Have A House Fire? Be Sure To Do These 2 Things Regarding Your Insurance
Posted on: 15 April 2018
Having a house fire can be quite devastating, but it can be even worse if you do not take the proper steps to file a claim with your insurance company. Here are a few things you should do to maximize your claim.
1. Do Not Throw Anything Away
After the fire is extinguished, no matter how big or small, you may be tempted to start throwing things away that have been damaged. This is a bad idea. Anything that is damaged by the fire can be claimed under your homeowners insurance, and throwing the item away can destroy the proof you had that the item was in the home.
For example, if you had a kitchen fire, there may be a bunch of spices above your fridge that were damaged with melted plastic containers. Just leave them where they are. The insurance adjuster will eventually do a walkthrough of your home and want to see all of the damage, including damaged food that needs to be thrown out. Removing the item from the home could cause these items not to be replaced by your personal property insurance.
2. Track Your Additional Expenses
Big and small fires are going to cause your living expenses to increase temporarily. In the case of a small kitchen fire, you'll need to buy emergency groceries and most likely be eating out more until the damage is repaired. In the case of large fires, you'll need to find a hotel to stay at, buy emergency clothing, and even purchase basic items like a toothbrush.
Make sure you hold on to all of the receipts related to these additional expenses. They will be covered by your insurance policy, even though they were not directly related to the fire. You will eventually be reimbursed for them, but only if you have the receipts.
It is common your for insurance company to only reimburse what goes beyond your typical living expenses. For example, if you spend $100 a week on groceries and $50 a week on restaurants, that would mean your weekly food budget is $150. If you are spending $650 by going out to restaurants for every single meal in a week while you're kitchen is repaired, your insurance company will reimburse you $500 for what you spent beyond your normal living expenses.
For more info about what you should be doing to maximize your insurance claim, speak to a company like Cypress Insurance.
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