Category: Insurance

As the boating season winds down, it’s time to consider safely storing your vessel for the winter months. At Selkirk Insurance Services, serving the community in and around Sandpoint, ID, we understand that proper storage is crucial to protecting your investment and ensuring smooth sailing next season.

Preparing Your Boat for Winter

The first step in winterizing your boat is a thorough cleaning. Remove any dirt, grime, and salt to prevent corrosion. Draining all water from the engine, pipes, and any onboard systems is essential to avoid freezing damage. Applying a coat of wax to the hull can provide an extra layer of protection against moisture.

Choosing the Right Storage Option

Deciding where to store your boat is a significant consideration. Indoor storage is ideal for maximum protection against the elements, but a high-quality cover is essential if that’s not possible. Ensure the cover is snug and secure to prevent any water from seeping in. Outdoor storage should include a sturdy frame to support the cover and prevent snow accumulation.

Maintenance During the Off-Season

Even while in storage, your boat needs occasional attention. Check on it periodically to ensure the cover remains secure, and there are no signs of pests. Ventilation is also important to prevent mold and mildew, so consider using a dehumidifier or moisture-absorbing products.

Let Us Help You Protect Your Boat Year Round

Protecting your boat during the off-season is vital for its longevity and performance. At Selkirk Insurance Services, we provide boat insurance in the greater Sandpoint, ID region. We offer comprehensive boat insurance to safeguard your vessel year-round. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help keep your boat safe and ready for your next adventure.

Are you getting ready to move into a new condo that you have recently purchased? If so, consider the condo insurance coverage you may need throughout your ownership.

Temporary Living Expenses

If you encounter a situation that will require you to live outside the condo on a temporary basis, you will be responsible for the cost of securing an alternate residence. Your condo insurance policy can cover temporary living expenses. The insurance coverage will reimburse you for the cost of staying in a hotel or another type of dwelling. It will also cover out-of-pocket costs for food and other essentials you need while you are unable to occupy your condo.

Structural Materials

As a new condo owner, you will need to familiarize yourself with the responsibilities of the condo association that oversees the property where your condo is located. The paperwork the association furnishes you with will outline the property for which the association is responsible. Interior walls, flooring, and ceiling materials that comprise your condo may be your responsibility. The structural materials that you are responsible for maintaining should be added to your condo insurance policy.

Personal Possessions

Furniture, clothing, and household goods can be added to your condo insurance policy. Before your insurance documents are prepared, inventory the items you plan on storing within your condo. Take into account if any of the items are at risk of being stolen or vandalized. Assess the risk of a weather event destroying your possessions. Plan on insuring items of value that would be difficult to repair or replace.

Condo Insurance Plans in Idaho

Contact an agent who serves Sandpoint, ID. One of our agents at Selkirk Insurance Services will prepare your new condo insurance policy.

Farmers and ranchers have unique needs, and this is especially true in Sandpoint, ID. This is why the insurance policy that protects your property and its operations should not be the same as those used by neighboring properties. Customizing your insurance policy is crucial in getting suitable protection for your operation. Selkirk Insurance Services is here to assist you.

Primary Areas of Protection

While all policies may differ based on individual needs, there are four main categories of coverage for a farm or ranch policy. These are:

• Your personal home, its contents, and other buildings for personal and family use
• Ranch work-related buildings
• Property housed inside ranch structures
• Liability

The home portion of your policy will provide some liability coverage for guests within that structure. However, this provision is distinct from the liability coverage for your farming and ranching operations. In addition to your home, remember to account for all other buildings, including barns, silos, and the like, associated with your farming operation. This section also covers equipment like tractors, plows, balers, etc. Insurance coverage for these high-value items is crucial should they get damaged.

Add Provisions That Address Your Operations

Many farming operations in Idaho have substantial livestock counts. Additionally, crops also need coverage. Basic policies won’t include them, but raising livestock or growing crops aims to sell them for profit. Adding a rider will enable you to cover specific risks to horses, cattle, chickens, and more or have crop-specific coverage. You might also want to consider including a disruption of farming operations provision to cover loss of income and expenses related to a covered loss. Finally, farming and ranching equipment pose considerable dangers. Adding an umbrella liability policy can help save your business from a catastrophic event.

Let the experts at Selkirk Insurance Services, serving the Sandpoint, ID community, and surrounding areas, help you customize your farm or ranch policy. Don’t delay. Contact us today to get started.

Many owners of religious establishments don’t realize that there’s insurance tailored specifically for their needs – religious institute insurance. This specific type of insurance bundles several coverages to meet the requirements expected from a religious institution’s protection needs. If you’re in the Sandpoint, ID area, we encourage you to contact one of our professionals at Selkirk Insurance Services for a detailed explanation of what this insurance can offer. Here’s an overview of what a typical religious institute policy covers.

What is Religious Institute Insurance?

Religious institute insurance is a specialized policy designed to meet the unique needs of religious establishments. It provides safeguards against a range of risks, from physical property damage to financial liabilities. However, it’s worth noting that religious institute insurance may not be suitable for every institution.

What Does it Cover?

Religious institute insurance is a comprehensive policy providing wide-ranging protection for institutions. Instead of purchasing separate coverage for each kind of risk, this insurance offers full-spectrum protection, ensuring your institution is entirely covered. While the specifics of coverage vary between insurance providers, they generally cover the basics. Here is some potential coverage provided by this insurance:

• Liability
• Medical
• Property damage
• Fine art
• Business automobile
• Employment practice liability

What Type of Institutions Are Covered

While churches might be the first type of establishment that comes to mind when thinking of religious institutes, religious institute insurance aims to be inclusive. It covers a wide array of institutions, including temples, mosques, synagogues, and even schools. Essentially, any institution operating on a religious premise qualifies for this coverage, further validating their valuable societal contributions.

The Bottom Line

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re in the Sandpoint, ID area. Our representatives at Selkirk Insurance Services can help you determine if religious institute insurance is the right choice for your institution. All you need to do is contact us today.

Wedding insurance will protect against unforeseen events that could delay or cancel your wedding ceremony. Learn how this type of coverage could benefit you. Then, conduct a wedding ceremony assessment to assist with preparing your insurance policy.

Wedding Issues

• Extreme weather
• Sicknesses
• Venue cancelations
• Food shortages
• Inventory mistakes or shortages
• Transportation issues
• Clothing damage
• Personal possession theft

Overview

Wedding insurance provides coverage for all the uncertainties that could be faced leading up to your wedding day. This coverage also protects against unforeseen events that occur during your wedding ceremony and reception.

If your wedding needs to be postponed due to no fault of your own, your coverage will ensure that you can reschedule your ceremony without being liable for additional costs.

If damage or theft occurs during your wedding ceremony, the coverage will handle the costs associated with the incident that you experience.

Considerations to Make

Keeping records of the items you need for your wedding will be helpful. Your records should include a list of all the items you will be responsible for supplying. If you purchase items through several vendors, you should review each contract you are furnished with.

If you are responsible for materials that will be set up at the venue where your wedding will be hosted, you will benefit from insuring them.

Assisting with Insurance!

Our agents who serve Sandpoint, ID can assist you with any wedding insurance concerns you have. After you contact one of our Selkirk Insurance Services agents, provide them with details about your proposed wedding ceremony. The agent will offer suggestions to provide you with the wedding insurance protection you need.

In today’s litigious society, the threat of lawsuits looms large for individuals and families in the Sandpoint, ID region. While standard insurance policies provide valuable protection, they may not always be sufficient to cover the full extent of damages in a lawsuit. This is where umbrella insurance steps in, offering additional financial security and peace of mind.

Understanding Umbrella Insurance

This liability insurance provides coverage beyond the limits of standard home, auto, or watercraft insurance policies. It serves as a safety net, protecting policyholders from terrible financial losses in lawsuits where damages surpass the limits of regular insurance coverage. 

Comprehensive Coverage

Umbrella insurance offers broad coverage for various liability risks, including bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and legal defense costs. It extends coverage worldwide, providing protection wherever the policyholder goes, whether at home or traveling abroad.

Protection Against Lawsuits

Umbrella insurance shields policyholders from the consequences of lawsuits. When a lawsuit happens, umbrella insurance kicks in when all resources are exhausted, providing additional funds to cover legal expenses, settlements, and judgments.

Peace of Mind

Umbrella insurance offers peace of mind for individuals and families, knowing they have an extra layer of protection against unforeseen events and legal liabilities. With umbrella insurance, policyholders can go about their daily lives confidently, knowing they are financially protected from the risks of lawsuits and legal claims.

Cost-Effective Coverage

Despite its comprehensive coverage, umbrella insurance is relatively affordable, especially considering the significant financial protection it provides. The cost of umbrella insurance premiums is typically low compared to the potential economic losses it helps mitigate, making it a cost-effective safeguard against lawsuits.

Let Selkirk Insurance Services Give You Information

Selkirk Insurance Services answers your umbrella insurance questions and serves the Sandpoint, ID, region. Call us today.

Owning a new sailboat brings the promise of new adventures on the water. Amidst the excitement of getting a new boat, however, it’s important to take a moment and make sure the boat is properly protected. Here are three key things about adequately insuring a new sailboat with boar insurance.

1. Protection Against Damage: Sometimes Required

One of the most important aspects of boat insurance is protecting your vessel, especially when it’s new. 

You’ll likely be required to insure against vessel damage if you’re financing your boat. Most lenders require this when underwriting boat loans to ensure the vessel used as collateral against a loan is protected. However, it’s broadly recommended that you get damage coverage regardless of whether you’re required to.

2. Coverage for Onboard Gear: Protecting Your Equipment

In addition to protecting your boat against damage (and theft), it’s also important to protect what’s on it. Make sure any tackle, safety equipment, electronics, and other gear is protected against fire, theft, and other perils. This coverage is usually distinct from damage coverage.

3. Trailer Coverage: Safeguarding Your Transport

If you’re getting a trailer for towing your sailboat, you’ll also want to insure the trailer against car accident damage, theft, and other risks. This third protection is usually distinct from what a boat insurance policy offers for your sailboat and gear.

If you’ll only occasionally trailer your boat locally around the Sandpoint, ID area, we at Selkirk Insurance Services can help you find basic trailer coverage that’ll meet your needs. Of course, we can also assist with more extensive trailer coverage if you regularly tow.

Get Boat Insurance for Your New Sailboat

If you’re getting a new sailboat this season and will keep it around Sandpoint, ID, let us at Selkirk Insurance Services help you set up a boat insurance policy to protect it well. Contact us today to get a policy.

Protecting the place we call home is something everyone thinks about, and for condo owners, the first step usually begins with condo insurance. It doesn’t matter if you live in a mansion, a single-room apartment, or a luxurious condo with all the amenities. Home can look different for everyone. However, protecting the place we call home looks very much alike to everyone. If you are a condo owner in the Sandpoint, ID area and have questions about condo insurance, the friendly and professional team at Selkirk Insurance Services can help.

Condo Insurance for the Place You Call Home

In many ways, a condo is as susceptible as a traditional home in terms of concerns about safety and protecting your home. From theft to liability claims and more, condo owners share many common concerns with other homeowners. It isn’t surprising that people who call home everything from an apartment to a house to a condo use insurance as a first line of defense to protect the place they call home.

At Selkirk Insurance, our team can help owners find condo insurance solutions that fit their needs, condos, and budgets. Protecting your home is important, regardless of where you live, and protecting your condo begins with the right condo insurance solutions. 

Condo Insurance in Sandpoint

If you are a condo owner in or around the greater Sandpoint, ID, area and have questions or want to learn more about condo insurance, our professional and trusted team at Selkirk Insurance Services can help. Contact us today to find out more and get the condo insurance you need to protect your place of residence.

Owning a home isn’t for everyone. Many people opt for renting and letting someone else maintain and worry about the building. Only about 60 percent of renters actually have renters insurance, which is risky. At Selkirk Insurance Services in Sandpoint, ID, we ensure our customers understand the value of insurance on their rental. 

If you have any assets, renters insurance provides liability insurance that can protect your assets. If someone is hurt in your rental or by a family member away from your rental, it will provide coverage to pay for legal fees and a judgment against you. This can give you the peace of mind you need.

As a renter, you may assume that your landlord’s insurance protects your personal property, but that would be a mistake. The landlord’s insurance only covers what belongs to them, not what belongs to you. Renters insurance will provide the coverage that you need to protect all the things that you own. It covers theft as well as loss through a covered hazard. You can cover the items for their replacement cost or their current value. 

In addition to liability and personal property coverage, renters insurance may have a loss of use coverage. If your rental becomes uninhabitable, loss of use coverage will pay to stay in a hotel or temporary rental, and if you are unable to cook, it will pay for meals. 

If you live in or near Sandpoint, ID, Selkirk Insurance Services is your local independent insurance agency. We are here to help renters understand the benefits of having renters’ insurance. Give us a call to set up an appointment to discuss your needs.