Recently, I’ve been performing all manner of work on my house. The stucco on my foundation cracked and began to fall off, so I had to repair it. I went to Harry’s Hardware, bought some stucco and mixed it up without checking the proper water/stucco ratio (because *real* men never read instructions).
The end result was a watery mess that would barely stay on the house. Somehow I managed to get enough to stick to repair the holes, but because the old stucco had separated, it didn’t quite match up and my foundation resembled Manuel Noriega’s face. Worse, I had failed to wear gloves (because *real* men don’t use proper safety equipment) and my hands had become the consistency of hamburger.
Next, I decided to tackle a more long-term project; painting the ironwork around my house. Since my house is on a corner and the ironwork didn’t appear to have been painted within my lifetime, this was going to be a massive task.
First of all, I decided to start this task in the middle the August heat, and instead of renting a sandblaster or some other instrument to speed up preparing the iron, I decided to use a single wire brush with a scraper on the end (because *real* men don’t use machines when a more primitive and inefficient tool will do).
Day after day I labored for hours, scraping the old paint off by hand until I was literally drenched in my own sweat and virtually collapsing from heat stroke.
Next, I had to start painting the ironwork. However, instead of using a roller or a paint sprayer, I decided to do the whole thing in spray paint (because… I don’t rightfully know). This was massively expensive, as I repeatedly returned to Harry’s to buy them out of high gloss black spray paint. And of course, I didn’t use a safety mask, so every time I painted I wound up with about three pounds of spray paint in my nose. If I sneezed, I looked like that dinosaur from Jurassic Park that attacked what’s-his-face from “Seinfeld.
Second, notify your homeowners insurance company so that it is aware of this change in your risk profile. Eric Vaith, of USAA, says that given the access your tenant may have to your home and because theft of certain valuable items — such as jewelry,
PuroClean Property Rescuers NC (PPR-NC), serving Wake County NC and surrounding areas are Certified Insurance Claims Specialists focusing on property emergency services and can help homeowners overcome the devastating aftermath of property damage

Since that time, I have continued my dangerous home repairs with reckless abandon. Coincidentally, about a week after my brush with death, I received a flyer from my auto insurance company, USAA, about an offer for life insurance.
Explanation of Coverage From a Usaa Homeowner’s Insurance Policy
Finding a trustworthy insurance company is crucial when purchasing a home. Some homeowner insurance policies fit within a budget but do not provide the coverage that many customers need; or the coverage fits the need but is too expensive.
The following information is taken from an insurance policy with USAA which shows to be affordable while providing exceptional coverage.
“Dwelling Coverage”-A dwelling is the home purchased by the insurer. USAA will cover the house itself and any structures attached to the dwelling if damaged. Examples would be an attached shed or parking canopy/car port. In addition any materials and supplies located on or next to the house used to construct, repair, or alter the residence, permanently installed carpeting, and permanently installed window coverings. This USAA policy does not cover land on which the home is located.
“Other Structures Coverage”-Pertains to structures that are set apart from the house by space, sidewalks, fences, and driveways including those that are connected to the residence by only a utility line, fence, or similar connection. This policy does not cover land or the land where other structures are located. USAA will not cover other structures that are away from the insured’s residence; such as something that would be capable of being used for a business or a dwelling.
“Personal Property Coverage”-This coverage is also known as “Tangible Personal Property” and covers items such as jewelry, lap top computers, water craft, and furs, just to name a few. These items are covered if damaged, lost, or stolen regardless of where it is in the world. It also covers personal property of others that may be visiting the insured’s home. This policy does not insure the loss or death of animals, birds, or fish regardless if they are in the insured’s residence or not. Air and hover craft is not covered under this policy nor are business records, data, recordings, and images or photographs. The amount of insurance is limited to 10% or 00 whichever is greater. The Personal Property Coverage offers a “special amount of insurance” which they will pay for each loss of an item as follows: 0 for smart cards, stored value cards, gift certificates including electronic gift certificates, coins, medals, and money. 00 for evidences of debt, manuscripts, passports and tickets, securities, accounts, notes other than bank notes, and deeds. These limits include the costs to replace or restore information from the lost or damaged material and the research involved and will not increase the Personal Property Protection amount of insurance.