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What to Know before Buying Insurance on a Historic Charleston Home

When you purchase a historic home in Charleston, you will have to make sure you have the right insurance. There are a few things to know to ensure that is the case. A historic home is one that was built before 1945. The unique features and architecture of these homes make them historical and, because of that, they can cost a lot more to restore using methods and materials that are popular today.

Know about Your Home

If your home is on a historic preservation list, then you will be required always to use the original construction materials. Your insurance company may not pay for that unless you pay attention to the coverage you have. An insurance company may not insure your home if it’s on a historic preservation list, so this is an important fact to know.

Replacement Cost

Since historical homes cost more to replace. Things that can change the replacement value include special finishes, law and code upgrades, licensing and permit costs, lead paint removal costs, foundation costs, and original construction replication. Even though replacement costs coverage will be more, make sure you insist on guaranteed replacement cost coverage. This will allow you to cover the full cost of rebuilding your historic home. Some insurers don’t offer this coverage or sell it at a much higher rate, but to protect your historic home, you want to make sure you have this coverage in place.

Replacement costs can be expensive, so Upside Insurance in Greenville, SC says some home insurance companies can’t or won’t provide the coverage needed for potential restoration work. It may be possible to add extended replacement coverage, which will pay for 20 to 30 percent of the insured value of the home. Keep in mind that replacement costs have a cap.

Understand the Claim Settlement Process

Every insurance company has a claim settlement method. Many policies will offer functional replacement costs, which will repair and replace the home with today’s methods. If you are concerned about the historical aspects of the property, replacing with today’s materials will devalue it. This is why you need replacement cost coverage for the home.

Itemize Personal Property of Significant Value

If your historic home has a lot of items of significant value, you should use a fine arts floater. The fine arts coverage is broad but can include paintings, sculptures, oriental rugs, folk art, antiques, and other items that are rare or have significant value, without any other coverage.

Inspection

Historic homes will require an inspection. To maintain structural integrity, these homes do need some updates over time. According to Live Oak Home Inspections in Charleston, the inspection will check for things like the roof, HVAC system, wiring, and plumbing, to make sure that these items are in good, working order. There is also an inspection to see if there is a special feature of the home that will be expensive to replace and requires the purchase of a policy rider.

Take Advantage of Credits

Historic homes can be expensive to insure, so it makes sense to look for discounts when available. Credits may be available for homes that are in gated communities. It’s best to consolidate policies with one insurer, to avoid coverage gaps and make it easier to achieve discounts.

7 Expert Tips for Organizing Your New Home After Moving In

Moving into a new home can be a very exciting experience. At the same time, it can also be overwhelming when you are trying to keep everything organized. Fortunately, there are seven tips that you can follow that can help to keep your new home organized when you are first moving in.

1. Plan Ahead

The most important thing you can do when moving into a new home is to plan. When you are packing up your old home, it is important that you have an idea of where all of your personal belongings and furniture will go in the new home. While your plans will change a bit, having some plan in place at first will help to keep everything organized.

2. Oversee the Movers

Once your items are being moved into your new home, it is important to oversee the movers. This part of the process will include making sure that all of the boxes are being put into the appropriate rooms. This will help to minimize the amount of time you spend searching for lost boxes and items.

3. Unpack One Room at a Time

When you are unpacking and organizing your new home, it is also important to unpack one room at a time. Many people make the mistake of unpacking box-by-box without regard to individual rooms. This can lead to more clutter and a variety of rooms that are half unpacked. A more organized option is to unpack one room at a time fully before moving on to the next room.

4. Decorate Last

When moving into a new home, many people are excited about hanging up their new decorations. Unfortunately, hanging art too soon can end up being a bad idea and should be one of the last things you do after moving in. Instead, you should unpack completely and organize furniture first. Then you can look around and find a perfect place for your new decorations.

5. Focus on Kitchen First

When you are unpacking and organizing your new home, you should focus on the kitchen first. The kitchen is one of the hardest rooms to unpack and organize due to the sheer amount of items that need to be unpacked. Once your kitchen is unpacked, you will notice a significant amount of boxes have been cleared. This will help the rest of the process be more organized.

6. Get Rid of Clutter

Finally, Great Guys Movers says you should use any move as an opportunity to get rid of clutter and unnecessary items. Before packing, you should get rid of old clothes, toys, and other personal items that you no longer use. You could either throw these items away, donate them to charity, or even sell them online. Not only could this help to declutter and stay more organized, but it could help you to make little extra money as well.

7. Be Clear About Plan

When you are moving with a family, it is also important to make sure that everyone knows the organization plan. While you can have a great plan in place, it will be completely wasted if people are not following it. Because of this, should outline your plan to your family before moving into the new home.

Pros and Cons of Moving to Charleston, SC

Like many other individuals, you may be planning to move this year. Before moving, many people try to conduct their research on what life might be like in a new place. If you are planning on moving to Charleston, South Carolina this year then continue reading. The following article will explain the benefits and disadvantages […]

Best Neighborhoods Near Charleston South Carolina

Located in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, Charleston is a vibrant city popular with tourists and a choice spot for relocation. The downtown area is full of history and southern charm, and the outlying communities are comprised of a variety of neighborhoods. The winters are mild here; summers are hot and humid but nearby beaches […]