Simple Steps To Make Filing A Claim With Your Homeowners Insurance Go Smoothly
Now that you're a homeowner, you want to make sure that your home insurance provides you with the maximum protection. There's no way of telling when you're going to suffer a loss that requires an insurance claim. If you ever do have to file a claim, you want to make sure you receive the coverage you're entitled to. Here are two things you should do to make your claim go as smoothly as possible.
Have Necessary Documentation
Documentation is one of the most important things you can have when you file an insurance claim for damage to your home or property. The easiest way to receive compensation for your losses is to provide documentation for everything that was lost or damaged. Here are two simple things you can do to document your property.
Keep Receipts
You can't keep receipts for everything you own. However, you should keep receipts for your big ticket purchases, such as televisions and computers. Receipts will help document the actual value of your property. Keep your receipts in one central location, such as a safe or lock box. If those items are ever destroyed or stolen, you'll have documentation of the purchase.
Take Lots of Pictures
Pictures provide a quick and easy way to document the things you own. Take pictures of you home, including the interior of each room. If you or a family member receive a big ticket item as a gift, take a picture with the item. This will provide documentation for items you don't have a receipt for. It's also important that you take pictures of the personal property inside cupboards, drawers and closets.
Transfer the pictures onto a flash drive or memory stick and store the device with your important papers. When you suffer a loss, you'll be able to give the memory stick directly to your insurance carrier. You can also video tape each room and store the videos with your documents. Videos are a simple way to document every room in your home, including wall décor that might be difficult to photograph.
Keep Detailed Notes
When you do suffer a claim, it's important that you document the correspondence between you and your insurance company. Keeping detailed notes about who you talk to, will make it easier to clear up problems should they arise. In addition to documenting who you speak to during each phone call, there are few other things you should document as well.
- Time and date of the phone call
- Details discussed during the call
- Agreements entered into during the call
You want to make sure you're insurance provides you the protection you need. The steps provided here will help you avoid headaches when you need to file a claim with your homeowners insurance company.
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