There are perks to being a homeowner and then there are the not-so-perks about being a homeowner. I experienced one of those homeowner's not-so-perks this past weekend when my wife told me that if I wanted to get our Christmas lights up I was going to need to remove the garden that was growing on our roof.

I like Christmas lights, but I also realized that I have a huge - let me correct that - INSANE fear of heights. So as I knocked knees in nervousness climbing up the ladder, straddled the ridge of the roof as the pit in my stomach grew and watched my younger brother do the moonwalk along the eave of the house while pressure washing my roof, I realized that I should share this excitement with our home insurance clients. Lucky you!

Kevin (left) and Erik (right), cleaning the roof of moss. 

As an eight-year veteran of the insurance industry, I know that companies want homeowners to have a “Pride of Ownership.”

But as a twenty-year veteran of the state of Washington, I know that moss comes with the territory. Drive through neighborhood upon neighborhood and you’ll see that moss on the roof is to the Pacific Northwest as sand on the beach is to Hawaii.

That doesn’t stop insurance companies for pressing the “Pride of Ownership” tag. 
Yes, the “Pride of Ownership” tag that we insurance agents so enjoy explaining to our home insurance clients. After all, we all show pride – or at least think we do - in homeownership, even if I do have 15 cars buried in my backyard that I plan to rebuild.

Like most homeowners, I feel I take pride in my home. However, I also realize that if one of the companies I write insurance policies for were to even glance at my roof, they would slap me with a non-renewal of insurance faster than my 7-year-old son opening presents on Christmas Day.

Insurance companies are slowly getting pickier with the surroundings of your house, as well. If you don’t correct the home insurance and maintenance issues they've identified, they will tell you to go somewhere else for your homeowners insurance. Translation: You will pay a higher home insurance premium, and probably with a non-standard insurance company.

Here are some of the more frequent home maintenance problems we hear of from our home insurance underwriters:

• They frown upon trees that are near or touch your house because, like the moss, they could damage your roof. A worn roof requires replacement to keep weather from damaging the interior.
• Home insurance underwriters are often frustrated with peeling paint because of the lead paint hazard and missing siding for prevention of dry rot and interior damage.
• They get upset if you have debris (AKA trash) around your surroundings because of that whole trip-and-fall issue (if someone trips and falls on your property, you are usually held liabile for their injury).
• Missing gutter or downspouts are discouraged by home insurance underwriters because the run-off of water could cause damage to the foundation.
• If any part of your house is damaged, including your fence, deck, or stairs, that’s also considered no-no.
• Finally, if you have three or more stairs leading up to your deck or front porch then you have to have a rail.

The above rules also apply to outbuildings or structures not attached to your home.

So after I watched my brother finish my “Winter Cleaning” (or as I call it, "my Christmas present to my wife"), and made the hike down the ladder (do I spider climb backwards or do I just take the easy route and ask the fire department to come rescue me?) I stopped and admired the job my brother did.

The color green was no longer part of my roof’s description, and my chimney looked clean enough to try it out before Santa arrived.

Pride of Ownership? Yeah, I was feeling pretty proud to be a homeowner, and a lot more confident about the condition of my home. It's a good thing, too, since I received a home inspection letter from my home insurance company today! Phew!