Tips on Making a Home Insurance Claim

Claiming on your home insurance can be one of those strangely daunting but dull chores that no one really wants to do. We all hear horror stories about people’s claims being rejected meaning they’re left with huge repair bills for their home they can’t afford so we know how important it can be to get it right. As such, here are a few tips to optimise your chance of a favourable outcome when making a home insurance claim.

Get the Right Policy to Start With

When buying home insurance, it’s very tempting to just enter a few details onto a price comparison website and buy the cheapest policy without paying much attention to what is actually covered. This can be a major reason why people are disappointed when it comes to making claims though, as what they really needed covered wasn’t actually part of the policy they bought. As such, it’s important to have a good look at what these policies actually cover, to estimate what your possessions are worth accurately and to look at the level of excess you are expected to pay before you buy a policy. Once the policy is in place, it’s also a good idea to keep it updated if anything significantly changes such as major work on your property or big purchases.

Actually Read the Policy

No one wants to spend time reading through insurance policies but it’s important because they all have terms and conditions which could invalidate your claim if they aren’t met. Specifications such as the type of locks you have on your doors and notifying the insurance company of any building work will need to be adhered to if you need to make a claim.

Keep your Home in Good Order

Insurance claims are often rejected when they deem the cause of the damage to be due to poor maintenance rather than a sudden accident. Water damage caused by blocked guttering might not be covered as the insurance company would argue that it could have been prevented if you had cleared out your guttering regularly, for example. Similarly, damage caused by general wear and tear isn’t covered so is best prevented by good maintenance.

Act Quickly but Don’t be Hasty

Your insurance company should be your first port of call when you suffer serious damage to your home which needs repairing. Contact them before getting any work done and don’t be tempted to throw anyway anything which has been damaged beyond repair too quickly as they may want to inspect it. Obviously, if there is an emergency which requires immediate fixing then that will need to come first. It is a good idea to get in touch with your insurance company as soon as you can though.

Be Honest

The temptation to exaggerate when making an insurance claim is very great but is a bad thing to do as, if even part of your claim is found to be dishonest, it can invalidate the whole claim. It is also tempting to lie if you feel you may have been partially responsible for the damage but, as stated, this could invalidate the claim.

Because some home insurance claims can be quite complex and homeowners rarely have the knowledge or time to make these claims in a way most likely to get the best outcome, Marc can help you by preparing your claim for you. If you would like some help in this regard, please get in touch on 01273 281624 or email info@tatesurveyingservices.co.uk.