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A home inspection checklist is essential when selling a home. While the inspection is an important part of the home buying process, it is equally as important for sellers to also prepare. What can you do as a seller to help the inspection process go smoothly? Here are five top tips from Realtor.com to keep in mind:

• De-clutter. You’ll want to make sure the inspector can easily access the area beneath your bathroom and kitchen sinks and the areas around your hot water heater, furnace and any major appliances.
• Clean your home. A clean and tidy home makes a better impression than one that’s a mess.

• Provide paperwork. Create a file detailing all maintenance and repairs you’ve completed on your home over the years, including any inspections of important components such as your furnace or chimney.
• Provide access. Make sure your inspector can get into any locked rooms or exterior storage buildings as well as the attic or other storage areas.
• Leave your home. Inspectors find it easier to do their work with the homeowners, children and pets around.

While forecasters can predict that hurricanes will typically strike in the United States from June through November, the exact path of a hurricane is virtually impossible to predict. The best you can really do is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Follow any evacuation orders given by local or government officials for your area and prepare your own hurricane disaster supply kit. Here are some items you’ll want to include:

• Drinking water of one gallon per person for seven days. For a family of four, that would be 28 gallons. You don’t have to buy it if your tap water is safe to drink. Simply fill bottles from your own faucet
• Have any prescription medications filled with a supply of at least two weeks to 21 days
• Non-perishable food items for three to seven days
• Blankets/pillows
• Ax (In case you need to escape from your house)
• Clothing, including rain gear
• Personal hygiene items
• Bleach
• Water purification tablets
• Flashlights/batteries
• Any special items needed for taking care of babies or the elderly
• Battery-powered radio
• Keys to all your homes and vehicles or any storage units
• Tools
• Towels/buckets
• Pet Items
• Games, toys or books to keep children occupied

In addition to having your disaster supply kit ready, you’ll also want to fill your personal vehicle up with gas and withdraw cash from your bank before the hurricane hits. You never know if gas stations will be out of gas and if ATMs will be working after the storm comes through. Protect any important papers such as marriage licenses, birth certificates or insurance policies in a waterproof sealed container or bag. Here are some more hurricane preparation tips from the National Hurricane Center to help you and your family stay safe.

If you are concerned about damage a hurricane may cause to your property or belongings, we’ll be glad to review your insurance coverage and see if you have the insurance you need to protect yourself against hurricane losses. In the meantime, stay safe through this hurricane season.

The property disclosure report is an important document in any real estate transaction. In it, sellers must reveal any issues relating to a property that could negatively affect its value.

That’s why it’s so important for home sellers to set aside some time to fill out these forms thoroughly and accurately. Sellers are required to disclose any physical issues with a home, such as a leaky window or basement that’s prone to flooding. If the home was treated for termites, that should be on the form. Anything the seller knows about that could affect the property’s value or the home buyer’s enjoyment should be included when filling out a seller’s disclosure form.

These forms aren’t a substitute for a home inspection, of course; home buyers still should have a thorough inspection of any property they are thinking about purchasing. But buyers also should carefully read the property disclosure report as well. While disclosure statements are designed to protect home buyers from purchasing a home with hidden defects, they also can protect sellers from future legal action if the buyer alleges the seller hid a defect in the property. The bottom line: If you know it, disclose it.

A pre-purchase home inspection is a recommended part of the home buying process. An investment of about $300 to $500 can help you avoid an unexpected defect that could cost thousands of dollars, even tens of thousands, after you sign on the dotted line. Here are some questions to help you select the right home inspector for you:

How long have you been an inspector? How many inspections have you performed? An inspector should be able to provide an overview of his or her qualifications and background as well as some customer referrals. Ask if the inspector is a member of any state or national inspection organizations, such as the American Society of Home Inspectors, or if they have participated in any type of continuing education.

What does your inspection cover? Home inspections typically cover the basic systems of a home, such as the electrical and heating systems, and the roof. If you want more specialized information about a home, such as a radon test, termite report or to certify it has no structural or septic issues, you likely will need to hire a specialist to do those inspections and/or tests.

Do you provide a written report? The answer should be ‘yes.’ An inspector should be able to provide samples of the written reports they provide their customers. The report on your property should be furnished within 24 hours of the inspection.

Will I be able to attend the inspection? Again, the answer should be ‘yes.’ And you should consider being there during the inspection. It’s a great opportunity to learn a lot about the property you are about to purchase. Some inspections can take two or more hours.

Your inspector will play an important role in the purchase of your home. Here are some more questions that can help you choose wisely.

You want to sell your home, but you don’t have a lot of money to invest in repairs and upgrades before it hits the market. You’re in luck! There’s a lot you can do to make your home more inviting to potential buyers that doesn’t cost a fortune. Here are some fairly inexpensive steps you can take before you list your home:

Clean the carpets. Investing in a professional carpet cleaning can be a great move, especially if you have small children and pets. Stained carpets aren’t exactly aesthetically appealing, and carpets can harbor all kinds of odors.

Make small repairs. Little things that aren’t right can make home buyers wonder what larger things may be wrong with your home. That’s why it’s always a good idea to fix things such as a leaky faucet, a missing roof shingle or a broken door handle before your home hits the market.

De-clutter. Reducing the amount of furniture and other items in your home can make your rooms look bigger. When trying to decide which items should go, consider giving anything that’s stained or broken the boot.

Clean walls. Handprints and dirty walls are a definite turnoff. Clean your walls, using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (or the same type of product) to get rid of scuffs and crayon marks. If your walls are really in bad shape or you went crazy with colors a few years ago, consider adding a fresh coat of paint.

Clean, clean and clean some more. Aside from the cost of cleaning supplies, elbow grease is free! A home that’s clean is more inviting to buyers, period.

Do you have an important company event coming up? Whether it’s a company anniversary picnic, fundraiser, conference or reception, you can be opening your business up to specific liability exposures when hosting a corporate event. There is a type of liability insurance specifically designed to cover this exposure. It is called event liability insurance or special event insurance.

Even though you want your event to go off without a hitch—you know accidents are bound to happen. A speaker can fall off a podium; special lighting can fall and injure event attendees; or a fight could even break out among your guests. Although it may seem unlikely to you, any of these unfortunate mishaps and more can occur at your company event. (We all have heard some crazy office holiday party stories and you may have a few of our own to tell!)

Event liability insurance covers you for these types of bodily injuries or property damage that can happen to third parties who are attending your event. This is a relatively inexpensive coverage and it allows you to host your event with peace of mind. Just one thing—you must purchase event liability insurance in advance of your company function.

Another consideration for a small business that does not have general liability coverage: many venues will not allow you to use the venue without liability insurance. This is where an event liability insurance policy can help. You certainly don’t want to pay for any claims out of your own pocket.

In some cases, you can even have a cancellation clause written into an event liability insurance policy that covers your losses (lost revenue, lost deposits, etc.) if the event has to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances such as a weather event or a key performer declining to show up at the last minute.

If your company is planning a special event, we’ll be glad to discuss your event liability insurance options. http://test.social5.net/

In the market for a new home? Purchasing a home is definitely something we don’t do every day. So it’s easy to make mistakes, and when it comes to home buying, mistakes can be costly. Here are some of the most common errors made by first-time buyers, as well as those who already have purchased a home or two before.

Shopping before getting pre-approved. Pre-approval is essentially a commitment from a mortgage company to provide you with a home loan up to a certain level based on your financial circumstances. Without consulting with a mortgage company first, you aren’t going to know how much house you can afford. And if you find a home you want to buy, most sellers today may disregard offers from buyers who aren’t pre-approved by a mortgage company. Get pre-approved before you start looking at homes.

Looking for homes on your own. Don’t go it alone. You’ll want the experience and knowledge of a real estate agent on your side. An agent can provide another perspective on the home you are thinking about buying and help you avoid common home-buying mistakes.

Using up all your cash on a down payment. Many buyers want to put as much as possible down on their home purchase to lower their monthly payment and/or to reduce or eliminate mortgage insurance premiums. Just make sure you have enough cash remaining for unexpected expenses after you’ve bought your home.

Skipping the home inspection. Never (ever) skip a home inspection when buying a home, if at all possible. A quality home inspection can reveal critical information about a home’s condition you’ll want to know before you sign on the dotted line.

Buying things. Hold off on purchases of items such as furniture before you complete your home purchase. Your home loan pre-approval is dependent on your current financial situation. This isn’t the time to be adding more financial obligations or draining your savings account.

When it comes to putting a home on the market, are you ready to put your best foot forward? Many homeowners think they have to spend a fortune to make their properties more inviting to home buyers. Not true! In fact, two of the most important things you can do before you list your home don’t cost much at all.

The No. 1 pre-selling task? De-cluttering. Getting rid of the clutter is so important because home buyers are turned off by it. Broken toys, piles of magazines, books and mail, lots of knick-knacks and crowded countertops — they all detract from the ability of a buyer to envision themselves in your home. And don’t neglect the areas behind closed doors! Go through your closets and shelves. Home buyers look in there. This is a great time to haul out the dumpster and get a load ready to donate to a worthy cause. But if you can’t bear to part with all your stuff, renting a storage unit can be a great way to go.

After you’ve de-cluttered, it’s time for a big cleaning. That means baseboards, walls, the inside of your refrigerator and especially your bathrooms. Steam clean the carpets. Clean and polish wood furniture. Make sure to have your windows cleaned. Home buyers form opinions about dirty homes, windows included, and it isn’t a good one.

Don’t forget to clean the outside of your home. When was the last time you cleaned your front door? If you aren’t raking up leaves and keeping your yard clean and tidy, prospective home buyers may wonder whether you are keeping up with routine maintenance and repair of your property. You’ll want to make sure your entryway is clear and creates a warm, inviting feel for prospective buyers.

Something you may be asked about when assessing a building or performing contracting duties is to assess the risk of lead poisoning.

Lead was used for many years in paints and other products found in and around our homes, schools and office buildings. While lead-based paints were banned for use in housing in 1978, there may be a chance that any home, building, school or day care center built prior to that contains some traces of lead in paint.

There is documentation that even during the time of Socrates, lead was creating a health risk. However, it wasn’t until the late 1970s that scientists began to understand the extent of lead hazards among children and adults. That’s when studies conducted by the Center for Disease Control and psychiatrist and environment health activist Dr. Herbert Needleman, Pittsburgh School of Public Health, documented significant damage caused in children, especially in children younger than six years of age. Dr. Needleman was the first to sample the loose teeth of young children to demonstrate the incidence of childhood lead poisoning, the “silent epidemic,” and its harmful impacts at even very low levels on reduced IQ’s of children and related reading delays and behavioral problems. His work resulted in the banning of lead in gasoline and paint and a five-fold reduction in the prevalence of lead in children by the 1990s.

Lead still poses dangers to kids, particularly in older neighborhoods. Health effects of even small doses of lead may include learning disabilities, hearing loss, and speech impairment in children; hypertension, reproductive damage, kidney damage, and neural damage in adults, and other effects on unborn children.

As a result, identifying lead sources in the environments of dwellings and work places where young children, women, workers, and others spend time, is vital to safeguarding public health. If lead testing is a service you provide, connect with us to learn how we may assist you with performing this pivotal task. Ask about the C&S Environmental Package. We have a seasoned staff of insurance and underwriting professionals with extensive experience in the specialty insurance industry.