The kitchen really is the one place in your apartment you don’t have many decorating options. Your Laurel, MD landlord might let you paint the walls, but with everything built into place, it may seem like you’re stuck with the current appearance. Not so fast, actually. There are plenty of subtle changes you can bring into the kitchen, no matter the size or configurations of the room. Just make sure to cover any appliances or other larger ticket items with renter’s insurance through Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial. For a small monthly fee, you can protect everything inside of your apartment. After all, you never know what might happen in an apartment when other people are living in such close proximity.

Temporary Backsplash

A backsplash really adds a burst of color to the kitchen and livens the room up. However, outside of a few high-end apartments, your apartment might not have a backsplash. There is a way around this. You can pick up vinyl decals designed specifically for this. It is fun, adds interest and is inexpensive (plus pulls off without leaving a mark). Fabric placed against the wall using either liquid starch or clear vinyl also works beautifully and is temporary.

Cutting Board

Do you lack countertop space? Pick up a cutting board large enough to cover the stove top when not in use. It is easy to move out of the way, yet provides several square feet of additional countertop space. It is also easy to wash and you can use it as a serving platter when friends are over.

Plants

Some small plants in your kitchen livens up the room, gives a fresh feeling and helps improve the air flow. Consider plants you might cook with, such as parsley or basil.

Call your friendly agents at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial for a renters insurance quote or review.

When you live in Laurel, Maryland, you never know when the power can go out. It is important to focus on emergency preparedness so that you can deal with the power being out in the most appropriate of ways.

One of the first things you have to focus on is survival. How are you going to stay warm throughout the winter weather when you don’t have power? You can use Bubble Wrap or blankets to insulate all of the windows. You should also have backup blankets to keep everyone in the house warm as well.

How are you going to see in the dark? It’s a good idea to have several sources of light, ranging from flashlights to lanterns. Everything that is battery-powered should have extra batteries.

It is also a good idea to invest in an emergency radio that is battery-powered. You may also want to look for one that has a solar charger. This will allow you to stay in touch with people as required.

Sustenance is another thing you are going to have to focus on with a power outage in Laurel. As your refrigerator and freezer are without power for longer periods of time, the food is going to become unsafe. You will have to discard it all eventually – and this means you will need other food to eat. Jerky can last a significant amount of time, and there are also various other things you can keep in the house, such as granola bars, peanut butter, and canned foods. Many of these things won’t need to be cooked at all.

Call and talk to us at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial today to learn about emergency preparedness. Having a homeowner’s insurance policy can be one of the best ways to prepare for what may occur in your Maryland home.

 

 

There are many Halloween safety tips that you can follow in Maryland. You want to make sure that trick-or-treaters are safe and that your home is safe as well. These tips should help you tremendously.

#1: Clear a Path

Clear a path for all of the trick-or-treaters. This includes removing broken branches from the yard, ensuring that extension cords are out of the way, and more. Otherwise, trick-or-treaters could easily trip on your property.

#2: Light it Up

Make sure that your property is well lit. Turn on the porch light and use other lights in order to make sure kids can see the front door easily.

#3: Watch Flammables

Halloween is a time where you may have luminaries, candles, and various other things. Watch to make sure that the flames are under control. Also make sure that flammables are nowhere near the open flames so that you don’t experience a fire or anything else.

#4: Fill Holes

Kids will often run between properties, so fill holes that you may have in your yard. You don’t want a kid catching their feet in a hole and twisting their ankle.

#5: Watch Kids

Watch the kids and make sure that they are following rules. They should be walking everywhere instead of running. Ensure kids are holding up longer costumes so that they are not tripping.

As always, a good homeowner’s insurance policy can go a long way. It will allow you to have further peace of mind and ensure that you can file a claim instead of paying out-of-pocket for any damages.

Call us at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial today to learn about homeowners insurance. We can talk to you about coverage options, compare quotes on your behalf, and more. It will ensure that your home in Laurel, Maryland is protected during Halloween and through the rest of the year.

 

 

 

There are a lot of tips that can be followed to ensure that your home is prepped properly for the fall. When you live in Maryland, you know that the fall marks the start of all the cold weather. By doing a few things in and around your home, you can save on your energy bill and protect your home at the same time.

Hire Professionals

While you may want to take the DIY approach whenever you can, there are certain things that you want to do to prep your home that requires a professional. This includes hiring a roofer to inspect if you are missing any shingles as well as a professional and licensed chimney sweep that can unclog your fireplace.

Save Your Electric Bill

There are a few ways that you can save on your electric bill during the fall and winter months. The first is to reimburse your plan so that you can redistribute the warm air. The second is to have your heater checked by a professional to ensure that it is working properly. You may also want to see if there is draft coming in through your windows and doors and have them weather-stripped again.

Do Some Cleaning

It’s also good idea to do some cleaning – including the gutters.

Change Batteries

The batteries in your smoke detector need to be working so that the detectors can do their job. By adding this to your maintenance checklist every fall, you can be sure that they are always working.

Call and talk to an agent at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial today to learn more about homeowners insurance. We can help you with creating your fall home checklist, answering questions you have about coverage, and getting quotes for you to compare premium rates.

 

 

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably always thought of renters insurance as an afterthought—something that would be nice to have but wasn’t a total necessity. Unfortunately, many renters find out the hard way that not having coverage is a big mistake.

Here are three facts to consider to help you decide whether or not you need renters insurance.

Fact #1: Renters Insurance Covers Your Personal Property

The top reason why many purchase this type of coverage is that it pays to replace your personal property if you have a covered claim. For example, if there is a fire in your apartment or you have a break-in, your policy will pay to replace the damaged or stolen items without forcing you to pay out of pocket.

However, one of the most overlooked facets to renters insurance is that it also covers your items during travel. This means that if you have belongings stolen from your suitcase or taken from your car, they would most likely be replaced using your policy. This is an important tidbit to remember if you regularly take vacations or business trips.

Fact #2: Your Landlord Might Require a Renters Policy

Most financial savvy landlords understand that their property coverage does not include personal belongings of tenants. This means that if there is any sort of incident, they are not required to replace your stuff. Furthermore, if someone becomes injured while visiting your apartment, your landlord is also not liable for any medical bills incurred during the incident.

This is why many landlords and property management companies now require tenants to have rental insurance and show proof of coverage. By making this a condition of renting the apartment, the landlord is ensuring you know that they are not in any way responsible for your personal items or any liability incidents.

Fact #3: Renters Insurance is Affordable

Renter’s insurance is often more affordable that most believe. Policy premiums usually only range between one and two hundred dollars a year—equating to only a few dollars per month for added peace of mind. Furthermore, many carriers often give a substantial discount off your auto insurance for having both types of coverage in force.

Of course, exact coverages and discounts available regarding renters insurance vary by individual circumstance. For more information on this type of coverage or any others, please contact our team at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial today.

When you’re living in Maryland, a BBQ can be a fun outdoor activity. You can barbecue on a gas or charcoal grill and serve up some delicious food to your family and friends. However, you want to make sure you are doing so safely as a way of protecting you as well as your home.

Homeowner’s insurance is designed to protect your home and its contents. It can provide coverage against fire, smoke damage, and much more. At Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial, our agents can help you find a great policy so you are well protected. We also want to share some BBQ safety tips to ensure you never have to find out just how great your policy is.

• Keep your grill at least 10 to 15 feet away from your house. The BBQ grill should never be inside your garage or an enclosed patio when you’re cooking.
• Always check for gas leaks. This can be done on your own by using soapy water on the hoses and connections or bringing it into a gas company for them to do the inspection.
• Clean the grill on a regular basis to avoid fat and grease build up. You also don’t want the fuel injector to become clogged.
• If there is a flare up, you want to control it quickly. Keep a spray bottle filled with water right next to the grill, just in case.

By being safe about your BBQ time, it will be a way to enjoy yourself and know that your home is being looked after. Enjoy steaks, hot dogs, or anything else in Maryland on the grill. Just practice safety at all times.

Call and speak to one of our insurance agents at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial to learn about homeowner’s insurance. We’re happy to answer questions you may have and get quotes for you to help with the comparison process.

Cleaning your home can take up a lot of time, but it must be done. Not only does a clean home look nicer but it’s also less accident prone, as there are fewer things to knock over or slip on. Here are three ways that we at Mid Atlantic Insurance Financial have found to save time on cleaning, but still keep our homes nice and tidy.

Our Cleaning Hacks

The best way to reduce how much time you spend cleaning is to reduce how much cleaning you have to do. For instance, if you can reuse a glass at dinnertime, then that’s one less dish you have to wash. Here are some ways you can take this idea a little further:

• eat out of original containers, instead of dishes whenever possible
• switch to shower gel, as it doesn’t leave soap scum like bar soap does
• turn your socks inside out to sweep the floor while you’re walking around

Our Accident Protection

Even with a clean home, accidents happen. We receive phone calls related to in-home incidents almost every day. Along with cleaning to prevent accidents, you should also check your insurance policy to make sure it would cover common household mishaps, just in case something happens in your home.

If you live in Laurel, MD, homeowners insurance agents at our office can help you go over your policy. We can also help you find a new policy, should your current one not provide the necessary coverage. Since all of our agents are independent, you can feel confident that they’re working to help you, and not a specific insurance company. To get started, visit our website for more information on our homeowners insurance offerings or give our independent agents a call today!

There always seems to be something going on in North Laurel, Maryland. From seemingly constant sports tournaments to our Community Garage Sale, we have a wide array of events to look forward to. One thing no one looks forward to is seeing an increase in the cost of their homeowners insurance. You are not powerless however. There are things you can do to sidestep a rate increase from your insurance company.

First, and perhaps most importantly, you can compare. Seek out other providers and compare rates. Since we are an independent agency, we can get rates from multiple companies. This gives you several options when selecting your homeowners insurance. It is why so many of our clients not only can sidestep a rate increase, but many times they can actually see a reduction in their rates. That is worth looking into.

Another way you can avoid higher rates is by increasing the deductible on your policy. This is not always the best option as it will lead to more out of pocket expenses in the event of a claim. It is an effective tactic in fighting a rate increase. You also may consider bundling your insurance coverage. Some companies will offer a discount if you have both your homeowners and auto insurance with them.

You can get comparative quotes for both your auto and homeowners insurance from us right online. We invite you to try it and see how we compare. It is simple to accomplish by visiting our website and filling out our online form. We can have you saving money quickly.

We are proud to serve the North Laurel area and welcome you to our insurance family. When you get a notice of a rate increase in your homeowners insurance, contact us or visit us online. We would be pleased to help save you money.

Beltsville is located within St. George’s County of Maryland and offers many things for residents and tourists alike. This includes activities along the Shenandoah River, Dinosaur Park, and various shopping centers. Home values are slightly lower than the state average as well, making it a popular location for people to settle down in.

When you are ready to buy homeowner’s insurance in Beltsville, it’s important to look at what you are covered for so you know when you can make a claim and when you have to pay on your own.

If you experience a broken window, you will need a replacement quickly. This is because it is a security issue, not to mention that it can leave your home exposed to the outdoor elements.

If you have the right coverage, the homeowners insurance is going to pay for the broken window. Once the company has a chance to review the claim, they will pay for the replacement so you can forget that it ever happened.

The insurance company is only going to pay in some instances. If your son throws a baseball through the bedroom window, the claim is likely going to be denied. However, they will likely pay in such instances as:

– Storms

– Fires

– Trees falling

– Contractor issues

It all comes down to what your coverage is on your homeowner’s insurance policy in Maryland. By contacting our agents, we can explore coverage with you and read the fine print to ensure you are covered as much as possible. This can provide you with peace of mind knowing that you can file a claim and the insurance company will pay. A replacement window is not always cheap, so when they pay, it’s always better.

Call and talk to our agents today and we will help you out.

South Laurel, Maryland is a relatively small city that’s conveniently located between Washington DC and Baltimore. The benefit to this location is that residents are close to it all – monuments, many top employers, and plenty of activities for the whole family. There are also some incredible homes throughout the 20708 area – and many are priced within the average of what’s found through the rest of the state.

It’s important to look at homeowners insurance as to the kind of coverage that you have. There can be all sorts of surprises in and around your home in the 20708 ZIP code and you want to be prepared for them all.

If someone hurts themselves on your property, or even driving home from a party where you served alcohol on your property, they have the potential to file a personal injury claim. Such a claim can be very expensive to you because of the cost to provide compensation as well as legal costs. This is when you’re going to turn to your homeowner’s insurance to cover the costs on your behalf.

In order for the insurance company to accept your claim, you need the necessary coverage. Not all policies will automatically cover a personal injury claim in Maryland. This means you need to be on the lookout for this coverage as you shop for a policy. Otherwise your claim will be denied and you could be financially responsible for it all.

The good news is that we have knowledgeable agents to walk you through your option with homeowner’s insurance in South Laurel. We will go over the levels of coverage for personal injury claims so you can make sure you are protected from every angle.

Contact us today and let us begin searching for quotes for you.