So, you’ve survived what many Texans are now calling “Snowmageddon”. However, if you are like most of us, your home and property are probably in much worse shape! Considering the unprecidented level of damage this storm has caused, your home insurance policy is a neceissity now, more than ever. To help you get the most out of your plan, our insurance pros are here to share some helpful tips!
What Your Home Insurance Policy Covers
Before diving into putting your home insurance policy to good use, it’s important to clarify what that policy should cover. The best place to start is talking to your insurer, and below are some claims you should ask about:
Household Repairs
Typically, most damage will be covered, as long as you document the repair expenses, including any supplies you purchased.
Temporary Housing
If you had to hunker down elsewhere during the outages, temporary housing expenses should be covered in a claim.
Spoiled Food
Your insuruer may also offer coverage for refrigerated or perishable food that spoiled due to the outages.
Put Your Home Insurance Policy to Good Use
Now that you’ve spoken with your provider and understand what is covered under your home insurance policy, you can get to work on repairing the damages with the following steps:
1. Assess All Damage
With your power and heat restored, you can now safely survey the damage from this winter blast. Take your time examining your entire house and property, from plumbing pipes and water heaters to your roof, windows and foundation. Although you’ll be eager to repair the more obvious damage, like a burst pipe, you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss the less obvious repairs that may need to be made later on!
2. Document the Details
As you take inventory of your house and property, it’s important that you document all the damage along the way. Take photos, videos, and written descriptions of each damaged area or item, along with the estimated price to replace or repair. If your insurance provider will cover a significant loss of perishable food items, be sure to capture photos and include as many details as you can.
Pro Tip:
Don’t wait to tackle big repairs, like burst pipes. As long as you document what you pay out of pocket, those expenses should be covered under your claim!
3. Review Your Home Insurance Policy
Even after speaking with your insurer, there may still be some things under your policy that are not covered. Before taking the time to submit a claim, it’s a good idea to go through your home insurance policy with your list of damages in hand. This will help ensure a smoother filing process for your claims.
4. Report Damages to Your Insurer
Now that you’ve done the work on your end, it’s time to report the damages to your insurer. It’s best to try and report claims as soon as you can, with the record number of claims likely being filed. Plus, the sooner you can recoop your financial losses, the quicker you can restore your home to a comfortable state!
Your Home Insurance Policy Protects What Matters Most
There truly is no place like home. From the warm spaces to the love it holds, your house is often one of your most valuable assets. That’s why it’s important to choose the right coverage to protect what matters most! Our insurance experts can help – give us a call at (972) 771-2622 or visit our website!
Weather the Storm with Lifetime
The insurance pros at Lifetime can build you the perfect plan to weather any storm!