Handling a home insurance claim by yourself can be tricky. You need to be able to interpret the small print and figure out whether any cover exclusions and clauses apply to your particular case.
Then you need to be able to understand the full extend of the damage. Remember that some damage is not obvious and the contractor you call in to quote, may not have any experience in fire or water damage restoration work.
You will also need to deal with your insurer’s loss adjuster, who assesses the claim on the insurer’s behalf and will look closely at what is covered and what the repairs should cost.
Claims can also take time to finalise, especially where there is disagreement about the extent of the damage or the cost of repairs, and that is hard to keep on top of while you are living with the damage.
For those reasons, many homeowners choose to appoint a Public Loss Assessor, who has a lot of experience in handling similar insurance claims.
However, if for whatever reason you still prefer to handle your own claim, here are the steps you need to take if you decide to handle the insurance claim by yourself.
Home Insurance Claim Management Process Steps
- Photograph and accurately describe all the damaged items. Include make , models and special features.
- Find receipts where possible for the damaged items.
- Call your insurance company and get a a claim number
- Get a claim form to fill
- Source and obtain 3 estimates from contractors for the required repairs. Make sure that all aspects of the repair have been covered, as it is much harder to add items once the claim is settled. Try to get quotations that are similar in value. The insurers will look closely at the lowest quote.
- Complete the form as accurately as possible. Do not cross anything out. Think, before you fill it out.
- Call your insurance company to set up appointment with their Loss Adjusters
- Meet with a Loss Adjuster who will assess the damage on the insurer’s behalf. They will usually work from the lowest estimate and will apply any exclusions and limits in the policy. Make sure that aspects of your loss have been assessed correctly. Don’t be confrontational, be factual and firm.
- The insurers will give you the final settlement minus the policy excess. They will keep a portion of your settlement back until repairs are completed and costs vouched. If you think the figure does not cover the damage, say so and explain why, using your estimates and photographs.
- Once the final settlement figure is agreed and approved by the insurers, you can go ahead and have the property repaired. The difference between the estimates and the actual cost of repairs will have to come from your own pocket.
- Insurance company will re-inspect your property to ensure that the repairs have been completed.
- Payment of the retained amount can take time, so follow up with your insurer if it has not been paid once the repairs are signed off.
Need Help With Your Home Insurance Claim?
If you would rather not deal with the insurers yourself, contact us. We can take care of the whole claims process from start to end.
Our loss assessor will inspect the property and point out hidden damage that is not immediately obvious but could surface after the claim has been settled and closed, so that it can be included in the claim from the start.
An experienced Loss Assessor will also prepare and present the claim under the terms of your policy and deal with the insurer and its loss adjuster for you.
Insurance Claim Solutions are Public Loss Assessors. We act for the policyholder, not the insurer, and manage claims from the first inspection through to settlement. If you need help with any aspect of your claim, please contact us for a free, no obligation survey.