A Checklist to Complete If You’re Leaving Your Home for an Extended Period of Time

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How to prepare your Eugene, OR home for when you leave on vacationWhether you are a snow bird who flocks to warm weather in the winter or you’re taking a vacation, you should always protect your home while you’re away. The last thing you want to hear while vacationing is that a pipe burst or your home was burglarized. Follow these simple steps to ensure your home is safe while you’re away.

Protect from Theft

  • Alert the post office to hold your mail until you return. If you are staying at your vacation home for a long period of time, perhaps forward your mail to that mailing address.
  • Stage your home as if you are still there. Use an automatic timer to turn on and off your lights. You can set them up in different rooms to make it look like you’re moving around the house. To keep it efficient, use LED bulbs in your lamps you intend to leave running throughout the night.
  • Set an alarm. There are countless great, affordable video surveillance options that sends you a text when there is motion detected at your home, both inside and out. You can then pull it up and watch a live video stream allowing you to record the activity as well as call police. Additionally, if you see a package is delivered you could ask a neighbor to pick it up off the doorstep until you return.
  • Place small valuables in a hidden place or safe. If you own jewelry, guns or cash, or have social security cards, memory cards or other valuable items, put them into a safe. Safes are typically extremely heavy and unable to be moved by one person even if not bolted to the floor.
  • Hire someone or notify your neighbor to do the simple things. For example, if you are gone for the weekend and the trash gets picked up on Fridays, ask your neighbor to pull your waste bin in for you.

Protect Your Home From Damage

  • Always turn off your water. You would hate to have a pipe burst or refrigerator leak while you’re away. If you live in a cold weather environment, drain all your pipes of water. Laundry supply lines are bigger, so be sure to turn those off at the junction box if you decide not to turn off all water.
  • Set your thermostat. Keeping your thermostat on will stop pipes from freezing in your ceiling or walls. It doesn’t take much, say 60 degrees or so.
  • Clean out your gutters. If you’re planning to be away for a while, cleaning your gutters can ensure any heavy rains won’t overflow the gutters and flood your home or damage the roof.

Going away for a while can be exciting. You shouldn’t have to worry about your home while you’re away so completing some simple tasks beforehand can ease your concern.

LeDoux Insurance Agency is committed to improving the quality of our community by insuring your life’s hard work. Setting a standard of excellence, our professional staff will help you understand your current and future risk exposures by building a lifelong relationship. Our clients can be confident in the proven stability and years of insurance experience. LeDoux Insurance Agency is dedicated to continuous improvement through the use of technology in order to provide the most comprehensive and cost effective solutions for your insurance needs. Whether you’re looking for auto, home, renters or business insurance, LeDoux Insurance can help. Visit us online anytime.

The Places to Watch to Avoid Water Leak Damage

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How to prevent water leak damage in your Eugene, OR homeThe unfortunate reality of home or condo ownership is that over time you will most likely develop a leak that could cause major damage if it goes unchecked. If you own a home or condo, regularly check these places for leaks that can cause damage and may go unnoticed.

The Water Heater

Your water heater has a lifespan of approximately 10-12 years. Some go much longer, but that’s just betting that luck is on your side. When water heaters do fail, they unfortunately leak water out the base and all over. By nature, a water heater will continue refilling itself as it drains, so you could have quite a mess on your hands.

Toilet & Sink Lines

If you haven’t already installed braided stainless water lines, do it now! This is the simplest way to protect your home from water damage. The vinyl variety have a tendency to develop bulges, are easily damaged by getting bumped around or can develop cracks as the plastic ages. It also is not a bad idea to regularly inspect all lines in the house for drips.

Washing Machine Supply Lines

A washing machine supply line is typically accessible to view behind your washing machine. These lines are larger than most other supply lines in your home because they provide more water so it is especially important to monitor these and install braided stainless supply lines.

Refrigerator Ice Maker Line

This hidden water supply line can be a big problem! Because it is hidden behind your massive refrigerator, leaking supply lines can go unnoticed for months and be dripping onto your floor and into your crawl space. With the help of a friend or family member, make it a practice to pull out your refrigerator and inspect the lines at least once a year. While you have it out, you can clean your vents at the base of the refrigerator improving the efficiency of the unit.

P-Trap connections

P-traps are the connections for drains under your sinks. As many of us store items alongside these drains, they get bumped quite a bit! If a connection becomes loose or damaged, it can cause a slow leak under the sink. Check for leaks under your sinks regularly to avoid a costly water damage claim or ruining your cabinets.

Utilize Water Alarms to Help Monitor for Leaks

One quick way to continually monitor your home for leaks is to install an inexpensive water sensor. You can find a five pack of them for about $40. Water Sensors are inexpensive and can help you monitor the hard to reach areas like water heaters and refrigerator water supply lines. These sensors act similarly to a smoke detector and sound a loud alarm when the sensors come in contact with water.

Prevention is the best way to avoid a water damage claim in your home.

If you have questions about your home or condo insurance, call LeDoux Insurance Agency. LeDoux Insurance Agency is committed to improving the quality of our community by insuring your life’s hard work. Setting a standard of excellence, our professional staff will help you understand your current and future risk exposures by building a lifelong relationship. Our clients can be confident in the proven stability and years of insurance experience. LeDoux Insurance Agency is dedicated to continuous improvement through the use of technology in order to provide the most comprehensive and cost effective solutions for your insurance needs. Whether you’re looking for auto, home, renters or business insurance, LeDoux Insurance can help. Visit us online anytime.

Follow These Simple Tips to Avoid Holiday Theft

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How to prevent holiday package theft in Eugene, ORThe holiday season is a joyous time, but unfortunately, it is also top season for theft. If you walk around your neighborhood, it isn’t hard to see all the holiday deliveries left on porches of unsuspecting homeowners. Protecting yourself from theft is all about prevention. To avoid being a victim of holiday theft:

  • Have your deliveries sent to your work (if allowed)
  • Request valuable shipments be held by the shipper for in-person pickup. Most major shipping companies even have apps now that can help streamline this process.
  • See if your shipping company has additional options. Amazon recently introduced “lockers” where they will place your shipment in a locker with a special code just for you.
  • Does a retired relative live nearby? Have packages delivered to them. It is always a great opportunity to see family anyway.
  • Sign up for delivery notifications. Many companies send this to you by email, but many carriers have text message notifications.
  • Install a home surveillance system that focuses on the area where your packages are delivered. A pricier alternative if you can’t always be there to monitor your home.
  • Discuss with your neighbors to keep an eye out for unfamiliar vehicles.

Enjoying the holiday season is easy, but preventing theft isn’t always. We hope your holiday season is free of criminal activity.

LeDoux Insurance Agency is committed to improving the quality of our community by insuring your life’s hard work. Setting a standard of excellence, our professional staff will help you understand your current and future risk exposures by building a lifelong relationship. Our clients can be confident in the proven stability and years of insurance experience. LeDoux Insurance Agency is dedicated to continuous improvement through the use of technology in order to provide the most comprehensive and cost effective solutions for your insurance needs. Whether you’re looking for auto, home, renters or business insurance, LeDoux Insurance can help. Visit us online anytime.

Consider This Before Jumping into Vacation Property Ownership

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Vacation Property Insurance in Eugene, OROwning a secondary home or vacation property can be a rewarding experience and allow you to build so many memories! While owning a vacation home can have countless advantages, it does bring some unique responsibility and maintenance.

Regardless of whether you’re buying a cabin just a few miles away on the lake or an oceanfront condo in Hawaii, you’ll use twice per year, you’ll want to make sure your property remains adequately protected. Renting the property adds an entirely new level of complexity to secondary home ownership and yet a better reason to review your coverages with your licensed insurance agent.

Consider these items when talking to your agent:

  1. Will you need a separate insurance policy for your vacation property liability?
  2. What liability limits are adequate for a home that is vacant more often than is occupied?
  3. If you’ll be renting the property, consider purchasing additional liability limits as well as an umbrella insurance policy to protect you.
  4. Is your vacation home in an area that is affected by natural disasters such as forest fires, hurricanes, floods or earthquakes? You may need a separate additional policy for these.

Follow these insurance tips to reduce the risk of having a claim:

  1. Keep valuables out of your vacation home. Take them with you when you leave.
  2. Ask a neighbor to keep an eye out for any unusual activity at your home.
  3. Consider getting a video surveillance camera such as a Canary or Ring to alert you if someone enters your home. These do not require service contracts and alert you by phone.
  4. Keep your heater set to 60 to prevent any pipes from freezing.
  5. Turn off your water if you plan to leave for extended periods of time. This takes only a few seconds.
  6. Consider a management company if you want to rent the property. They will help keep an eye on things.
  7. Check for obvious liability concerns if you plan to rent the property such as rotten decking, trip hazards, or other deferred maintenance.

We wish you years of memories and relaxation with your secondary home or vacation property. When you’re ready to insure your property, give us a call.

LeDoux Insurance Agency is committed to improving the quality of our community by insuring your life’s hard work. Setting a standard of excellence, our professional staff will help you understand your current and future risk exposures by building a lifelong relationship. Our clients can be confident in the proven stability and years of insurance experience. LeDoux Insurance Agency is dedicated to continuous improvement through the use of technology in order to provide the most comprehensive and cost effective solutions for your insurance needs. Whether you’re looking for auto, home, renters or business insurance, LeDoux Insurance can help. Visit us online anytime.

Flood Insurance For Your Home

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Flood Insurance in Eugene, ORAccording to FEMA, flood claims occurred in every state in our country in 2016 with the average claim cost in excess of $31,000. Just because your property doesn’t sit next to a stream, river or other body of water doesn’t mean you won’t be impacted. Our recent hurricanes are a great example. Heavy rains can overwhelm drainage systems, run-off from hillsides can seep into your basements and levees can fail. Pretty much anywhere rain falls is where flooding can occur, although, rain is not always the reason. Additionally, it is important to note that flood insurance is NOT included with your standard homeowners insurance policy.

If you do experience a flood claim and have flood insurance, keep these things in mind:

  • Report your claim as soon as possible and have open and frequent communication with your insurance adjuster.
  • Photograph your damages (great if you have before pictures also saved to the cloud, not on a computer hard drive). Your insurance company will likely come out and photograph the damages as well.
  • Keep a list of all of the items you lost in the flood. Receipts are great as well as lists.
  • Take a read through your policy to ensure you understand your rights and coverage.

If you’re considering purchasing flood insurance, we can help. Flood insurance isn’t necessarily expensive. If you happen to live in a flood plain or near a body of water, chances are you’re likely going to pay a hefty sum. If you live away from typical flood areas, your premiums can be much more reasonable. Considering the average cost of a flood claim, it isn’t a bad idea to assess your risk.

If flood insurance is on your mind lately, give us a call.

LeDoux Insurance Agency is committed to improving the quality of our community by insuring your life’s hard work. Setting a standard of excellence, our professional staff will help you understand your current and future risk exposures by building a lifelong relationship. Our clients can be confident in the proven stability and years of insurance experience. LeDoux Insurance Agency is dedicated to continuous improvement through the use of technology in order to provide the most comprehensive and cost effective solutions for your insurance needs. Whether you’re looking for auto, home, renters or business insurance, LeDoux Insurance can help. Visit us online anytime.

Home Security on a Shoestring Budget

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Home Security Options in Eugene, ORMonthly bills can be daunting and for many, the choice of having food and shelter is more important than keeping burglars or robbers away from your home. However, when times are tough, the last thing you want to do is leave your valuables at risk of being stolen. Thanks to many modern security companies, keeping your home secured isn’t as expensive as it used to be. Consider these fun, techy options for home security on the cheap!

  1. SimpliSafe: Instead of paying an alarm company $1500 or having to sign up for a lengthy contract at $40 per month, SimpliSafe sells do-it-yourself home security systems starting at just $245. Safe a bundle by going for a refurbished system. 24/7 monitoring starts at $.50 per day at time of writing this. You can also use the alarm locally and not pay an activation fee.
  2. Canary: Canary is a great option for studio apartments, offices or other areas that are mainly one room. Canary is a small, all-in-one video device that detects motion and records video. It can send you text messages immediately and start recording when you’re away. If you want, you can call 911 or set off a local alarm to scare away any intruders. At just $149, it is a great do-it-yourself security option. Like the idea but have a bigger house? Canary offers additional camera options to add to your main device to monitory as many places as you’d like. They do offer a cloud based service to keep videos.
  3. Arlo: With wire-free cameras and weatherproof design, Arlo is a good option for securing the outdoor of your home or recording at night. With HD, night vision cameras, your home can stay secure day or night. You can even talk through them using the Arlo App! Receive alerts along with HD video right to your phone so you can review and take action if necessary. Another great option for the do-it-yourselfer who doesn’t want the monthly fees. Arlo comes with a free 7 day cloud storage.
  4. Ring: A video recording doorbell. Now that’s genius. Ring can record motion and you can talk to people through it like an intercom system even if you’re not away. Ring offers many options for security cameras beyond just the doorbell. Starting at $199 it is a great, simple security protection right at your front door.

Home security doesn’t have to be expensive. Utilizing technology and a little do-it-yourself ambition, you can secure your home and keep your valuables safe and secure.

If you are looking for great home insurance coverage, call us today or visit our website.

Educating Your Child About Insurance Before They Leave For College

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Insurance for College Students in Eugene, ORAttending college is an exciting time for your child. Whether it’s deciding where to go, what to major in or figuring the finances, there are a lot of decisions to think about. Before your child leaves the nest, here are three things to consider when it comes to having the right insurance policy.

1.) Auto Insurance Policy

  • If they are taking their car to college, be sure to update their auto insurance policy. This can easily be taken care of by reaching out to your insurance agent! You’ll want to ensure your child is protected if they get into an accident or experience theft. If your child is attending college out of state, talk with us to see if anything changes on their auto insurance policy.
  • Not taking a car? We suggest still keeping them on your auto insurance policy if they plan to drive when they return home for a visit or in the event they need to borrow a friend’s car on campus.
  • Ask for discounts. See if your child qualifies for any additional discounts.
    • Discounts may include:
      • Good student discount
      • Distant-student discount.
      • Pay in full discount
      • Safe driver discount
      • Data tracking discount

2.) Educate On Liability

College is an amazing social and learning experience. Be sure your child understands the serious consequences of drinking and driving, buying alcohol for kids underage or the other risks that are associated with drugs and alcohol. One poor decision could impact the rest of their life.

3.) If worried about theft while living off-campus, invest in a renters insurance policy.

  • If your child owns valuable items like laptops, televisions, printers, cameras or other expensive items, invest in a renters insurance policy.
  • Construct a full inventory of your child’s items that include model and serial numbers.
  • If your child is living with roommates, remember each child needs their own policy.
  • A renters insurance policy offers more than just covering your property. It can provide important liability coverage.

If my child experiences theft, will I be fully reimbursed?

This is where actual cash value and replacement insurance coverage comes into play. Replacement cost is very simple: It is literally the cost to replace your item with an item of similar quality. Replacement cost policies tend to be a bit more expensive since you are essential getting a brand new item for one that may have otherwise depreciated. Actual cash value is the cost to replace the item minus any depreciation. So, if your child had wear and tear on an expensive electronic device, your insurance would pay out the cost of the electronic minus the depreciation. Talk to your agent for clarification.

Whether it’s changing your child’s auto insurance or investing in renters insurance, let our local experts at LeDoux Insurance Agency help you find the best insurance to fit your needs. For more information about LeDoux Insurance Agency, visit our website.

How to Prevent Foodborne Illness in Your Home

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Home Safety in Eugene, ORAccording to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illness every year. A foodborne illness occurs when you consume contaminated food or beverages. It’s important to understand how to prevent foodborne illness in your home. There are also a few things to keep in mind when grocery shopping.

At the Grocery Store

  • Always place raw meat, poultry and seafood in plastic bags. This helps prevent any of their juices from dripping onto other items in your cart. If possible, store your meat, poultry or seafood in a specific section of your cart, like a bottom rack or front area.
  • Check your packaging before buying. If you are buying canned goods, don’t buy a can that has been dented or is bulging. There is a chance it could be contaminated if it’s lost its seal. For other packaging, don’t buy it if it has torn edges, ice crystals or has been opened.
  • Be aware of how long you are keeping your groceries in your car. Food safety experts say you have a 2 hour window of time between when you pick out your groceries at the store to when you put them away in your home. If the outdoor weather is hot (90 degrees or hotter), you have roughly one hour. Always store your groceries in an air conditioned car vs. a trunk. If you have a long drive ahead of you, consider bringing along a cooler for perishable items.

At Home

  • Do not keep cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Instead, refrigerate your cooked and perishable foods promptly.
  • Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds thoroughly with soap after handling raw meat. It’s good to practice sanitizing your kitchen surfaces before handling raw meat too.
  • Always use separate serving platters & kitchen utensils. You would never want to place your cooked meat on the same plate used for raw meat. Same goes for your utensils.
  • Be aware of your refrigerator temperature. If your temperature goes about 40° F, there is a chance bacteria can start to form.

Understanding proper food handling is crucial for foodborne illness prevention! Knowledge is the first step to keeping yourself, as well as your friends and family members, healthy. For more information, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you have questions about your insurance, call the insurance agents at LeDoux Insurance Agency. LeDoux Insurance Agency is committed to improving the quality of our community by insuring your life’s hard work. Setting a standard of excellence, our professional staff will help you understand your current and future risk exposures by building a lifelong relationship. Our clients can be confident in the proven stability and years of insurance experience. LeDoux Insurance Agency is dedicated to continuous improvement through the use of technology in order to provide the most comprehensive and cost effective solutions for your insurance needs. Whether you’re looking for auto, home, renters or business insurance, LeDoux Insurance can help. Visit us online anytime.

Preventing Mail Theft

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How to prevent mail theft in Eugene, ORMail theft is an unfortunate reality in most of the country. Thieves drive around during the mid-day and night time looking for mail that has not yet been picked up. What are they looking for? Gift cards, credit card applications, and utility bills – pretty much anything that would allow them to steal your identity.

Take these steps to avoid being the victim of mail theft:

  1. Get a locking mailbox

This is one of the easiest steps you can take and also the most effective. While the cost of a locking mailbox varies (usually starting around $80) it can be enough of a deterrent to stop theft. If you live in a community with other neighbors, consider getting together with other neighbors and purchasing a community box. If a neighbor is handy, they can easily install the mailbox. One quick tip, be sure to check for postal service approved mailboxes. It usually requires some minor paperwork.

  1. Pick up mail frequently

Make it a habit to routinely pick up the mail as close to delivery time as possible. Most of us work throughout the day, so grab it on the way in from work. Do your best to not leave mail in the box until the next day.

  1. Avoid using the red flag

 If there is one “red flag” (pun) for thieves, it is using your outgoing mailbox’s red flag. Simply waiting until the time the mailman is coming or even better, bringing your outgoing mail to work (with your postage paid already of course). This will ensure a secured delivery.

  1. Have a neighbor help you out from time-to-time

Do you know you have something valuable coming in the mail? Perhaps it is your birthday or around the holidays. Ask a neighbor to pick up your mail for you. Since the USPS is now delivering for Amazon on Sundays, if you have a small package coming, be sure to check your mailbox on Sundays for special deliveries.

Do you have other ideas about how mail theft could be avoided? Feel free to share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

If you have questions about your insurance, call LeDoux Insurance. LeDoux Insurance Agency is committed to improving the quality of our community by insuring your life’s hard work. Setting a standard of excellence, our professional staff will help you understand your current and future risk exposures by building a lifelong relationship. Our clients can be confident in the proven stability and years of insurance experience. LeDoux Insurance Agency is dedicated to continuous improvement through the use of technology in order to provide the most comprehensive and cost effective solutions for your insurance needs. Whether you’re looking for auto, home, renters or business insurance, LeDoux Insurance can help. Visit us online anytime.

Owning a Home Safe & What to Store in It

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Why you should own a home safe in Eugene, ORIf you don’t own a home safe, it might be time to make the purchase. Not only can they help with theft of valuables or family heirlooms, but they can also protect special documents. A home safe is priceless when the unexpected occurs. Documents and valuables can be kept out of harm should you ever experience a home fire or burglary. These reasons alone should be a good motive to invest in a home safe.

Where to place your home safe

When shopping for a home safe, make sure it’s heavy enough so a burglar couldn’t walk away with it. If you can, bolt it to the floor or install it into a wall. An additional thought is to store it in a unique place in your home unless you’re using it daily such as in an office. You don’t want to simply not use it because it isn’t convenient. Some additional things to consider is the size of the safe. Safes that are heavy and require a hand truck to move should be placed on the ground floor. Safes that can be moved with a couple of people are okay to have on the second floor. If your main concern is fire, you should try to place your safe on a cement slab.

Twelve items to store in your home safe

  • Passports, original birth certificates, marriage/divorce papers, social security cards
  • Cash
  • Wills or other important legal documents
  • Valuable watches or jewelry
  • SD cards, important computer back up discs or other electronics that are important, but you may not use on a weekly basis
  • Annual tax returns
  • Small firearms
  • Spare car keys and titles to all vehicles
  • Important papers regarding bank accounts, retirement or other investments

Investing in a safe today could prevent an unfortunate headache in the future. While owning a safe is important, having the right home insurance policy is just as valuable. For all insurance questions, call the insurance agents at LeDoux Insurance. We have years of experience and will help you find the best coverage for your needs.