Preparing For A Home Insurance Claim
We must be well prepared for all kinds of calamities and disasters that may hit anyone at any point in life. Such disasters always come unannounced and when you expect them least. This fact is true for all facts of life including your home. Therefore, if you have a home insurance policy in place, and you want to get the maximum insurance amount then it is very important to act when your house is in proper order.
Firstly, make an entire list of the different assets in your home, both big and small, and prepare a thorough inventory list. This list will be a great aid and help in the time of disaster when you may find it difficult to recollect and tell the insurance company about the items stored in your house. Habitually, we tend to remember the placement of all bigger items in our homes including refrigerator, washers, furniture, and so on, but forget a large number of small items in our house. Not only this, it is also equally important to update this list whenever you purchase any new item for your house. The inventory list should be stored separately in a bank locker or some other safe place. Avoid keeping it in your house as you may lose it with all the other stuff.
Also, don't forget to file the bills and receipts of the items purchased properly, as the insurance company will not pay any claims in the absence of these receipts. These receipts will come in handy in filing the insurance claim as only then you can get the actual value of all the items, big and small. Otherwise, the insurer can always pay you the depreciated value of the items, much less than the real value.
Not only this, you can also make your insurance claim stronger by adding photographs and videos of your household items with this inventory list. You should also include pictures of different areas of your house, including garage, sheds, fireplace, cabinets, and closets, both from inside and outside. In case, you need to make insurance claims, you case can become much stronger with such measures in place.
The inventory list and other important information related to your household items should be available not only as a soft copy in the computer, but also a hard or printed copy, placed safely outside your home. Not only will this help you to remember things when filing a claim, but will also ensure that you get proper value for all these items from the insurance company instead of the much less depreciated value.
Also, be aware of the negotiation techniques and jargon used by the home adjuster. These professionals are hired by the insurance companies to meet the client and settle a homeowners insurance claim settlement at a much reduced price. They reach this depreciated and reduced value by employing the services of an attorney, contractor or promoter who built the house, engineers, accountants, and inventory specialists whose main job is to deny your claim or make you reach a much settled value. So be aware of all this sweet talk and keep your facts and information intact to deal with them carefully. After all, it's your property and it's your right to get the maximum home claim settlement from the insurance company.