This is probably every homeowners nightmare… losing all your possession because of a fire or natural disaster.
I know what it feels like to run out of a burning home with your children, and then watching as your home goes up in flame with all your possessions.
Thank goodness we were all safe. That’s what matters MOST.
But by the time the fire department arrived all they could do was prevent our neighbor’s homes from going up in flames, too.
Ours was a total loss…
Your homeowners insurance and filing a claim
Filing a claim may be easy.
Getting paid for the loss of your belongings can be quite another experience entirely.
The problem comes down to proving what you owned. I don’t have to tell you that there’s a big difference between losing a flat screen TV, and losing a 62″ smart TV.
Having to create an inventory for your insurance company after the loss of your possessions can be difficult, if next to impossible.
We did our best to identify our burnt belongings and took photos of items that were barely identifiable. We scrambled to call friends and family members who had visited in case they had any photos on their smart phone or camera that showed some items in our home.
The process was tedious, painful, time-consuming, and ultimately very costly.
It turned out that after doing our best to offer proof regarding the contents in our home and filing a claim, we were informed that our homeowners policy didn’t cover all the items we had. Turns out we were under-insured.
I’ll tell you, it’s a heck of a way to find out!
So having an up-to-date personal property inventory can help when it’s time to renew or update your homeowners insurance. And it can help you get reimbursed for the full amount should you ever need to file a claim.
Typically, a proper inventory will include a list of all the items in your home, including a photograph as proof of ownership.
Special attention should be paid to high value items, which would include documenting the manufacturer, model and serial numbers (if applicable) of your items.
And finally, make sure your inventory is in a safe place so that you can get access to it should your home end up as a total loss… like mine.
Are you ready to update your home inventory?
If you’re in the same boat I was before the fire then chances are the answer is “yes.”
It’s easy to get started.
Simply give us a call at 630-442-7276 to discuss the property you need inventoried and I can give you a free quote over the phone, or you can click the link and fill out a short form and I’ll get back to you.
