Vargas & Vargas Insurance

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Dorchester, MA 02124

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Summer Preparedness: Part 1: Vacation

You’d think preparing to go on vacation would be as tranquil as the vacation.  Too often it’s not.  The hectic days leading up to vacation time include preparing for the departure from home and office and preparing for the vacation. 

Here’s some tips that might help you prepare more efficiently…and more calmly…for your vacation.

PACKING
The dreaded packing of the suitcase ritual can make anyone crazy!   Prepare for your packing process well in advance.  After all, many of the clothes you’ll take on vacation are not the clothes you wear everyday, are they?   Spend 20 minutes a week for the three weeks in advance of your vacation and pack small amounts at a time.  Setup your suitcase in one spot, where you won’t move it.  Then add to the suitcase in small increments. 

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
Passports, credit cards, plane/train tickets, printed itineraries need to be collected well in advance and stored together.   Any office supply store has perfect sized, closeable plastic envelopes and containers that  are ideal for collecting your important travel documents into a single convenient location.  Try to use a bright color for the container so it’s easy to find in a hurry, or in the dark.   If all else fails, a resealable plastic storage bag, the kind you use in your kitchen, is a great solution too.

PHONE NUMBERS
In your address book on your Smartphone, create a new address category where you can save important phone numbers for easy access.  This way, in the event of an urgent phone call  you can pop open a single address category and access all the numbers you’ll need to call, text or email.  Remember, you’re on vacation!  If you have to make urgent contact with folks back home, you’ll want to do it quickly so you can get back to the real work of relaxing!

HOME SECURITY
Checklists are the best way to efficiently prepare your home for your absence.  Windows locked? CHECK.  Alarm company notified of vacation dates? CHECK.  Lamp timers installed and correctly set to match sunrise, sunset? CHECK.   Think like an airline pilot: create a checklist and review the checklist at least two weeks before you leave for your vacation, and then once more the night before or morning of your departure.

INSURANCE
Preparing your insurance for your vacation may be the easiest part of your holiday preparations.  One call to your Independent Insurance Agent to review your insurance policies can help you determine what you have, what you will need, what you’re covered for while you’re away on vacation.

Call us today to be prepared to vacation without a worry.

Call now at 617-298-0655 or text us at 617-409-0329.

Click here to Visit our Contact Us page.

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Planning Your Patriots Super Bowl Party

The New England Patriots have done it again – our boys will soon be on their way to Houston to play in the Big Game! Now that we know the lineup, it’s time to start planning a watch party with a red, white, and blue theme (my apologies to anyone from Atlanta).

If you’re going to have anyone over to watch the game on February 5th, make sure that you consider these party planning and safety tips from your friends at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency:

  • Ask your guests ahead of time if they have any food allergies, and plan your menu accordingly.
  • Before anyone arrives, move valuable and breakable objects to a room that isn’t a part of the festivities. If any of your belongings (or a part of your home) is damaged during the party, call your local insurance agent to start a home insurance claim!
  • Make sure that everything is safe for your guests – you don’t want any hazards around the house, like an icy sidewalk or rug that could be tripped over.
  • If you are serving alcohol, make sure that all partygoers have a designated driver, and don’t let anyone get too impaired.
  • If you’re going to be frying any of your party foods, keep guests (especially children) away from the fryer and out of the kitchen.

Have a great party, and make sure to show your Patriots pride on the Vargas and Vargas Insurance Facebook Page! We want to see how you are rooting for the team! And remember – to make sure that you are fully prepared for any house party, call for a free home insurance review at 617-298-0655.

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What to Do After a Break-In

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It’s a nightmare come true for every homeowner – you come in from being away only to find that your home has been broken into. Once the initial shock wears off, what should you do? Here are four steps that you can take to start down the road to normalcy:

Immediately Call the Police

The first thing that you should do is immediately call the police. Wait outside or at a neighbor’s home for the police to arrive, and do not touch anything in your home until the police are able to investigate. File a police report, and keep a copy for insurance purposes.

Talk to Your Insurance Agent

Your insurance provider will want to know about the break in right away, and may want to send an adjuster to assess the damage. They will likely need a copy of the police report, as well as a list of the items that were stolen or damaged.

Begin the Cleaning and Repairs

It can be very emotional to have your home invaded. When you finally need to start the process of cleaning up, consider rearranging the furniture or painting the walls to make the space feel fresh and new. This could help you and your family overcome some of the bitter emotions that often come with this kind of event.

Evaluate Your Home’s Security

If your home security system could use an upgrade, now is the perfect time to do so. Your local insurance agent may be able to help you get a discount on your home insurance policy if you have certain security features installed, such as a monitored security system and video surveillance.

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