Hurricane Season: 7 Tips to Get Your Home Prepared
There’s a reason they refer to Miami as Paradise. But, paradise is not without its stormy weather.
Life as a homeowner in South Florida comes with a few must-do items in order to be adequately prepared for hurricane season.
You bought your house, you’ve made it your own. It’s the foundation of your entire family’s life. So, protecting your home from natural disasters should be at the top of your to-do list. And we’ve got good news: performing routine maintenance to get your home ready for hurricane season doesn’t have to be costly.
Here are seven cost-effective tips to help ensure your home is prepared for hurricane season this year:
- Install surge protectors
During major storms, power surges are common and can occur with no warning signs. They can destroy your electronics, appliances, and your HVAC system – just to name a few. Power surge protectors are reasonably priced and help protect your property and devices. A simple install – and you should be good to go – even for just our regularly scheduled thunderstorm.
- Check your insurance policies
Carve out time in your schedule to check your homeowners insurance policy. Make sure your insurance covers the full cost of rebuilding if you lose your home due to a major storm. Most people insure their home for its value, but the full replacement cost is likely much more than that. Also, flood insurance isn’t covered by most homeowner policies, so if you haven’t already – now is the time to consider purchasing flood insurance – insurance companies put a freeze on new plans when there’s a named storm in the water and it takes 30 days from when you apply before you’re covered.
It’s important to be in-the-know about the details of your policy, so when the time comes – you know precisely what is covered. It gives you a bit of a head start in the aftermath of a storm.
- Secure your roof
Strong winds and heavy rains can severely damage a roof if it’s not properly secured. Have a professional inspect your roof to make sure all the shingles or tiles are intact and not cracked before the storm (if you don’t know who to call – feel free to reach out to me. Happy to make an introduction or two).
- Seal your windows and doors
Just like with your roof, it’s important to confirm that your windows and doors are properly sealed. You don’t want to take any chances of having a leak in your home during a major storm.
- Clean out your gutters and trim your trees
Clogged gutters can potentially block the flow of water during a severe storm and can potentially cause flooding in your home. Take a moment before the hurricane season starts to clean out your gutters and make sure all of the drains in your house are kept clear as well.
Additionally, coconuts, avocados and large branches can cause serious damage to your house during a storm. Be sure to trim your trees and cut-down any fruit that could cause damage to your home if thrown into a window or wall at speeds greater than 75mph.
- Install or update shutters
While impact windows and doors are becoming more in-demand, it seems plywood is still the South-Florida favorite for protecting homes. However, we recommend looking into installing shutters. Not only will they protect your home in the event of a hurricane, but it will also reduce your insurance costs.
Whether we like it or not, Hurricane Season comes our way each and every year. It’s important to take these storms seriously and ensure your home is protected.
