28 Oct Need to File a Homeowners Insurance Claim?

If there is one good thing to be said for most insurance companies, it’s the fact that in recent years they have listened to both customer as well as their competitors when it comes to the difficulties so often associated with the claims process. Simply stated, insurance companies have changed things dramatically in their efforts to make claims easier and faster to deal with. There are, however, certain things you can do as the claimant to make things go even faster and easier. This article will give you the keys to making that happen

1. Maintain a household inventory. You should keep a list of your household items, especially large and more expensive items. Try to include dates of purchase and the prices you paid in this inventory. These items will make it much easier to negotiate settlement amounts when that time comes. Don’t worry so much about smaller, less expensive items such as CDs and other things, but it might be a good idea to have a round number of how many you own.

2. Understand what is covered by your policy. You should always have a good idea of what your insurance covers in the event you need to make a claim. Further, you should be aware of increasing the amount of your coverage as your property increases in number and value.

3. Document your damage and make only temporary repairs. When there is a problem most homeowners are in a rush to get repairs made to get life back to normal. Unfortunately, from an insurance standpoint this is not in your best interest. As much as is possible, keep things just as they are so company representatives can see the full extent of the damage as it happened.

4. Contact your insurance company immediately. You should make your insurance company aware of any accident or incident affecting your property. If you are involved in any large scale event you should still let them know of your involvement as soon as possible. In these situations it might take a while for them to respond, but the sooner you let them know, the better.

Be prepared to work with your insurance company, because they will want to work with you.

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