Rainy days happen both in a figurative and a literal sense. And, sometimes those rainy days are so intensely rainy that they cause flooding to your home, which results in damages. Or, maybe it isn’t a literal rainy day that damages your home but rather a tree falls over on top of your home. Those are just two common scenarios that result in significant home damage.
Without question, finding yourself in a flooding situation or with a tree laying across your home is jarring and upsetting. Nobody has time to deal with major home damage yet doing so is unavoidable. In those initial moments you may pass through fear, anger, shock, and then arrive at a place of confusion about what to do next. It is a great idea to be familiar with the claims process for home damage, in hopes you will never need to use it, but to ensure that if you do have home damages you can jump right into appropriate action.
Safety First
The most critical first step is making sure that everyone is safe. If there is an ongoing threat in your home, like a fire or rising water, immediately exit your home and call 911 so that first responders can help with the danger. We can help you replace your assets but people are irreplaceable!
First Things First: Prevent Additional Loss
When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of major home damage, take a deep breath and remind yourself to go one step at a time. When it comes to insurance, your obligation as the insured is to mitigate the issue as quickly as possible. Which means after you address safety concerns, your next right step is to prevent further damage.
This is often something that people are unsure about. For example, they erroneously think that they can’t start solving the home damage issues until they get their agent on the phone. I have had clients call to tell me that there is water all in their basement. I’ll ask if they are taking steps to remove it or mitigate it – and they will say, “no, I was going to talk with you first.” The goal here is to take swift action to prevent further damages. Do not wait to act. Also, there is often language included with policies that says the insured is supposed to take action to try to limit damages.
Document Everything
Make sure to document everything as you go. Since you likely have a phone, with a camera, make sure you take it out and snap photos. Then, create a folder on your phone for “home damage” photos so you have them at your fingertips at a moment’s notice. Consider various angles, up close and distance shots, and also add in items that will help show scale, if needed (like a penny).
You can document in other helpful ways too. Write down notes about timelines, such as when the initial damage happened and any other damage milestones (i.e. when the tree fell on the roof, and then when the rain started and began entering in through the hole in the roof.). As you call to speak with contractors keep notes about the company, person you spoke with, and details regarding timelines and associated costs.
A final element of documentation is making sure you keep all receipts related to the damage. If you head to home depot to buy repair supplies you should keep those receipts. If you rent or buy fans to begin drying out water, those receipts should be kept as well. The things you require to mitigate the damage should be covered by your policy.
What You Can Do NOW
Let’s hope that these rainy-day-home-damage scenarios never happen. That’s certainly our hope for you, your family, and your home. However, we know that insurance policies exist for a reason – because risk is real and you have property worth protecting. That’s the value of having a really strong insurance carrier that handles claims with excellence. Now is the right time to review your policies, talk to your agent about your carrier and their reputation with claims. Be prepared so if something goes wrong, you are ready.
An Ounce of Prevention
Dealing with a claim can be stressful on you and your family. With that in mind, we urge you to take steps to prevent a loss or damage – we promise that it is well worth the effort.
- We recommend having a tree expert visit your home every 2 or 3 years to see if any trees look unhealthy and could endanger your property.
- We also recommend changing the water supply lines connected to your toilets, washing machine, and sinks every 8 to 10 years.
- You can also install a whole house water shut off, such as the Flo by Moen, to turn off your water if it detects a sustained water leak.
- ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS turn off your water if you’ll be gone for more than one day!
Protection You Need from People You Know
We will also be with you throughout the process to guide and advise. From helpful tips for preventing problems to walking with you through filing claims. Our team will always be here to help – rainy days or not.
