staying in and working from home. The reaction can be mixed – some people enjoy remote work, other don’t. The AJC article points out that some employers have realized their employees are getting more done by working at home. While in the past teleworking was not something that was really encouraged by employers, who feared their employees wouldn’t actually get much work done, the pandemic has forced businesses to adapt to remote work in order to survive. It’s a far cry from pre-pandemic times when employers might not have even had formal policies.

The AJC outlines some of the findings from an Atlanta Regional Commission survey. According to the survey’s findings, commuters used to work .8 days a week from home before the pandemic as compared to 4.6 days a week now. The survey also found that about 70% of employers said there would be more work from home, while 23% said there would be more full-time remote employees. (And 1 in 5 employers could reduce the size of the physical workspace.)

The survey also got a sense of some of the benefits and drawbacks of remote work, according to the AJC. Benefits included saving money, less commute-related stress, and more time to sleep and spend with family. On the other hand, drawbacks included difficulty separating from work during off-hours and contending with distractions. While the survey revealed that more people felt they got more done at home than less, it also showed that the line between home and work could get fuzzier for a lot of people. So, all in all there could be positives and negatives that come along with the future and work from home.

Tips for working from home.

Since it looks like working from home is going to stick around for a while, despite concerns employers have typically shown about work from home, we’ve put together some tips for working from home. As it’s looking like remote work could be a long-term thing rather than a short-term interim thing, keep these tips in mind.

1. Have a designated workspace.

You have to scope out a good place to set up camp. Pick a spot that’s going to be practical and, ideally, free from distractions. It needs to be a quiet spot. And the trick is to keep work to your home office space. That’s the designated “work zone”, so banish all work-related things or tasks to that space.

2. Create a schedule.

It’s also important to have a set schedule. Try to keep the same hours as you’d have at the office. Don’t fall into the trap of working during off-hours. You don’t want to get overwhelmed with work, and so you need to have some limits in place. That’s essential.

3. Take care of yourself.

You also have to be sure you’re taking care of yourself. Be intentional about getting exercise, eating healthy meals and snacks, and getting an appropriate amount of sleep. Don’t feel guilty during your off-hours for not working. It can be hard to switch your brain off of work-mode, and you might feel like you could be working more even during your off-hours. But remember, having time to rest and have breaks from work helps when it comes to recharging and refueling your energy.

(Another part of this is being gentle with yourself. Don’t beat yourself up about the small stuff. If you make a mistake or forget something, it’s okay. This is a difficult time, so cut yourself a little bit of slack.)

4. Try not to juggle too much.

While working from home, you might feel like there’s a lot going on. And you might be juggling a lot. Remember, you can only do so much. Multi-tasking might not be the route you want to go. You might fry your brain a little.

5. Have boundaries.

When you’re at home all the time, with both work life and personal life under the same roof, it can be easy to let the two intersect. However, it’s important to keep some healthy boundaries between the two. Keep your “home life” chores in your “home time” hours. Just pretend that when you retreat to your work hidey-hole you’re really going to the office. The world will keep spinning if the dishwasher doesn’t get unloaded until after hours, right?

6. Have time to take breaks.

It’s not a bad idea to give yourself the opportunity to get up and stretch every once in a while. Get up, move around, get the blood pumping a little. Having small breathers from time to time is a way you can keep your energy up. And it can be helpful to step away for a second and take a few deep breaths to relax if you need to. We’re all only human!

7. Delegate.

Whether at the office or at home, it’s important to know when you need to take some things off your plate. If work is becoming overwhelming, is there a way you could ask a coworker for a hand? You are a team, after all, even if you’re not physically in the same place at the moment. Likewise, if the chores are stacking up at home, could you ask the family to pitch in? Sure, the kids might have online school, but are there little tasks they could take on after school that would help you out? Nobody’s a robot, and we all need a hand sometimes.

8. Be social.

It’s also important to be social – safely, of course, given the pandemic. For instance, do video calls with co-workers rather than just emailing. Interact with your team – it’s easy to be isolated when working at home, but you’re still part of a team. You can also do video hangouts with friends in off-hours. And, of curse, hanging out with your family. Having social interaction, even the virtual kind, can really lift your spirits.

So, that’s what’s going on with working from home and the pandemic in Atlanta. The fact is that working from home is something that we all might have to adjust to and become comfortable with on a more permanent basis.

And if you need home insurance quotes, we can help. Our team is here to assist with your Atlanta home insurance needs. We can get you some quotes – you just have to fill out our online form, give us a call, or message us on LiveChat. Then we’ll be on the case!

Source 1 | Source 2

There is a lot of uncertainty involved with returning to school for the fall. Many metro-Atlanta school districts are gearing up to start the new semester, and a lot of districts have turned to online schooling in response to the pandemic. And that leaves a lot of parents in a stressful spot, wondering how they can best support their kids as they shift to online learning and kick off a new year. The coronavirus has turned “school” upside-down. Chances are everyone at home is feeling a bit apprehensive about the shift. It might be stressful and it might feel overwhelming, but here are a few tips to help you as a parent support your student as the new year begins.

Tips for supporting your student in online learning.

1. Create a routine.

You’ve got to create a sense of routine with the whole online-learning thing. Maybe that means recreating the schedule that your children had during the normal school year, or maybe that means making a new routine that suits the online schedule. However it works out, the important thing is getting into the swing of a routine. For example, there should be a consistent bedtime and morning wake-up time. Have the kids get up, change into fresh clothes, eat something, brush teeth, and so on – just like they would if they actually had to go to in-person school. That can help them get into the right head space to tackle the school day.

2. Set up a “school spot” in the house.

Your kids are also going to need a nice, quiet place in the house to do their school work. They’ll need a spot where they can be comfortable and where they can focus on their studies. Figure out a good spot where your kids can work. There needs to be a place where the kids can retreat and hit the books.

3. Treat virtual school like real school.

Okay. Your kids might be skeptical. Real school is not the same as virtual school. But you can lead by example by treating virtual school like real school. Though your kids aren’t actually going to school in-person, they should still take it seriously. That’s where having a positive attitude on your part is really important. You can help encourage your kids by presenting an upbeat attitude.

4. Be there to listen to your kids’ concerns.

Online learning is challenging for all parties involved. Your kid might get frustrated and they might need to rant. You can listen to their concerns, but you can also gently remind them to have patience with their teachers. This is a new experience for them, too, and they’ve had to adjust very quickly to the new style of teaching. Everyone’s in this together, students and teachers alike. So yes, they might need to complain a little, but you can try to give them some perspective. Being angry isn’t going to help anything, right?

5. Encourage activity.

Your kids also need to stay active, to burn off energy if nothing else. So, what’s going to work for your family? Dance party? Kicking a soccer ball in the backyard? Maybe going for a walk? Find a safe way for your kids to get some activity during the day so they’re not cooped up in a corner somewhere doing their schoolwork. So, try to incorporate some exercise into the routine.

6. Arrange for social interaction.

Obviously in-person interaction is out for the time being, but that doesn’t mean your kids can’t still get some social time with their friends via video call. Your children will probably be missing their friends. Let them have the opportunity to socialize with their buddies with video calls – technology is great! (And apart from friends, remind your kids that there are still activities they love that are still do-able. Have fun.)

7. Encourage openness about feelings.

Your kids might be getting frustrated with having to stay home. So, you have to explain why social distancing is still important to slow the spread of the virus – although maybe try not to have the news on in front of them. Encourage your kids to talk to you about what they have been hearing so you can give them the truth, not misinformation. Make sure you’re getting accurate, trustworthy information about the situation. And along with that, encourage everyone at home to talk about how they’re feeling – including yourself. Try to get everyone to be honest about the emotions they’re feeling.

8. Be there to help.

If you need to help with anything, let your kids know you’re there to assist. The kids might need a hand, so make sure they know they can tell you about the obstacles or challenges they’re facing. That way they know you’re in their corner. Whether it’s figuring out how to communicate with a teacher about a concern or wi-fi issues, talk through it with them.

Online learning comes with its own unique set of challenges. As a parent, you might be worried about how virtual learning is going to go. As metro-Atlanta schools determine their game plans for the fall semester of the new school year, you as a parent need to come up with a school game plan for your family. There might be some trial and error, but try to keep a positive outlook going on in your household.

Get quotes.

If you are in need of Atlanta home insurance quotes or auto insurance quotes, our team would be happy to help. We like making insurance easy and we like helping people save money on their insurance. Get in touch with us by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat. Our goal is to help Atlanta families get the insurance they need.

Source:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/unicefusa/2020/03/25/helping-children-adjust-to-remote-learning-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/#4ebd98116a82

Having a mobile home means that it’s a good idea to get Atlanta mobile home insurance. But you might be wondering what mobile home insurance does and how it can protect you. We’ll go over some of the essentials about the coverage. And while you’re at it, we’ll explain how you can get quotes.

What does mobile home insurance do?

If you get mobile home insurance, your policy may include coverage for:

• The mobile home
• Attached patio or deck
• Storage shed
• Clothes
• Appliances
• Entertainment equipment
• Personal possessions

A mobile home insurance policy can provide coverage for your home – it’s not like a regular home insurance policy because it’s designed to cover your specific risks. (You may even be able to add coverages to your policy – we’ll get into that in a second.) The policy may do the following:

• Protect improvements
• Cover the loss of use of your mobile home
• Cover the actual structure of the mobile home and other structures that are on your premises from losses like fire, windstorm damage, falling objects, lightning, and explosions.
• Protect your personal property, such as electronics, bicycles, furniture, and clothes
• Cover your liability, meaning it can help you if someone is injured on your property. It can pay for the medical expenses if a non-resident is injured, and it can help cover damages/defense costs if there’s an accidental covered incident.

Of course, it’s really important to read through the policy thoroughly to see what is and isn’t covered. Asking questions about things you might wonder about or need some further clarification on is never a bad idea.

Additional coverages.

You may want to consider adding some coverages to your mobile home insurance. You might be able to get the following coverages added to your policy:

• Emergency removal – This can pay for the moving of your mobile home to another place if you’re in the path of a disaster (like a fire or tornado)
• Trip collision – This coverage can provide protection for when you’re moving the mobile home to a new permanent location
• Worldwide coverage – Protect your belongings if they’re stolen or damaged when traveling to another permanent location
• Fire department charges – This can give reimbursement for the charges if your mobile home is in a place that isn’t serviced by a fire department
• Extended coverage – This can cover valuables or give extended coverage for electronics
• Water backup – Can protect against damage that results from water backup through the sewer, drain, or sump pump
• Additional dwelling rented to others
• Identity theft insurance

So, those are some of the basics of mobile home insurance. It’s intended to protect the unique risks that a mobile home faces. But, as we mentioned earlier, there’s no understating the importance of reading your policy carefully. (Make sure you know what is and isn’t covered by your policy so you don’t get any nasty surprises down the line.)

Get mobile home insurance.

If you’re wondering how to get Atlanta mobile home insurance, we can help. Our team would be happy to see what we can do to help you get the coverage you need. Just fill out our online form, give us a call, or message us on LiveChat.

There are so many things that run on electricity. We’ve come to rely on it as part of our daily lives. So, a power out might be a major problem. Anticipating that fact, you might want to get an emergency generator to be prepared for power outages. While generators are helpful when it comes to keeping the lights on or preventing the food from going bad, they can be dangerous if they’re not used properly.

11 tips for emergency generator safety

1. Don’t run the generator in an enclosed space.

If you have a gas-powered generator, make sure that you don’t use it in an enclosed space. That generator is going to throw off some carbon monoxide (CO). And carbon monoxide is not good. It’s actually really dangerous. As in could-cause-death dangerous. Don’t play around with CO.

2. Keep an eye on the oil level.

You’ve also got to check how much oil the generator has on a regular basis. And be sure to check the oil level before you use it. Oil is kind of important. So, don’t neglect the oil level of the generator.

3. Let the engine cool before refueling it.

You also need to let the engine cool off before refueling it. Otherwise, your refueling mission may not go quite as expected. Take care and ensure that the generator is entirely cool before trying to add any fuel.

4. Keep the generator away from other objects.

It’s also important to remember that generators get really hot. So, keep the generator away from other items. Give it a bubble of personal space so that the generator’s heat doesn’t hurt anything. It’s not that it would mean to hurt anything, but … it might on accident. Don’t let the generator cause any mischief.

5. Make sure the generator stays dry.

Generators and water don’t exactly mix very well. You probably don’t want to let your generator get wet. That can help you avoid water damage. It can also help you avoid an electrical hazard. So, make sure to keep the generator away from water.

6. Don’t use appliances that have gotten wet.

Remember what we said about generators and water not mixing? Yeah, that applies to the appliances you’re using, too. You probably don’t want to plug in an appliance that has gotten wet – not a good plan. Just don’t do it.

7. Be aware of extension cord hazards.

It’s also important to be aware of the potential hazards of using extension cords. You could see a voltage drop if you’re using an extension cord that’s too long. You could also see a voltage drop if you’re using a cord with a wire size that is too small. So, all in all, be careful if you’re using extension cords.

8. Plug in generators carefully.

When you’re connecting your generator, connect it directly to the appliances. Don’t connect it directly to the home electrical supply box. That’s a no-no. You have to be really careful with how you connect generators and appliances.

9. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Grounding the generator is something else you need to be concerned about. When it comes to grounding the generator, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. They’re the ones who know how to do that safely. Reading instructions is important. Don’t skip that step.

10. Choose the outlet carefully.

It’s also important to select your outlet carefully. It needs to be an appropriate outlet with the proper voltage. That sort of thing really matters when it comes to generators and electricity. You can’t just plug the thing in anywhere.

(Also, start running the generator before you turn on the AC circuit or before plugging in the appliance.)

11. Understand some electricity terms.

It can be helpful to understand some basic electricity. Maybe you have a 200-watt generator. An appliance that needs 120 volts and uses 10 amps requires 1200 watts of power. By doing some quick calculations, you can see if your appliances can be used safely with your generator. (That way you can base it off the wattage rating.)

So, those are a few tips for using an emergency generator safely. Though you might find a generator extremely helpful, you also have to be careful. Generators can be dangerous.

If you need to get some home insurance or car insurance quotes, we can help. We’re committed to helping people save money on their insurance … and making insurance easy. You can get started on your quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us. Our team would be happy to help you look into different Atlanta home insurance options.

As a homeowner, you know how important it is to have home insurance for your Atlanta house. It’s important to protect yourself financially in case something happens. (Houses can be very expensive to repair, after all.) But sometimes certain homes can be more difficult to insure than others, and that’s because they face risks that make many insurance carriers reluctant to insure them. For that reason, they’re sometimes referred to as “hard to place” homes. We’ll go over some of the reasons that a home might be considered “hard to place”.

4 reasons a house might be a hard to place home.

1. Natural disasters.

Though we don’t necessarily have many natural disasters in the metro-Atlanta area, natural disasters are one reason that a house could be a hard to place home. Homes in areas that are likely to experience a disaster like a wildfire, hurricane, or earthquake can be difficult – and/or expensive – to get insurance for. If you make some changes to your home to help it stand up to the weather, like reinforced shutters or a sturdy roof, that can help protect the house from severe weather. By taking steps to strengthen your home, you can help prepare the house accordingly for any ordeals it may face.

2. If it’s a vacation home.

Vacation homes can also be tough to insure. That’s because, since they’re not permanently lived in and remain empty for a lot of time, the owner probably wouldn’t know if there’s damage to the house. For instance, what if a pipe bursts or someone breaks in? The owner wouldn’t know about it right away. That’s why it’s so important to have a security system to alert you to any damage to the house. A vacation home is a special case when it comes to insurance.

3. “Dangerous” features.

If your house has equipment or entertainment that could be considered dangerous, that could make home insurance more difficult. So, if your house has a playset, pool, or trampoline, you could be liable if someone is damaged – err, hurt – on the property. The same goes if there’s a steep drop or body of water. That’s why it’s really important to have fencing to protect against natural hazards that might be on your property. And to keep people from trespassing.

4. If the home is on the older side.

Okay, we’re not trying to insult your home, but the reality is that older homes might have electrical or plumbing systems that are outdated. And if there are aesthetic architectural features, these can be very expensive to replace. Keep your agent posted about any updates or improvements you make to the home. This is important.

FAIR Plans.

Now, it still might be super difficult to find a policy on the standard insurance market. But every state has what’s called a FAIR plan (a.k.a. fair access to insurance requirements) program. However, these plans are sort of a last-ditch effort. And you can probably only get a FAIR plan if you’ve tried to get other insurance and taken steps to mitigate risk at your home. So, that could be a Plan Z when all other avenues are exhausted.

Getting home insurance might seem impossible, especially if your home has features that make it tricky to insure. But we would love to see if we can help. Not to brag, but we’re fairly decent at helping people get Atlanta home insurance. Get started with your quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat. Reach out to us and we’ll help you go over insurance options that might work for you.

If you’re thinking about moving out of your apartment, you might be dreaming of getting a house of your very own. But you might be a little stressed about your finances – specifically saving up for a down payment. Houses are expensive, as are down payments. The prospect of saving up that much money might seem daunting, but we have a few tips to help you with your plan to save for a down payment. Here’s how you can save up.

8 tips for saving money for a down payment for a house.

1. Establish how much you’re saving.

The first thing is to set up some goals. Do some research on the area you’d like to move, the kind of house you want, and how much it might cost. You also need to consider what percentage of the purchase price would be the down payment (to give you an idea, 20% is a fairly typical down payment for a house). When you have an idea of how much the down payment will be, you can start figuring out how much you can set aside on a set schedule, whether that’s every week, every two weeks, or every month.

2. Create a separate savings account.

To keep your money organized, you can create a savings account specifically for your down payment. That way you can keep track of how much money you’ve stashed away. (It’ll also keep the money safe so you don’t either accidentally or not accidentally spend it on something else.) When you set up your new savings account, consider whether you want to have the account with your normal bank. And don’t forget to think about the interest rate, fees, and account minimums.

You can also set up an automatic savings plan if that works for your situation. That way you can decide how much money you want to drop into your savings plan from your checking account each month. The only thing about doing this is that you have to make sure you have a fairly predictable income. If the money in your bank account is going up and down a lot, it might be trickier to make an automatic savings account work out. If you tend to have a less predictable income, you may want to move the money yourself when you can.

3. Don’t overlook extra money.

Well, maybe it doesn’t happen as often as we’d like, but if you come into some extra money somehow, don’t forget about your down payment. Of course, maybe that’s not the most exciting splurge you can think of, but it can help you on your quest for your house.

4. Work on paying off debt.

You might also want to work on paying off credit card debt if you can. If you work on improving your credit situation, you might put yourself in a better position when you get ready to get your financing situation sorted. Just something to think about.

5. Look for other expenses you can cut out.

You can also examine your budgeting and see if there are any expenses you can lower or cut down on. Can you manage with only one streaming service instead of three? Could you bring your lunch to work instead of eating out at restaurants every day? Take stock of your monthly expenses and see if there are things that you can cut back on so you can send that money towards your down payment savings. Think of it not as making sacrifices, but as making an investment in your future home.

6. Try using coupons.

Coupons can help you score some pretty cool savings. If you really put some time towards couponing and other deals, you might wind up with a nice chunk of money that you can use for your down payment.

7. Consider if there are extra jobs you can do.

Is there a way for you to do a bit of work on the side of earn some extra money? Of course, you don’t want to overwhelm yourself and you don’t want to stress yourself out. But maybe there’s a fun little side gig you could start that would be both fulfilling and allow you to earn some extra money.

8. Shop your insurance rates.

You can bag some quick savings if you explore your insurance options. Especially if you haven’t compared rates in a while. You might be able to save some money if you get some car insurance quotes, and then you can channel those savings into your down payment fund. You never know – you might be able to get the same coverages at a lower rate, allowing you to have more money to put towards your future house. (Our team is really good at helping people save money on their insurance. You can get in touch with us by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.) If you can save money, the trick will be putting the money into the down payment fund and not spend it on something else!

So, that’s a bit about saving some money for a down payment. Being frugal can be tricky, but saving money is do-able. And, as we mentioned above, you could be saving money on your auto insurance. Our team would be happy to help. Get started with your quote by filling out our online form, giving us a quite, or LiveChat messaging us.

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If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you’re probably just about overwhelmed with the seemingly never-ending list of tasks you have to accomplish. Buying a house is not for the faint of heart. One of the looming tasks on that list might be getting Atlanta home insurance. You might be dreading the price tag on that insurance, which is understandable. However, there are a few discounts you as a first-time homebuyer should know about. And discounts means you get to save money!

Home insurance discounts to know about if you’re a first-time homebuyer.

1. New home purchase discount.

Now, if you’re a first-time homebuyer, we’re operating under the assumption that you’re, well, buying a home…and that could work in your favor. The reason we say that is a lot of insurance carriers offer a discount to customers who have recently purchased a house. So, when you’re looking for home insurance, be sure to bring that up. You could set yourself up to save some money on your premium, which is always appreciated. Don’t underestimate the power of a good discount.

2. Bundling.

So, if you’ve got a car, you’ve got car insurance, right? And you’re buying a home. Believe it or not, that could work in your favor where your overall insurance situation is concerned. Why, you may ask? Well, once again you could end up seeing lower insurance rates because you could get a multi-line discount. So, if you have to get both car insurance and home insurance, you might want to consider bundling these coverages and investigate whether this is the best option for you. It’s definitely something to think about.

3. Having a security system.

If you’re going to get a burglar alarm, that’s another great way to score some savings on your insurance. Lots of insurance carriers offer a discount if you have a qualifying security or safety system. So, if you’re looking to get some peace of mind by protecting your new house with a burglar alarm, you could also get a pleasant surprise in the form of a home insurance discount. (Security systems are deterrents to burglary, plus they summon the police ASAP if there’s trouble, so home insurance companies are fans.)

4. Paying in full.

Okay, the sticker shock might be unpleasant, but you might end up paying less for your home insurance if you pay for it in full. It’s something to consider if you feel like you’d be comfortable doing that, so you might want to weigh the options.

Pro tip: Remember that these aren’t the only discounts you could qualify for! There are plenty of ways to save on home insurance.

Buying a home can be stressful and you might dread having to deal with getting home insurance as a first-time homebuyer. However, there are discounts to help you get better rates. If you want to explore your Atlanta home insurance options, we can help. Our agents can help you get quotes, and they can help you find out what discounts you might be eligible for. You can get in touch with our team by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.