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If you own a house, you need homeowners insurance. With all the other expenses that come along with homeownership, it can be tempting to select the cheapest insurance policy you can find, but that could be a big mistake.

Home Repairs and Reconstruction
You may not be required to obtain enough homeowners insurance to cover the entire replacement value of your home, but that doesnt mean you should choose lower coverage limits just because you can. If your house were destroyed by a fire or a natural disaster, you might have to come up with tens of thousands of dollars for rebuilding expenses not covered by insurance.

After a natural disaster, the costs of building materials and labor can skyrocket. If your insurance policy caps the amount itll pay to repair or rebuild your house, the coverage may be inadequate. For additional premiums, you can purchase guaranteed replacement cost coverage, which will raise your coverage limits if construction costs rise following a disaster.

If you own an older home that doesnt comply with modern building codes, you can pay extra for insurance to cover costs to rebuild the house in a way that conforms with current building codes. You can also purchase inflation protection to raise your coverage to keep pace with increases in the costs of home construction.

Damaged or Destroyed Belongings
Some insurance policies cover the cost to replace stolen, damaged, or destroyed items with identical or comparable new ones, while other policies only cover the actual cash value, which takes depreciation into account. Actual cash value policies have lower premiums, but you may regret choosing that coverage to save money if you suffer a major loss and have to replace a lot of expensive possessions all at once.

Standard homeowners insurance policies limit which possessions are covered. If you have jewelry, furs, artwork or other expensive belongings, basic coverage may not provide enough protection. A floater will raise your coverage limits for an additional premium.

Covered Perils
Homeowners insurance policies cover damage caused by a limited list of perils. If your house is damaged by a non-covered peril, your policy wont cover repair and replacement costs. You can pay extra to purchase insurance coverage for flooding, earthquakes, strong winds or hail.

Damages That Exceed Liability Limits
An accident on your property that causes major injuries or death may result in a lawsuit seeking more than the liability limit of your homeowners insurance policy. Your other assets, including vehicles and savings and retirement accounts, could be seized, unless you have an umbrella policy to protect your other belongings.

Make the Right Decision
It can be tempting to get cut-rate homeowners insurance coverage, but you may regret it if you file a claim and only receive a fraction of the money you need”or none at all. Contact your insurance agent or individual companies to discuss your needs and to compare rates.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

When fall gets into full swing and the leaves begin turning vibrant shades of red, orange and yellow, you may be wishing you had some beautiful foliage outside your house. For a few weeks each year, this brilliant display of colors is always a highlight of the season that you can look forward to before winter begins. In general, adding a few trees to your property can increase curb appeal and privacy, as well as the value of your home. But if youre specifically looking to maximize the foliage, here are some of the best trees to plant in your yard.

Red Maple
The red maple is a perfect choice if you want shade in the summertime and vivid colors in the fall. Growing up to 100 feet tall, these towering trees can survive in a wide range of soil types, which is why theyre among the most abundant in North America. They also do particularly well in urban environments as long as theres enough space for their roots.

Quaking Aspen
As one of the most widely distributed trees on the continent, the Quaking Aspen can survive in a variety of climates. In fact, its bright yellow and gold leaves can be found from Canada, across the U.S. and as far south as Mexico. Frankly, theres nothing as striking as a grove of Aspens in the fall.

Dogwood
With lovely white blossoms in the spring and shades ranging from yellow to purple in the fall, the dogwood tree can add natural beauty to the exterior of your home all year round. While they typically only grow up to 30 feet tall, they have a particularly wide spread and will often attract birds.

Sweetgum
A champion of fall foliage with its deep, glossy leaves, the sweetgum tree can survive in warm temperate and subtropical climates. Growing over 100 feet in height, they are also regarded as an effective solution to controlling erosion or sheltering your home from excessive wind.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If you own a house, you need homeowners insurance. You may be able to lower your premiums significantly and save money each month by raising your deductible. But before you do so, weigh the pros and cons.

Benefits of a Higher Deductible
A policy with a higher deductible usually has lower premiums than a similar policy with a lower deductible. The policyholder assumes more responsibility for paying for repairs and replacing damaged property in exchange for lower premiums. This reduces the insurance companys risk, since policyholders file fewer claims, and the insurer pays out less for approved claims. If you chose a higher deductible and didnt file any claims for several years, you might qualify for discounts that could reduce your premiums even further.

Could You Afford a Higher Deductible?
If you switched to a higher deductible and went several years without submitting a claim, the amount you saved in premiums could be enough to cover the deductible if you eventually needed to file a claim. Before you decide to raise your deductible, make sure you have that amount of money set aside or could save it in a reasonable period of time. If you didnt have enough money to cover a deductible and your house suffered major damage, you could be forced to continue living there without having problems fixed, which means they could get even worse.

If you experienced a significant loss, having to pay a large deductible could be a tough pill to swallow. Knowing that your insurer would foot most of the bill could be comforting. Insurance companies typically offer policies with a range of deductibles. It might make sense to raise your deductible, but not to the highest amount the company would allow.

How Much Money Could You Save by Raising Your Deductible?
Where you live could have a significant effect on how much your premiums would go down with a higher deductible. In some places, you could save a bundle, while in other locations your potential savings might not make it worthwhile to raise your deductible.

Most insurance policies have a single deductible amount that applies to all claims, but some have different deductibles for liability, wind and hail. Make sure you know what the deductible is for different perils.

Would It Make Sense to Raise Your Deductible?
Raising your homeowners insurance deductible could save you money each month, but it could leave you in a bind if your house needed repairs or if your belongings were damaged or stolen and you didnt have enough money to pay the deductible. Contact your insurance company or agent to discuss your options and your overall financial situation so you can choose a deductible and premium that are comfortable for you.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A vertical garden, also known as a living wall, is the ultimate way to bring nature into your home. Whether youre in the city and want to introduce some greenery into urban quarters or simply enjoy the relaxing ambiance of a wall clad with plants, there are many reasons to consider designing one in your home. Heres a breakdown of everything you need to know before getting started on your vertical garden:

Design Details
While you can simply mount a trellis on the wall, youll want to reserve that for the terrace or patio. Indoor living walls require a series of pockets to hold the plants and a drip irrigation system that will keep them healthy without making a mess of your home. They make the perfect addition to a living room, but keep in mind how much light each wall gets when deciding where to put the garden. You also don’t need to create large living walls or elaborate designs”small, simple gardens can still add to a room’s ambiance, so determine which type of design is right for you and your space.

Pick Your Plants
The amount of sunlight that the area receives will play a role in the plants best suited to your vertical garden. Golden pothos and crotons are popular choices because they tend to do well in bright, indirect light. Ferns are another favorite because they can grow quickly in shady places and create a verdant setting, though be aware that they do best in humid conditions.

Sit Back and Enjoy the Benefits
There are many immediate advantages to having a green living environment inside your home. For starters, it will improve your air quality and remove pollutants so you and your family can enjoy a healthier atmosphere. If you can hear the sounds of the city from your living room, or the kids are learning to play the drums in the room next door, youll be happy to hear that vertical gardens are also effective ways to reduce noise pollution. Lastly, plants are proven to reduce our stress levels, meaning this eco-chic design will help you relax each day.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A bathroom can be among the top selling points in a home. In fact, upgrading your bathroom prior to listing the home for sale may enable you to sell it at a higher price point. Here are some ways you can improve your bathroom and get the highest possible return on your investment:

Add More Storage
There are many items that you want or need to keep in a bathroom at any given time. For instance, you’ll likely want to keep extra rolls of toilet paper handy or have extra hand towels available. You’ll also want to keep your toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant in the bathroom. By adding a closet, a larger vanity or extra drawers underneath your current vanity, you provide plenty of space for multiple people to share the bathroom peacefully.

Add a Touch of Luxury
Buyers will have a harder time not putting an offer on a home when it has a luxurious feel to it. Adding a whirlpool tub to the bathroom will make a buyer feel as if he or she were about to buy a spa instead of a residential property. Working with companies can make it possible to make your bathroom luxurious yet affordable at the same time.

Put in New Tile
Replacing your current floor in favor of a tile one can improve the look and feel of the entire space. In fact, a remodeling contractor can add a heated floor that is ideal for those cold winter days or those chilly spring mornings. It can make it easier to face the prospect of walking to the shower or sink without the need to find your socks and slippers first.

Add an Additional Sink
If you have to share the bathroom with your spouse or kids, it’s important to have multiple sinks. This allows both parents to get ready for work at once or both kids to get ready for school at the same time. It also allows people to keep their respective area of the vanity as clean or as messy as they want without infringing on others.

Even if you don’t have a large remodeling budget, you can still make your bathroom look and feel like one of the best rooms in the house. When upgraded properly, this space can be the centerpiece of the home and help attract eager buyers willing to pay top dollar for it.

Source: Hannah Whittenly/RISMedias Housecall

Published with permission from RISMedia.