If your house has been hit by a hurricane or another climate disaster, one of the first steps to getting things back to normal is to file an insurance claim to help with repairs. The problem is that your house is now in pieces and your insurance company information is in there somewhere and you have no idea where to start. You want to ensure that you get the payout that you are entitled to when your home has been hit by a hurricane, and while it may feel overwhelming, we do have a checklist to help you to avoid costly mistakes and delays that could prevent you from putting your life back into the right order.
Contact Your Insurance Agency
The first thing to do when a hurricane has hit your home is to notify your insurer. You have to be able to file a claim and you should ask how long it will take until you get that visit from an insurance adjuster. This is the person who’s going to help you to arrive at a settlement and inspect the damage that has happened to your home. It’s quite common to need to contact more than one insurer after a hurricane has hit your home, especially if all your belongings in your home that have been damaged by flooding are covered only by flood insurance.. You’ll then need to start speaking to an insurance agent from your car’s auto insurance company. There may also be a separate windstorm policy to look for on your homeowner’s insurance. It does take a lot of organization, but you can get answers.
If There are Urgent Repairs, Speak Up
When you are on the phone to your insurer, you need to tell them if you need anything emergent to. If there is flood water through the home and that needs to be removed, or the electrical wiring is down and that needs to be fixed, your insurance company should be able to send somebody out to do this for you. If you have to pay for any repairs yourself, save your receipts; The insurer should give me the money back later.
Take Photos
After a hurricane has run through your street, if your home has been affected you need to take pictures. Photographing or videotaping any damage to your home, belongings, car or yard will help you to make the right claim. It will also ensure that the claim is taken seriously because the evidence is right there.
Hand the Inventory of Your Home to Your Adjuster
Most people have a copy of their home inventory especially when they have furniture insured and cars insured. It could make it much easier for the insurer to figure out which items have been last and how much they’re worth if you have a list. If you don’t have an inventory, make a list as quickly as you can of any damaged belongings and find any receipts that you have available in your email or put in paper.
Cover Up Holes
If the windows have been damaged or the roof has been damaged, cover the holes with top. Don’t throw away anything that has been damaged until they’ve been documented efficiently, but make sure that you have covers so that the wind and rain doesn’t get inside the house.
Get Your Own Repair Estimates
Your insurance company is always going to have preferred contractors to recommend to you to fix your home, but it’s always a smart idea to ask for an outsider to come in and take a look. For example, if you need to have your roof fixed, then knowing that you can have more than one quote available is smart. Once you collect all of the beds and you decide on a contractor, your insurance adjuster will need to approve that cost.
Be Patient
Yes, a hurricane has ripped its way through your street and damaged your home, but there will be a lot of people claiming on their properties after a hurricane has come through. You should prepare yourself for a wait until your home is fixed and it may take longer than you think for people to arrive to help. If you can’t continue to live in your home because of the damage, make sure that you keep any receipts that you have available for hotels or restaurants or any costs that you have gathered when you are waiting for repairs to happen. These are costs that are covered are your homeowner’s insurance on your insurer will reimburse you later on.