What would you do if your home was destroyed by a fire, or one of your water pipes burst while you were on vacation, or a burglar stole valuable items from your home?
You can’t prepare for everything, but planning for the unexpected when dealing with property claims could make these situations easier to handle.
Below are some things to consider before a loss happens:
• Take photographs with a phone camera to document ownership of items.
• Walk room by room, making notes of items. Don’t forget things like artwork, bedding and clothing.
• Prepare an inventory list of your property throughout your home.
• Make sure you record high-value items such as antiques, guns and jewelry.
• Don’t forget storage sheds and your garage for contents you may have outside of the home.
If you suffer a loss, below is a checklist of things to do to make the claim go more efficiently:
• Protect your property from further damage.
• Create an inventory of damaged or destroyed items.
• Keep your inventory cataloged by room. This way you’ll be less likely to forget something.
• Fully describe each damaged item, including quantity, age, brand, model and serial number, if available.
• Submit completed inventory forms to your claim adjuster as soon as possible.
• Save all receipts for items you replaced and number each to correspond with your inventory.
Dealing with a loss can be emotional and time-consuming. It is our agency’s goal to provide excellent claims service. By using these tips, you will be better prepared for the unexpected and know what to do if a loss occurs.