How 2020 changed life for homeowners and insurance agents alike

2020 Year in Review for Agents and Homeowners

As we bid a fond farewell to 2020, we take that traditional time to reflect on the year behind, and to plan for the year ahead. Well, if 2020 taught us anything at all, it’s that plans are made to be altered, and that much in our lives is beyond our control (you know, like the emergence of a global pandemic, for example)…so for now, we’ll stick with reflection.

Was there even a time before we all worked from home?

The historic 2020 saw so many changes, and many of those changes had seemingly subtle impacts that had unforeseeable ripple effects.

Take the obvious: in 2020, the world shifted largely from in-person working situations to work-from-home scenarios.

From an insurance agent’s perspective, that meant a change in auto insurance coverage. With less people driving to and from work every day, clients were adjusting their auto insurance policies, and new policies were unique from the get-go.

From a homeowner’s perspective, working-from-home (to say nothing of stay-at-home orders and mandatory quarantines) meant increased energy usage in the home. Spending every. waking. hour. at home meant more lights on, more toilets flushed, more dishwasher cycles, more adjustments to the heat (and then the air conditioning, and then the heat again…).

More time at home in 2020 meant more property disasters

Because people were spending (and still are spending) so much more time in their homes, another unforeseen side-effect of 2020 creeped up: more at-home property disasters. Homeowners were home, and noticed that blinking light, or that leaky faucet, or that never-stops-running toilet. And it bugged them because it was right in front of their face. And so they fixed it themselves because, hey, they had the time, right? A lot of times, it went just fine. Sometimes, it ended in an electrical or water emergency. Cue a call to restoration experts like Kelmann. Cue a call to insurance agents. The ripples continue.

Beyond accidental property incidents were intentional property projects. Homeowners found themselves with extra time and, in a lot of cases, extra spending money (no concerts to attend, no new clothes to buy, no trips to take). Suddenly, the time felt right to fix the roof. Maybe it was time to remodel that kitchen. Why not knock out the wall between the dining room and the family room?

Looking ahead to 2021

As we settle in to 2021, we still find ourselves at home, in smaller social circles and with a little more time on our hands. If you are looking to undertake a home remodeling or repair project – be sure to contact your insurance agent to see if you need to update your policy after an improvement is made.

And if a property disaster should strike, you can always count on Kelmann. From water to fire damage and everything in between, Kelmann can respond to your emergency right away and help get you back to normal quickly.

2020: you were an unforgettable year. There were many things we’d love to leave in the past. But perhaps one small silver lining was, in fact, what we’ve stated again and again in this article: we were at home. We are grateful for the places we live, and the ones we live with and near. Hopefully, if nothing else, we take that gratitude into the new year.

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