How to Maximize Your Home Insurance Claim
Homeowners insurance is a way to safeguard you and your assets from fire, water damage or natural disaster. If one of these events should occur the last thing you'll want to do is battle it out with your insurance company over a claim--you want the insurance settlement to go as smoothly as possible. The best way to ensure this is through effective and consistent communication with your provider.
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Instructions
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Keep all receipts related to the event. This includes hotel and restaurant fees. Most insurance companies will reimburse these expenses.
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Take pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words so start taking pictures of everything in your home which is damaged. These pictures may also come in handy should you need to settle the claim in court. Let the appraiser and the insurance agent take their own pictures.
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Estimate the damage. The appraiser and adjuster will most likely offer you the lowest offer for your personal property; this is known as the replacement cost. Create your estimates to better negotiate the replacement cost.
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Look over your coverage. The easiest way to do this is by reviewing your policy to fully understand what kind of protection you have.
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Get help. There's usually a great deal of assistance for victims of natural disaster so don't feel pressured to go through the process on your own. Contact your local crisis center or the American Red Cross for assistance.
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