Experiencing property damage of any kind can be extremely distressing, and if the damage is particularly extensive, it can pose a significant financial burden too. If your house floods as a result of a leaking pipe, there’s a fire or a tenant misuses your property, making a property insurance claim is essential. Not only does property insurance protect you from incurring any of the weighty costs that result from building damage, but it can also save you a great deal of time and stress in the long-run.
Whether you are a live-in homeowner or rent out your property, a house is one of the biggest and most costly investments you will ever make; making sure that your investment is properly protected with insurance is simply the sensible thing to do. However, if you’ve never made a claim before, it can be daunting to know where to start. Fortunately, property claim specialists All Property Claims are on hand to help make the process that little bit easier. Our service consists of dealing with a client’s property insurance claim, as well as carrying out building repairs on behalf of the client. Whether it’s a fire, leak or flood claim, we will perform the following:
- Survey and assess the damage.
- Study your insurance policy and explain what you are entitled to in accessible terms.
- Meet with your insurer and negotiate an appropriate settlement.
- Undertake all restoration and repair work.
The added benefit of our comprehensive service is that if we take on your case, you will not be charged. We operate under the regulation of the Financial Conduct Authority, meaning that we can settle claims directly with insurers, and you can be rest assured that our service is entirely legitimate.
This guide will cover everything you need to know about making a claim on your property insurance. You can expect to learn more about the types of property insurance claims that All Property Claims take on, as well as gain answers to frequently asked questions surrounding property insurance claims.
Should I Make a Property Insurance Claim?
When weighing up whether it is worth you making a property insurance claim, it’s important to consider the size of the potential claim. You should think about the value of the damage done to your property, always keeping in mind that if you claim now, your future insurance claims could work out more expensive. Your no claims discount could also be impacted when you make a claim, and your property insurance excess could be deducted from any payout you make. So, for low-value claims, it might be better for your bank account to cover the cost of repairs yourself. However, you should always remember that property insurance is there to act as a safeguard when you need it most.
Types of Property Insurance Claims
With over a decade of experience, our team at All Property Claims have the qualifications necessary to assist with any kind of property insurance claim. Below are just some of the types of insurance claims that we encounter on a regular basis.
Fire Claims
If you find yourself a victim of fire damage, All Property Claims can arrange an immediate visit to organise the safe removal of debris from the property. We will take care of the first crucial meeting with the insurer’s loss adjusters to ensure that everything from alternative accommodation to cleaning and repairs is covered by your claim.
Malicious Damage
Malicious damage refers to the intentional destruction or defacement of public, private or commercial property. If you’re a landlord and a tenant has misused your property to the point of serious damage, for instance, you are more than entitled to make a malicious damage property insurance claim. After you’ve contacted the police and obtained a crime reference number, All Property Claims will assist with emergency repairs whilst your property damage claim is being processed, including boarding and re-locking. For serious property damage that requires permanent repairs, we can handle your insurance claims too.
Leaking Pipes
All it takes is one leaking pipe in your home to cause serious damage in your property. Whether you’re finding mould in your property or ceilings and carpets are getting ruined due to water damage, any trouble caused by leaking pipes falls under the jurisdiction of a water damage insurance claim. Whilst some insurers will advise you to do what it takes to identify the leak and fix it, this could result in you having to rip up flooring or hammer into a wall. With All Property Claims on your side this won’t need to happen, as we are able to put you in contact with a leak detection specialist and get the insurers to pay for the trace and access work.
Flood Claims
If your floor has been damaged by flood water, possibly due to a burst pipe or drain overflow, it’s vital that whatever is beneath the floor finish dries properly. Sometimes, insurers will attempt to get out of stripping out the floor for drying purposes in order to save money. Depending on the extent of the damage, we will work to agree a cost with the insurers that covers a full strip out of tiles, vinyl or wooden flooring, before arranging drying equipment to be installed. This is essential for preventing newly laid floors from warping, carpets getting mouldy and grout lines from cracking if you’re putting down tiles. Remember, when you contact us to assist with a flood claim: we work with you, not the insurance company.
What Evidence Will I Need to Make a Claim?
Much like any type of insurance claim, it’s important that property insurance claims are backed up by sufficient evidence. When starting the claimant process, you should always try and have a substantial amount of evidence ready at your disposal. This could be in the form of:
- Photos or videos that highlight the damage caused to your property.
- Damaged items or samples from furnishings, like carpets, that attest to the damage caused.
- Estimates from builders or tradespeople for the repair work required.
- If you are a victim of theft: receipts, credit or debit card statements that show the item purchased.
- If you are a victim of malicious damage: a crime reference number.
Every property insurance claim is different, and each will require specific evidence, but the above are simply some of the most valuable pieces of evidence that will help to move your claim along. If you’re in doubt about whether to keep an item that has been rendered obsolete after property damage has occurred, it’s best to keep it just in case. You never know: it could be the one piece of evidence that really strengthens your claim.
How Long Do Property Insurance Claims Take?
As we’ve already mentioned, each property insurance claim is vastly different from one another, which means that the time that they take to resolve can range significantly. As a general rule, the more complicated the claim, the longer it will take to complete. If the claim is relatively straightforward, it could be wrapped up in as little as 48 hours. However, if extensive damage has been done and there are structural flaws to consider, the claim could take much longer as a more thorough assessment of the affected area must be conducted.
Once the claim has been made, the time it takes to process also tends to vary. Along with the insurer and loss adjuster, there are other parties that may be involved, such as surveyors, builders or removal companies, all of which can draw out the process. If you’re concerned about the prospect of undergoing a lengthy insurance claim, be sure to seek advice from our friendly, experienced team, who can help to put your mind at ease with expert insights.
All Property Claims: Here to Lend a Helping Hand
Regardless of what kind of property insurance claim you are intending to make, contacting All Property Claims to assist you with the process is a guaranteed step towards achieving the result you want. With so much to think about after property damage occurs, you’re going to want to be spending your time dealing with any number of tasks, and an insurance claim isn’t one of them. As our services focus solely on insurance claims and repairs, we can dedicate the time that you can’t spare to working on your claim. We are proactive with insurers and loss adjusters, and have a rigorous follow up procedure to settlement. On average, our time from notification to settlement of a claim is 3-4 weeks.
What’s more, we don’t charge for our time and only make money when your claim is approved, which is why we only take on claims that we know will succeed. You’ll also benefit from the assistance of seasoned professionals who are respected in their field, meaning that you’ll never have to go through the stress of advocating for your own claim. When you know you’re saving time, money and hassle with our services, why wouldn’t you choose All Property Claims?
For more information about the work we do, call us today 0203 011 2495. We operate in London and the surrounding areas – click here to find out if we cover your area.