Backyard Structures and Home Insurance

If you have a freestanding garage, shed, pool or other structure on your home's property, it may be protected under your homeowner’s insurance policy.

Detached Structures

The coverage amount varies from policy to policy; check your policy for the specific coverage related to these items. For more information see the Insurance Information Institute. Remember to notify your agent or carrier of the existence of these items and keep the rebuilding cost of these structures in mind when purchasing your home insurance policy.
The items inside a shed or garage may also be covered by your homeowners policy, but you might consider a Personal Articles Policy or Inland Marine Policy for some types of machinery or sports equipment (limitations apply). This type of policy protects items beyond the limitations and deductibles of a homeowner’s insurance policy. You should review your personal property coverage with your agent or carrier to verify you have the correct coverage for your personal property.

Swimming Pools

Whether you already have a swimming pool or are thinking about getting one, review liability coverage options with your insurance agent or carrier. Most home insurance policies include some liability protection, but you may want more if you have a swimming pool. The Insurance Information Institute recommends increasing your amount of liability protection or purchasing an umbrella liability policy.
You can also take additional safety measures to help prevent accidents and reduce the potential liability exposure:

• Add a high fence with a self-closing, locked gate to keep guests from entering without your knowledge, to help prevent accidents, and reduce potential liability exposure. Enforce safe pool rules, such as not diving into shallow water and walking, not running, around the edge of the pool.
• Provide non-slip surfaces around your pool to prevent falls.
• Maintain adult supervision of children in the pool at all times.
• Keep necessary first-aid equipment near the pool.
• Contact your local municipality to determine if your pool and surrounding fence meets requirements for size, depth and other safety features.

This is only a general description of coverages and is not a statement of contract. Details of coverage or limits vary in some states. All coverages are subject to the terms, provisions, exclusions, and conditions in the policy itself and in any endorsements.

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Take A Vacation Without Busting Your Wallet

Summer may be over, but vacation season doesn’t have to be. When looking through your options, consider these tips for a trip that won’t break your budget:

• Fly in the middle of the week. You’ll usually get cheaper airfares by flying Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

• Choose off-peak dates. Avoid holiday weekends and other times of the year when vacation traffic is heavy—and more expensive for travelers.

• Book in advance. Last-minute airfares are usually more pricey. Lock in a better rate by making reservations two weeks or more in advance. 

• Consider air/hotel packages. Often you can find good deals on packages that combine flights and accommodations.

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Motorcycle Insurance Port Charlotte, FL - Punta Gorda, FL

 Find Peace Of Mind In Motorcycle Coverage.

No matter if you’re planning your first spring ride, or your motorcycle is stored for the winter, a motorcycle insurance policy can help protect you and your bike. A representative from Harbor Nissan Insurance will explain both the ins and outs of available options. He or she will help you:

• Build a motorcycle insurance quote
• Leverage all discounts to help you maximize savings
• Understand the policy you purchase and what it covers
• Find the answers to questions about the filing an insurance claim

Insurance Coverage For Your Motorcycle

Coverage That Follows You.

Make it clear how much you love your motorcycle by keeping it safe with a quality insurance policy from one of the companies Harbor Nissan Insurance works with. The policy can include:

• Bodily injury liability coverage
  Bodily injury liability coverage will help pay lost wages and medical expenses caused by the injury or death of another driver if you’re found at fault. Liability coverage may extend to a passenger on your motorcycle.
• Property damage liability coverage
  Property damage liability coverage will pay for the damage to another person’s property if you’re found at fault. This can include vehicles, storefronts, homes and other buildings.
• Medical payments
  Medical payment coverage will help pay for necessary and reasonable medical expenses that are the result of an injury to yourself or your passengers.
• Personal injury protection (PIP)
  PIP coverage can help reimburse you for childcare, lost income, funeral expenses and medical expenses if you’re injured in a motorcycle accident.
• Collision coverage
  Collision coverage will help pay for the damages to your motorcycle that are result from a collision with an object.
• Comprehensive coverage
  Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay for damages to your motorcycle NOT caused by any type of crash with another vehicle.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury
  Underinsured or uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage will help pay for the injuries of you or a passenger if the driver found at fault is underinsured/uninsured.
• Towing and labor
  Towing and labor coverage will help pay for the cost of towing and labor if your motorcycle breaks down or there is an accident that leaves it inoperable.
• Rental reimbursement
  Rental reimbursement coverage will pay for a rental motorcycle if your bike is in the shop or has been stolen.
• Motorcycle and off-road vehicle transport trailer damage
  Motorcycle and off-road vehicle transport trailer damage coverage will pay for the damage or loss of your trailer and bike resulting from vandalism, most natural disasters, rollover or collision.
• Lease/loan gap
  If your bike has been totaled/stolen, loan gap coverage will pay the difference between what your motorcycle is valued at and what is still owing on the lease/loan.
• Optional or added equipment
  Some policies come with $1,000 worth of coverage on after-market added equipment to your motorcycle.

Contact us for a for free quote today!

Contact Harbor Nissan Insurance for all your needs including auto, business, life, home, renters or bundled insurance packages. Please call (941) 787-2830 and a representative will be happy to assist.

Do You Have Your Pre Vacation Checklist?

Hopefully, as you’re reading these words, you’ve already planned your next vacation and are mentally packing your suitcases. Taking a vacation is pleasant and important, but it also requires preparation, especially as you put assignments on hold and leave your team to carry on in your absence. To avoid interrupting the office’s workflow during your holiday, and to make your readjustment to the office life after vacation a little bit easier, make sure that you can cross off every item in our suggested Pre-Vacation Checklist:

1) Wrap up big projects.
Try to accomplish as much as possible before leaving for the vacation, even if it takes more time. Finishing all of your outstanding tasks will not only reduce the stress and optimize the working structure for the rest of the company while you’re away, but it will also decrease the pressure on you after or during your holiday.

2) Make a list of duties that you will have to pursue during your vacation.
Sometimes vacations make it easy to forget that there are some projects that require your participation even during the holiday. Make sure to remember them and schedule regular check-ins to ensure things are running smoothly. If you can streamline this process, you may not have to spend more than 5 minutes per day on your work issues, and you can dedicate the rest of your time to soaking up sun and enjoying yourself.

3) Notify your colleagues, partners and clients about your vacation.
Mention the date you are leaving and getting back to work, colleagues who can be contacted about various matters, and any emergency contacts. Writing an automated email with the pertinent information is an absolute must.

4) Arrange a team meeting.  
Go over the main projects and discuss the decisions that have to be made while you’re away. Negotiate the level of your engagement in the projects during the vacation and tell your boss and colleagues who is responsible for different tasks during your absence.

5) Create a project report.
Write a detailed report on your projects, explaining its details and providing tips and suggestions on its accomplishment. Offer this report to your boss and people, who you delegate the project to.

6) Delegate your responsibilities. 
Organize the support structure from your colleagues and distribute your responsibilities. Start introducing your colleagues to your projects in advance, bringing them up to speed and giving advice.  Inform your boss about whom you delegate your duties to, leave their contact information and describe what has to be done in your absence.

7) Organize your desk.
Devote some time to cleaning the desk and your work computer. It will not only make it easier for the person taking over your duties to navigate, but will also bring some logic and intuitiveness into the experience. (It’s always pleasant to come back to a clean and fresh environment!)

8) Leave the first day of work for getting back into the work pace.
Reserve the first day back on the job to get back into the work and analyze the current work flow to determine the future pace.

9) Devote 15 minutes a day for work e-mail.
While you’re away, spend no more than 15 minutes each day for e-mail communication. A quarter of an hour while you’re on holiday is a fair price to pay for staying aware of work flow and easing the process of getting back to work.

And finally, make sure you have fun and relax during your vacation.  To get back to work refreshed, happy and inspired, don’t forget to spend your vacation the way you want. Remember to follow the suggestions on the checklist to maximize the nourishing effect of vacations and make it easier to return to the office.

Home Storage Ideas

Storage space is at a premium for nearly everyone these days. Since 87% of Americans live in small or medium-size homes, finding additional storage has become a hot topic. The good news is that every home, no matter its size, has potential storage space that goes unnoticed. These simple but creative solutions can help you gain extra storage in unexpected places.

After you read through the tips, take a second look around your home for hidden storage space.

Try These Home Office Solutions

• Tuck an armoire into a corner for a one-stop office that becomes a pretty piece of furniture with its doors closed. Look for one with a foldout desk for even more usable space.
• Use a corner desk to convert an area of the bedroom or guest room into a home office. A small corner desk only needs space to accommodate 30″ on each side, and a 14″ depth to accommodate a computer monitor and accessories. Corner desk units that include a hutch require about 52″ of height. Look for one with a raised shelf for the monitor and a slide-out keyboard shelf.
• Buy office equipment that can be rolled out of the way when not in use. Also, place inexpensive casters on file cabinets to create moveable storage space.
• Free up floor space with shelving units that hang on the wall. Wall hooks or pegs can also provide additional off-the-floor storage in your home office area.
• Remove doors from a closet to transform it into a home office, complete with desk, computer, file cabinet and shelves.

Buy Double-Duty Furniture

• Look for furniture that serves more than one purpose, such as a coffee table with built-in drawers, a side table that also functions as a display case for collectibles, or chests and tables with enclosed cabinets.
• Buy benches and ottomans with hinged tops for out-of-sight and easily accessible storage.
• Find an armoire or entertainment center designed to fit smaller rooms and create enough extra space to store everything from old photo albums to linens or electronic equipment. Or look for one that fits into a corner. Multiple drawers and shelves maximize their holding capacity.
• Use a sleeper sofa and chair as perfect multi-use furniture in bedrooms or other living areas of your home.
• Look for a couch made with built-in drawers hidden beneath the seat cushions.

Find Free Storage Containers

• Save your disposable butter and margarine containers to store small items in the kitchen, hobby area or workshop.
• Use cans with plastic lids or plastic baby-wipe boxes to hold buttons, threads, nuts, nails, screws, washers and small project items.
• Recycle baby food jars and empty mint tins by using them to organize the smallest shelf or drawer.
• Cut plastic milk containers in half to hold small toy accessories or puzzle parts in your child’s room.
• Store paintbrushes (with the brush end up) in tall potato chip containers.
• Keep spools of ribbon on a paper towel holder. Cut centers from spools if needed to fit.
• Place magazines in recycled laundry detergent boxes decorated with magazine covers.
• Keep just about everything in hanging shoe bags with clear pockets.
• Use an empty rectangular tissue box as a convenient holder and dispenser for small garbage bags, plastic grocery bags and small rags. Secure it to the inside of a cabinet door with thumbtacks.

Control Your Closet

• Save space in your closet by adding hooks to the door for belts, ties, or shoe organizers.
• Use shelf organizers and dividers to keep things neat and easy to find.
• Put an inexpensive cardboard or plastic drawer unit in your closet to increase storage space.
• Hang your clothes by style and color and give the clothes to charity that you haven’t worn in over a year.
• Install tiered double-hanging rods to accommodate shirts and pants. This way, they can hang above and below each other, taking up less space than hanging side by side.

Save Space in the Bedroom

• Under-the-bed storage boxes fit in tight, narrow spots; some even have wheels for easier access. Just slide the boxes under a bed frame to store out-of-season clothes, gift wrap, kids games or just about anything else.
• Increase the space in a child’s room by using a bed platform with built-in drawers.
• Kids will help keep things out of the way and off the floor if a row of wooden pegs line one wall of their room. Make sure the pegs are within the child’s reach.
• Store toys and books in low shelves and secure bins that won’t fall over. Old chests and trunks also make creative tables with toy-storage capability.
• Use a wall hanging with storage pockets as a great space saver for keeping coloring books, pencils, rulers and other small items together in one place. Buttoned pockets help keep sharp scissors or glue out of reach of a toddler who shares a room with an older child.
• Canvas and wooden clothes hampers make excellent, easy-access containers for toys. Use a large hamper for stuffed toys and a smaller one for books and puzzles.
• Store seldom used clothing or other materials inside your luggage and travel bags rather than just storing them empty.

Maximize Kitchen Space 

• Fit space-wasting corner cabinets with lazy Susan carousels or three-fourths circle shape shelves.
• Install pullout shelves or baskets that use up all of the space in a deep cabinet.
• Place stacking platforms in taller shelf spaces to save room.
• Buy drawer partitions, turntables and other organizers specially designed for kitchens, at a large discount store. These inexpensive and ready-made organizers fit into your existing cabinets.
• Consider hanging pot racks, a grid system or a few hooks to make the most of vertical wall space.
• Free up drawer space by using a decorative canister or crock to hold often-used utensils, such as spatulas and spoons.
• Mount under-cabinet racks to display your prettiest stemware or teacups. You can also mount paper plate holders, electric can-openers and automatic coffeepots under kitchen cabinets to leave extra room on your countertops.
• Clip wire inserts onto the undersides of shelves to turn unused space into valuable storage.
• Use your oven for hiding seldom-used pots and pans, but remember to remove them before turning on your oven.
• Choose a sturdy folding step stool to help you access out-of-reach storage space without requiring much of its own.
• Reduce paper clutter in the kitchen by hanging a bulletin board or magnet board on an unused wall.
• Save space in your freezer with lightweight, vinyl-coated wire units, designed to double stack things on a pantry shelf. Just lean the units against a side or back wall to store small juice cans and large frozen items in the same vertical space.
• Place small jars like spices on inexpensive plastic turntables, so they’ll be at your fingertips with just one spin.
• Transform a jumble of pan lids by mounting lid racks on cabinet doors or the inside of a pantry door.

Organize your Bathroom

• Hang a mesh organizer over shower curtain rings. Stash shampoo and conditioner in large pockets, and place soap, razor and other bath accessories in the smaller pockets.
• Look for a toilet tank magazine rack that fits on the side of standard tanks without hooks. It’s great for keeping books, magazines and catalogs handy, but off the floor.
• Use acrylic bath canisters to organize cotton balls, makeup, hair accessories and other everyday grooming articles.
• Fit an unused corner with a high cabinet that features adjustable shelves to accommodate towels and other bath accessories.
• Mount storage racks to the inside of cabinet doors. Those used for plastic wrap and tin foil work fine for small bathroom items.
• Consider buying or building a small, wall-mounted cabinet for use above the vanity, toilet or tub.
• Put your bathroom door to work with hooks that can be used to hold towels, robes, or mesh bags filled with toiletries or bath toys.
• Baskets, boxes, or other containers work well for your prettiest towels and other bathroom linens.
• Rolled-up towels fit beautifully in an inexpensive wine rack. Each curved bottle holder stores a towel and saves under-counter storage space. Attach two wine racks to the bathroom wall to hold even more towels.

Check out Storage Shed or Garage Tips

• Get rid of clutter in your storage shed or garage by organizing yard tools. Fasten 16-inch scrap 2 X 4s at a slight upward angle to each side of a wall stud. This allows you to hang a wide variety of tools within easy reach.
• Tack an old leather belt along the edge of a shelf to store hand tools.
• Keep socket wrenches easily accessible by securing them to a lightweight chain, and hang them on the garage or shed wall.
• Use empty bleach bottles as nail organizers. Just cut out a section of the top and store them on their side or upright. The handles make for easy carrying.
• Recycle blackened, neglected muffin tins in the garage as holders for small fasteners, nails, eye-screws, washers, electrical parts and more.
• Mount pegboard wherever you can in a shed or garage, including the inside faces of cupboard doors. Hang items like paintbrushes, adjustable wrenches, extension cords, hand tools and much more.

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Prepare For A Worry-Free Vacation

As you prepare your to-do list for your vacation this summer, spend a few minutes thinking about these items so financial problems don’t ruin your holiday:

• Health insurance. Double-check your policy so you know what to do if you need medical care while you’re out of town.

• Homeowners policy. Review your policy, checking provisions for replacement of contents in case of a theft or fire while you’re away.

• Documents. Make sure all your important papers, such as your will, your durable powers of attorney for health and finances and your life insurance policy, are stored in a safe-deposit box and that each trustee has a copy.

• Auto insurance. Check your policy to see if it covers you in the event of an accident when you’re driving a rental car. This will help you determine ahead of time if you’re going to need the rental agency’s liability waiver.

~ Uncle 'D'

Quick Fix: Clean Your Patio Cushions

Deck and patio season is one of the best times of the year! But before you send out the invites for a big backyard party, make sure your outdoor furniture is ready for guests.
That means getting rid of any tough-to-clean spots and stains that may have accumulated on the cushions when they were stored for the winter. These tips from BobVila.com can help you get your seats ready for summer entertaining season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM_ZTfzJcCY

Tip: Before you get started, it may help to remove any loose dirt from the cushions by going over each with a vacuum, according to BobVila.com.

Step 1: Mix the cleaning solution.

Mix together 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and ¼ cup of borax powder in a bucket of warm water.

Step 2: Soak the cushions with the solution.

Generously soak both sides of the cushions with the water mixture. Be sure you’re getting all the crevices and creases. Let the cushions soak in the solution for 15 minutes. (Tip: If you’re concerned about discoloration, you can first test the solution on a small area of the cushion prior to soaking the entire thing.)

Step 3: Scrub the tough spots.

If there are still spots on the cushions after the soak, BobVila.com recommends gently rubbing them out with a scrub brush and more solution.

Step 4: Rinse the cushions.

Using a garden hose, thoroughly rinse off the cushions. Note that BobVila.com says not to use a pressure washer for this step because it could ruin the fabric.

Step 5: Dry the cushions completely.

Blot the water from the cushions using a towel. Then stand the cushions up and allow them to air-dry completely. If they remain wet, some of the spots you just cleaned off could come back.

Step 6: Protect your now-clean cushions.

Once the cushions are dry, spray each one with a fabric protector. This can help make them easier to clean in the future, according to BobVila.com.