If your home has sustained damage or been burgled, then the first thing you have to do is notify the insurance company, and the police if necessary. Let your insurance agent know roughly what has happened to your property, and then they will talk you through the next steps that you have to take. Keep the name and telephone number of your insurance agent on your person, so that you can contact them at any time.
It is also a good idea to keep a record of all your communications with the insurance company regarding the claim, in case you have to enter into a dispute with them later.
1. Keep a bit of paper or a notepad on you at all times so that you can write down anything that you notice is damaged or missing, as this information will be required when you come to make the claim.
2. You should also make any temporary repairs that you deem necessary, as it is up to you to prevent the damage to your property from getting worse. For instance, if you have a leak, then you might want to put a bucket under it to prevent further water damage to your property. If you need to buy anything in order to do this, be sure to keep receipts.
3. Get everyone that lives in your property together, and go round all the rooms in the house taking notes of anything that anybody notices is missing or damaged. Most home insurance policies will replace items on a new for old basis, so even if an item, such as an old television, was not particularly valuable, it is worth mentioning as you could end up with a brand new replacement.
4. It can take a little bit of time to process an insurance claim, so be patient. If your claim is not serious, it may take quite a long time to process as most insurance firms deal with claims on a priority, rather than a first come first served, basis.
5. Now, all you have to do is wait. Insurance claims can take a while to get through, and are handled on a priority basis, so that people who have sustained more severe damage to their property are handled first.
Stay in contact with your agent while you are waiting to find out how your claim is progressing. If you are unhappy with the service you are receiving you should file a complaint with the financial ombudsman service, who will then take it up with your insurer. If your policy includes loss of use cover, then you will be entitled to receive extra money for accommodation if you cannot stay in your house until your house has been repaired or investigated by the police.
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