Tips For Making A Claim On Your Homeowners Insurance

​Roughly 1 in 20 homeowners file an insurance claim annually due to damage from accidents and weather. Unfortunately, many homeowners need to understand there is more to receiving insurance reimbursements than filing a claim. If your home is damaged in an incident or storm, you can boost your chances of receiving a refund from your insurance company by following these tips.
 
Be Prepared For The Worst
Most of the damage done to homes happens without any prior warning. In the event of a disaster, you should have a list of your home's contents in a safe location and easy to find. This list should include the following:

• Items in your home that must be replaced if damaged or destroyed in an incident.
• Prices for each item listed.
• Item purchase date and receipts if you have them.
• Include any pictures of items in a folder with the list.

Having a list of what you own will help you figure out how much it would cost to replace the items when filling your homeowners insurance claim. Keeping track of the things you own and their value will also help you determine if your current policy is enough to cover you if disaster strikes.
 
Be Prepared To Meet With The Insurance Adjusters
Your insurance company will send an adjuster to your house to survey the damage on your claim. The more you are prepared to meet with the insurance adjuster, the better. An adjuster's job is to minimize the insurance company's payouts for claims. Always tell the adjuster precisely what happened in the damage, but be careful not to make any statements that could be misconstrued as an admission of guilt.
 
The adjusters can use information you inadvertently divulge to determine your claim. It is always a good idea to hire your own insurance adjuster to assist you in the claims process. Public adjusters can help you avoid potential pitfalls and answer any questions about the procedure.
 
Document And Report Any Home And Property Damage
If you need to file a homeowners insurance claim due to damaged or destroyed property, here are the steps you may expect to take.

• Contact your insurance company to report damage right away.
• File a police report if the property damage results from a crime and retain a copy of the information for the insurance company.
• Document the damaged property with a description and pictures.
• Create an inventory of what was damaged, make an itemized list, and include any receipts.
• Gather estimates for repair or replacement of damaged items.
• Keep your assigned insurance adjuster updated with this information.

 
Fill Out Insurance Claims Paperwork On Time
Not only must you be mindful of any initial insurance claims deadlines, but you will also need to keep up with meeting deadlines your policy outlines fur paperwork submissions. Your insurance company may require certain information like loss description, inventory of damaged or lost personal items, and receipts for living expenses incurred if your home is uninhabitable to be filed within specific deadlines. Please comply with the requests of your homeowner's insurance claims adjuster to ensure your payout is on time.