View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2011/05/26/200034.htm
YourHomeStuff, a community connecting website designed specifically for homeowners has launched at www.yourhomestuff.com.
YourHomeStuff simplifies the process of maintaining and protecting a home, and managing family and other community activities. It can also help homeowners save time and money on home maintenance and insurance. YourHomeStuff is free to join, secure and private and has no advertising. It was founded by Karen Clark, president and CEO of Karen Clark & Co., which works in catastrophe risk, catastrophe models and catastrophe risk management.
YourHomeStuff also serves as a distribution platform for insurers. The yhs insurance agency partners with insurance companies, providing them with an online presence and access to a demographic of homeowners committed to the care and maintenance of their homes.
YourHomeStuff also serves as an online referral service for home improvement and repair professionals. Through the affiliated yourworkstuff, contractors receive free leads to YourHomeStuff members who are seeking services. Contractors get quotes and invoicing and mobile access via smart phones to capture all communication in their yourworkstuff account.
Insurance and Home Maintenance
For most individuals, their home is their single largest investment. A primary focus of YourHomeStuff is aiding homeowners in properly insuring their home, and with protecting their investment through ongoing maintenance, repair and improvement.
Surprisingly, surveys indicate over 60% of homes in the United States are underinsured, without sufficient coverage to replace a home and its contents in the event of a total loss.
With the site, homeowners can receive homeowner’s insurance quotes from insurance companies, and compare the quotes side by side. They can customize a policy to fit their needs, and even purchase a policy and obtain an insurance binder, all on a single website.
In addition, members can document valuables, so they can store and retrieve copies of warranties, receipts, appraisals and other critical materials. Members are completely in control of the process, and can decide if and when to engage with a professional insurance agent.
“While they are rare, disasters do happen, so buying appropriate coverage is perhaps the most important household management task,” said Clark. “Most homeowners feel insurance is a mysterious product over which they have little control or choice. While it is complicated, homeowners do in fact have a lot of choice in terms of the types and amounts of coverage they purchase.”
YourHomeStuff members can initiate and track jobs on their home and property, including routine maintenance, repairs and improvements, and renovations and additions. They can also request emergency clean up and restoration services following a flood, fire or other unfortunate event. Members can request competitive estimates from qualified contractors in their communities, receiving an email notification when a qualified professional responds to their request. All communications and job details are documented in the member’s account for reference during the job, or years later when a paint color or material type needs to be matched. Members can also set email reminders for common household maintenance tasks to ensure necessary work is performed as needed.
“Whether doing the work yourself or contracting with a professional, home maintenance, repair and improvement is essential to protecting the value of your investment,” said Ms. Clark. “Timely upkeep can help avoid more costly repairs in the future, and homeowners save money in the long run by keeping their home in top condition.”
Family and Community Connections
Another feature of YourHomeStuff is aggregating household and community information, and fostering connections within and among communities, organizations and neighborhoods.
On the family section of the site, members can create a calendar that includes each member of the household so no important activities are missed. They can message back and forth in a private and secure environment, and share access to important family documents and photos. The site’s community section lets members create private and secure online communities with neighbors, friends, teammates, classmates, club members and others, providing a forum for sharing news, or reminders of upcoming events. Members can list events, post messages and upload documents of interest to the community.
Most networking sites, heavily supported by advertising dollars, share users’ personal information and online activities with advertisers to allow them to more effectively reach their target audiences. There is absolutely no advertising on the site, members can network and exchange information without advertisements and without concerns over how and with whom their online information is shared.