The first thing you should do when taking out home insurance policy is to make a home inventory. A home inventory is essentially a list detailing all of your belongings
1. Your Home Insurance and Making a Claim
When an individual takes out a home insurance
policy, he or she will usually think that they are
wasting their money. Most home insurance policies
are only taken out of habit and that niggling doubt at
the back of the mind that if home insurance is left to
lapse then something will almost certainly happen.
The course of life is never smooth and things will go
wrong, but at least with home insurance you can
make a claim. Homeowner’s insurance claims,
however, are nowhere near as straightforward as they sound and so this is your guide to
making a claim.
The first thing you should do when taking out home insurance is to make a home inventory. A
home inventory is essentially a list detailing all of your belongings. Whilst this may sound like a
hassle to compile, it can be a vital aid if your house is destroyed in a flood or a fire, or even if it
is burgled. It is the only sure fire way to keep track of what you own. An inventory should be
kept up to date at all times so that you are prepared for the worst from the start. A list with all
of the necessary facts is only the basic beginning of an inventory. You should also take pictures
or a video, keep receipts and store them all in a safe deposit box away from your home. This
will help no end if you do need to make a homeowner's insurance claim because there is no
way that you will remember all of the details otherwise.
The first step in making a homeowner’s insurance claim is actually filling in the necessary
paperwork. You will need to obtain the form direct from the company and fill it in completely or
else it will be returned to you. They will ask for complete details of any items damaged,
destroyed or lost. This includes but is not limited to brand, price, age and description. The form
is a legal document and so only the facts should be documented on it, rather than speculation.
If need be, the specifics can be determined by experts.
Home insurance companies will often need proof of any items lost or damaged when making a
homeowners insurance claim these days as a result of the rise in home insurance fraud in
recent years. This actually costs home insurance companies millions of pounds every year and
makes it a lot more difficult for genuine homeowner insurance claims to get through the
system. If a household item is damaged, an oven for example, the company may insist that an
agent comes into your home to assess the damage to make sure that your claim is valid. As a
result, your claim may take up to a month to resolve so be prepared for a wait.
2. Once homeowners’ insurance claims are settled, payment can come through in a few days
because it is only the actual paperwork that takes time. As long as you deal with your claim in a
logical way and contact the home insurance company if you have any queries then you
shouldn't have a problem. Just be honest with home insurance companies and you will not go
far wrong. Learn more at geoinsurance.com/propert-insurance/home-insurance.