You get a homeowners insurance policy hoping that you never actually have to use it. Should that time come when you have to file a claim, here are some helpful tips to avoid some hassle and ensure the process runs smoothly.
Inform the Relevant Authorities
For incidents involving burglary or vandalism, contacting the police is, of course, the first thing to do. Get a copy of the police report and any other correspondence with law enforcement. Your homeowners insurance adjuster will refer to these documents when processing your claim.
Understand What Your Policy Covers
Be sure to understand the exclusions on your homeowners insurance when buying the cover. It will be such a disappointment to file a claim only to realize later that you did not include such an incident in the policy. Keep in mind that filing a claim which is an exclusion in your policy will still be recorded as a claim, and this may affect your premiums when renewing your policy.
Read through any rules which may apply to filing a claim on your homeowners insurance policy. Include how long you have after the incident to file your claim.
Document the Damage
A picture truly is worth a thousand words when filing a homeowners insurance claim. Document the damage from the covered incident from all angles. Get a quality camera and take clear pictures of the damage. It's better if you can also capture video.
With photographs and video, you will not need to spend so much time explaining the damage to your insurer. Capture the same as soon as possible after the incident.
Take Care of Emergency Repairs
Read through your homeowners insurance policy fine print, and you will find that you are required to take all reasonable steps to protect the insured property from further damage. For this reason, find a qualified contractor as soon as possible to take care of any emergency repairs.
These repairs can be anything from fixing a burst pipe to boarding a damaged window. Again, be sure to document the before and after the repairs. You will have to pay for these repairs out of pocket, but keep the receipts so you can present them with the other claim documents.
Get a police report where necessary, and be sure to document the damage. Where emergency repairs are required, be sure to do so as soon as possible to prevent further damage. Do this, and you can look forward to a smooth claim filing on your homeowners insurance.
For more information on home insurance, contact a company like Oliveira Insurance Agency.
