Many homes in the Little Falls, MN area are seeing improvements in their home when they choose to have their basement encapsulated. In this process, your basement is laid with a vapor barrier that protects this area from outside elements. All the junctions and seams are sealed, and the area is conditioned with either a dehumidifier or HVAC system to keep the area dry and cool. 

Air Quality Enhancement

With a basement encapsulation on your home, the air quality will improve immensely, since mold and mildew will not be able to build. Many basements that do not have this service suffer from mildew and mold which carry through the home, making air quality diminish. For your family members with allergies, this could help them immensely. 

Become More Energy Efficient

Because the basement has undergone this encapsulation, energy bills are showing to be reduced significantly. Power sources do not have to run at the same speed and consistency prior to the encapsulation because the energy is retained longer. This energy retention allows your home to retain its heat in the cooler months, which saves money on utilities and makes this season that much easier. 

Preservation of Ducts and Equipment

Because the energy is being retained within the home longer and the risk of mildew has diminished drastically, the ducts and heating source equipment will last much longer because they are not exposed to these elements and are placed in a conditioned environment. 

Choose Additional Security with Home Insurance

If you live in or around Little Falls, MN, it may be time to add that extra layer of protection with home insurance. At Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. you can take advantage of our online rating tool for your personal home insurance quote or call us for more information.

At Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. serving Little Falls, MN., we have seen more home break-ins than we would like to. While there is no way to prevent every break-in, the steps and actions you take can help to increase the security of your home and decrease the odds of your home being a target for thieves. Here are a few tips to help you increase your home’s security. 

Make Sure Your Home is Well Illuminated

One of the best ways to protect yourself against burglaries and break-ins is to ensure your home is well illuminated. Using exterior lights around the outside of your home can help you with this task. Trimming back trees and bushes that provide coverage for an intruder can also help. Thieves prefer to stay hidden, so making sure your space is well lit can be a huge deterrent. 

Utilize an Alarm and/or Cameras

Another way to help increase your home’s security is to utilize an alarm and/or cameras. A thief wants to easily get in and out of your home without being seen or heard. If thieves see that you have an alarm system and/or cameras, they may pass your home up. 

Ensure Valuables Are Not Left in Plain Sight

Finally, be sure to keep valuables out of sight. If a thief can look in through a window and see money, jewelry or expensive electronics, your home may be more of a target compared to a home where thieves cannot see anything. 

Having home insurance is important, as it helps to protect against any losses that you sustain as the result of unexpected events, such as a break-in. If you are in the market for a new home insurance policy in the greater Little Falls, MN area, let Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. help you. Schedule an appointment with one of our insurance agents today. 

Little Falls, MN, is a great place to raise a pet. We all want the best for our animal friends, so some forward-thinking individuals might wonder how insurance does and does not protect their pets. The experts at Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. have scoured policies to give you a clear answer.

Your Pet Is Harmed

Homeowner’s policies typically do not extend coverage to vet bills or the well-being of your pet. While pets are considered personal property under some purviews of the law, it doesn’t include insurance. Pet insurances do exist, but they’re primarily geared towards covering financially valuable pets. This includes purebred dogs and exotic animals.

Your Pet Breaks Things

There’s a reason for that meme where cats are always pushing things off of counters. Pet-caused damage is a normal part of life. It’s not something that will usually be covered by homeowner’s insurance. That’s the policy that’s made for major stuff. So, even though your pet might lovingly break something you value, the home policy isn’t the one to insure it. You can look into alternative policies for pet damage.

Your Pet Hurts Someone

Pets actually account for a significant percentage of personal liability claims every year, even in Little Falls, MN. It’s a pretty standard part of home insurance, but you do need to check the fine print. Some policies exclude covering dog breeds with the highest incidents of bites, for example.

If you want to be 100-percent sure that you have the best insurance for your furry best friend, talk to your representative at Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. They’ll help you craft a perfect insurance plan to give the best to all of your pets.

If you own a home in a gated community or just purchased a newly built house in the Little Falls, MN area, you may pay monthly homeowners association fees.   What does this mean for your home insurance from Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc.? It means you need to know exactly where your property ends and where the HOA begins.

Common Areas Fall Under the HOA

If your HOA mows your yard, shovels the sidewalk, and keeps the pool clean and maintained, then liability and property insurance for those areas will be carried by the HOA. The HOA may actually own the streets, common parking lots, playgrounds, and even drainage systems. If you live in a duplex, double garage doors could even be included in the fees.

If You Maintain It, You Insure It

If your contract with the HOA states that you must maintain the landscaping and exterior appearance of your home, then these areas should be included on your homeowner’s insurance policy.  Your HOA may only own the access roads around the development, but you fully own the lot. Make sure to discuss all the steps, decks, sheds, and other exterior items you are responsible for with your agent to ensure the policy is written correctly.

Ask for Clarification Before Repairing Anything

Should the property around your home get damaged in a storm, from vandalism, or poor construction, before you hire a contractor to fix it and file a claim on your policy from Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. make sure to check with the office?  If you make changes to an area owned by the HOA, you could end up paying to have the work done again according to their specifications. If you have questions about your Little Falls, MN HOA and your home insurance, give your local agent a call today.

Protecting your home is a top priority. It’s your refuge, your own space in this large world. Without home insurance, you put this invaluable asset at risk. Whether you have a mortgage or not on your property, having home insurance is a smart way to protect your investment. But how do you find the right home insurance in Little Falls, MN? Read on to find out.

1. Compare Quotes

When shopping around for home insurance, it is best to get at least two quotes to compare. More is better. When you have a few quotes in front of you, you will get a better idea of costs, what’s covered, and other important factors. A qualified agent at Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. can help you go through each quote to find the best policy.

2. Bundle Policies

If you’re looking to save money on a home insurance policy in Little Falls MN, consider bundling policies together under one insurance company. For example, you can bundle your auto, commercial, boat, RV, and any other insurance policies you have to save money on your premiums. Insurance companies love to reward the loyalty of their customers by offering this bundle savings.

3. Use a Reputable Agent

Finally, choose to work with an agent who has a history of customer satisfaction and who is knowledgeable and easy to work with. This goes a long way when looking for home insurance for your primary residence or even a vacation home.

At Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. serving the Little Falls area, we are dedicated to finding you the right home insurance at the right price. Our agents are standing by to answer all of your questions and help guide you through the home insurance buying process. 

Standard home insurance policies typically have limits for the coverage of expensive items in a home. Homeowners that have valuable items such as family heirlooms, jewelry, artwork, expensive electronics, home theater systems and more, benefit from getting extended coverage to protect them. Talk with your agent at Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. serving Little Falls, MN and the surrounding area to better understand any limits under your existing home insurance or new insurance that you are considering.

Here are some tips about what to do to make sure valuable items have adequate protection and insurance coverage under a home insurance policy and/or extended coverage:

• Make a Home Inventory: A home inventory is a list of all the valuable items in the home with any information that is available about the purchase price or replacement costs. Take photos of the items and record a video walkthrough of the home showing the placement of the valuable items in the home.
• Appraisals: Have valuable items appraised by a qualified appraiser. Keep this information about the appraisal in a fireproof safe or off-site to avoid losing the information when it is most needed.
• Install a Home Security System: Home security systems with video monitoring of the premises are a good deterrent to help prevent home burglaries.
• Safeguard Valuables: Along with a home security system, having a home safe makes it more difficult for burglars to steal smaller personal items such as jewelry.
• Update Coverage When Necessary: When things change and valuable personal items are acquired or sold, update insurance coverage appropriately. Often overlooked, are valuable items that are received from an estate as part of an inheritance.

The easiest way to make sure insurance coverage is adequate is to work with your agent at Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. in Little Falls, MN. Make an appointment to go over the coverage offered by an existing home insurance policy and to add or update extra coverage for valuable personal items as needed.

Most people consider their home their greatest financial asset. For some it can be a financial strain, the balance is often in the shape of the home.  There are certain spring cleaning chores that will make sure that your home stays safe and attractive for many years to come because an ounce of prevention is worth gold. Hanneken Insurance Agency, Inc. serving Little Falls, MN and the surrounding areas know the true value of a home and can cover your greatest asset in home insurance year round. 

Ways to Prolong Life of Your Home Each Spring

• Check for winter water damage. If a little water got in then froze it may have cause warped roofing or attic materials which can allow in more water and ice next season. Checking for winter water damage is a vital way to prolong the life of your roof and to prevent further damage and costs. 
• Sweep roof and clean out gutters. This chore ensures that the debris is not rotting against roofing material, a rotting roof can spread damage throughout the attic quickly and mold or water damage can be hard to get rid of. 
• Clean any debris away from the footing of home, trim any extra brush. These materials will naturally rot and this rot can spread the home depending on the building materials. The debris also encourages bugs to hang out near the home so clearing out any organic matter is vital. 

Contact us at Strack Insurance Services if you want to protect your home in case of unforeseen damage. We serve Little Falls, MN and the surrounding areas. 

Homes are not all created equally and as such each home requires a unique policy that caters to every nuance. As our homes age they become more and more likely to experience damage and other issues, does this mean we need larger policies for older homes? If you live in the Little Falls, MN area the agents with Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. can help answer this question in great detail.

For starters, older homes are built with materials that might not be considered fire safe or fire resistant, this makes them more susceptible to fire. Another issue is that older homes are more likely to withstand in natural events like ice storms, wind storms, and even normal thunderstorms or seasonal storms. Older homes are also going to cost far more to rebuild in this day and age than they did when they were first built.

In summation, older homes are likely going to need a larger policy than you might imagine but that does not mean that they are going to need a larger policy than a new state of the art home that was just built. Rather, it means that your home is going to need very specific coverage based entirely on the home that you have. You should take the time to have an adjuster come to your home and tell you just what your home needs in terms of coverage.

Adjusters are able to tell you your home’s weak points as well as tell you how much it would cost to build the same home back in this day and age. For those that live in the Little Falls, MN area, the agents with Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. can help you find the perfect coverage each and every time.

Whether you decide to visit family nearby this summer or take a trip to the Caribbean, there are some steps you can take to keep your Little Falls, MN home safe and sound while you are away.  The key is to not make your home an easy target for thieves.  If they know you’re away on vacation and your home isn’t properly secured, thieves can easily slip through a window unnoticed. 

To avoid this and similar scenarios, follow these tips to keep your home safe while you’re away on summer vacation.  

1.  Hire a House Sitter

Having someone at the home is one way to keep burglars away.  Professional house sitters typically charge a flat fee per day and will sleep at your house.  If you have pets, they can take care of them, too.  If you don’t know of any professional house sitters in your area, ask a family member or friend to do the job.  

2.  Have a Neighbor Keep an Eye on Your Home

You can also ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your home while you are away. They can collect your mail, take out your trash, and generally watch out for anything suspicious.  In the future, you can return the favor.

3. Install a Security System

A sign in your front yard that says you have a security system is a deterrent for thieves. They will typically not risk breaking into a home where they will set off an alarm and have the police on the way.  By installing a security system and either having a house sitter or neighbor watch your house, you can feel confident that you home is safe while you’re away.

Unfortunately, things can happen that are out of your control. That’s why it’s important to have quality homeowner’s insurance in Little Falls, MN.  At the Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. we help find you the right policy for your home so you can have peace of mind when you’re away on vacation.  You can contact the Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. at 320-632-6592 to speak with a friendly member of our team.