Imagine coming home from a long day at work, open your door and are immediately greeted by a hole in your living room wall or maybe you come back from vacation to find that a tree has fallen on your roof. No matter the cause or severity of the damage, it’s never a happy moment to find that your property has been damaged. So, what do you do next? This blog post will give you a few tips on what to do when your property is damaged.
1. Have an Insurance Claim Manager Assess the Damage
If you have insurance, the first step is to assess the situation and determine the extent of the damage. It’s important to get an accurate assessment of the damage before you file an insurance claim. This will give you a better idea of what needs to be repaired and how much it will cost. That’s where an insurance claim manager comes in. A claim manager will visit your property, assess the damage accurately so your insurance claim doesn’t end up undervalued.
2. Contact Your Insurance Company
Once you have a general idea of the damage, you can start making calls to your insurance company to file a claim. Your insurance company will likely send out their own adjuster to assess the damage and determine how much they are willing to pay for repairs. Insurance companies will often lowball their initial estimates, therefore it’s recommended to hire an insurance claim manager to make sure your able to get the best possible settlement.
3. Make Temporary Repairs
If the damage is severe, you may need to make temporary repairs to prevent further damage—for example, if there’s a hole in your roof, you’ll want to cover it with a tarp to prevent rainwater from coming in and causing more damage. If possible, try to make the temporary repairs yourself so that you can save on costs.
4. Get Estimate for Repairs
Once you’ve made temporary repairs and your insurance claim manager filed your claim, the next step is to get estimates for repairs from licensed contractors. When getting estimates, be sure to get different quotes from at least three different general contractors so that you can compare prices and services. Also, make sure that the contractors you’re considering are reputable and have good reviews—you don’t want to end up working with someone who does shoddy work or doesn’t finish the job!
5. Begin the property renovation process
After careful consideration, hire a general contractor and have them repair the damage to your property. Once the repairs are completed, conduct a walkthrough with the contractor to make sure that everything has been fixed to your satisfaction. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to getting your property back to its original state in no time.
No one expects their property to be damaged but unfortunately, it’s something that happens from time to time. If you find yourself in this situation and in need of help, give us a call at 833-GET-AVID for a free repair estimate or if you need help managing your insurance claim.
