Homeowners Insurance Checklist for 2022
Successful baseball teams and insurance policies have one thing in common: they cover all the bases. It doesn’t matter what kind of house you have, it is important to have a full understanding of your homeowners insurance coverage. Otherwise, you may be stuck learning you’re under-covered while trying to file a claim. Head into 2022 strong with this comprehensive checklist to ensure that restoration and repairs from disasters are covered by your insurance provider.
Stay Organized
If there’s no record of it, it doesn’t exist. As a homeowner, you have a lot to lose by losing track of your possessions, particularly those that have high value or are difficult to replace.
Make a habit of keeping your receipts from major purchases, whether it’s expensive kitchenware, furniture or electronic devices. Take photos of these items within your home. It only takes a few minutes to snap these photos and save them just in case. Detailed records are vital for getting the most out of your insurance coverage.
Check your Coverage for Natural Disasters
No matter where you live, natural disasters are an eventuality for every homeowner to consider. A common mistake policyholders make is to assume that they are covered for all sources of natural disasters. For example, you may be covered for flooding associated with a hurricane, but separate coverage may be required for the wind damage related to a hurricane.
While you want to focus on the disasters that are prevalent in your area, Hurricanes and flooding in our case, don’t limit yourself. Severe thunderstorms with tornadoes can happen pretty much anywhere. Review your policy to cover whatever mother nature may throw your way.
Understand Your Deductible
The days after a disaster are the worst time to learn about your deductible. Your deductible is the amount of money you must pay out of pocket before insurance coverage kicks in. This is information you need to be familiar and comfortable with before disaster strikes. Know how your policy works, how much damage it covers and how much you are expected to pay. If possible, set aside some financial reserves to cover your deductible payments ahead of time.
Review Your Homeowners Insurance Plan Annually
Insurance coverage isn’t a set it and forget it product. It takes management and must grow and change to adjust to your needs. You should examine your policy every year. Update it as necessary to cover new belongings or renovations to the home. It is also a good practice to shop around to find better policies that offer lower costs or more protection.
Focus on Water Damage Coverage
Flooding is one of the most common and most devastating types of damage when it comes to home restoration. This is especially true in South Louisiana where millions of homes are affected by hurricanes every year. Even a few inches of water can cause serious structural damage, lead to toxic mold growth and compromise the integrity of an entire structure. It’s not something a homeowner should try to handle on their own.
You absolutely need to read the fine print. Make sure you are covered from all the kinds of flood damage that can result from hurricanes and severe thunderstorms. Rivers breaching their banks, run-off from heavy rains, and flooding from storm surges are not all the same. Just because a policy covers one doesn’t mean it covers them all.
Don’t Wait for an Adjuster to Address Damage
Restoration and repair work should begin as soon as possible following a disaster. This isn’t just a quality of life issue, it’s also a prudent financial decision. Repairing a damaged roof, for example, prevents further water damage in the home. Water damage can create toxic mold growth in less than 48 hours. Likewise, assessment and restoration following a flood can limit the growth of mold or mildew before it gets out of control.
As a client of Continuum Restoration, you don’t have to wait around for an adjuster before you can piece your life back together. Let us work with the adjusters and contractors to repair your home while you focus on rebuilding your peace of mind. We handle the insurance company so you can focus on your family and the things that really matter.
Continue Through Disasters with Continuum
As home restoration and repair experts, the team at Continuum Restoration understands the kind of stress, struggles, and unexpected challenges that homeowners face in the wake of a serious disaster. We know that worrying about the details of your homeowners insurance policy is the last thing you want to do after dealing with this kind of setback.
We strongly encourage all of our clients to use the tips above to create a comprehensive homeowners insurance checklist that covers all the details of their insurance plan. The comfort of full, reliable coverage is invaluable. It allows us to deploy our personnel and resources to restore your home as quickly as possible and shelters you from the crippling expenses that come with a major disaster.
If your home or place of business has suffered from the unthinkable, contact us to begin restoration services. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can work with your insurance to get your feet back on the ground.