Owning a home is a significant investment, and protecting it from the unexpected is essential. Property damage can occur due to various unforeseen circumstances, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to proceed. This guide aims to empower you with the knowledge you need to navigate the claims process effectively.
We will delve into the different types of property damage covered by homeowners insurance, including damage caused by fire, storm, flood and more – noting when these might be claimable against, depending on the circumstances. We will also provide a step-by-step guide on what to do when filing a claim, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience.
By understanding your coverage and the claims process, you can approach property damage with greater confidence, knowing you have the support you need to restore your home. Keep reading to learn more.
What is Property Damage?
Before we delve into the types of property damage you might be able to claim for on your home insurance policy and when, let us first define exactly what we mean regarding property damage. Property damage refers to the damage or destruction of your personal property, whether caused by natural disaster, negligence or acts of malice.
If you find yourself wanting to make a claim for property damage, whether or not you will be able to, however, can depend on the cause. For example, property damage caused by reasonably avoidable negligence may not be covered by your policy. As such, it’s important to know exactly what your policy does and doesn’t cover before making a claim.
As for the types of damage that may be claimable against, we’ll cover these below.
Types of Property Damage You Can Claim For
Fire Damage
Damage caused by fire can have devastating effects on your property, quickly destroying the structural integrity of your home, along with your belongings, the more it spreads. Fire damage is covered on most home insurance policies, however there are often some exclusions. These could include:
- Garden Fires: If the fire damage caused to your property is the result of a garden fire that you started, then home insurers may not cover you for damage.
- Illegal Activity: Any fire caused by illegal activity, such as intentionally starting a fire (people sometimes do this with the hopes of claiming insurance money), will not be covered.
- Smokers: If your insurers learn that there are smokers in your household, then they may deny a claim you make for fire damage.
- Negligence: Should you need to claim against damages caused by fire and the fire was caused due to negligence (e.g. leaving candles burning unattended near flammable materials or failing to repair hazards accordingly), then your claim may not be approved, as most home insurers only cover accidental fire damage.
Storm Damage
Storm damage generally refers to structural damage incurred as a result of stormy weather. This might include damage to your roof, wall or windows, or it could include ceiling and water damage as a result of heavy rainfall.
In some instances, storm damage claims may also cover internal damage, such as damage to your belongings as a result of a hole in the roof caused by a storm, or any subsequent damage incurred before any structural damage has been repaired.
Flood Damage
Flood damage is usually covered separately in your policy to general water damage. This is because it occurs as a result of water from outside the home, rather than escape of water inside the home. Often, the damage incurred as the result of a flood is also more intense and widespread.
For example, flood water can cause damage underneath carpets and floorboards, often requiring a full strip-out in order to properly dry floors and prevent warping and/or mould.
Water Damage
As previously stated, water damage is categorised differently to flood damage. When water damage is caused as a result of water inside the home, this is referred to as escape of water damage. This covers things such as burst pipes, leaking appliances or faulty grout.
The subsequent damage from such scenarios can affect your floors, walls or ceilings, leading to warping, paint/wallpaper peeling, mould and more.
Understanding the Home Insurance Claims Process
Traditionally, when making an insurance claim, you would assess and document the extent of the damage, then get in touch with your insurer as soon as possible to initiate a claim. After doing so, you would need to send them extensive photographic evidence and a detailed list of all the damage, after which they would send a loss adjuster to your home to evaluate the damage and your claim, before a decision is made on the claim settlement.
The issue with this is that, when working directly with your insurer, the process can be lengthy and involve legal jargon that may be difficult to understand. On top of this, they may be less willing to pay you the full compensation that you’re entitled to and it can be hard to fight your own corner in this respect. Thankfully, you can use the assistance of a loss assessor, such as us here at All Property Claims, to handle your claim for you.
When working with us, the process of filing an insurance claim is much simpler. Simply follow the steps below:
- Call us as soon as possible (not your insurers) and provide us with your insurers’ details. At this stage, you can also arrange for someone to come look at the damage.
- Our surveyor will arrive at your property to assess and record the extent of the damage.
- We will prepare a detailed quote based on the information provided by our surveyor, sending it to your insurer within 48 hours of our visit.
- Once they have received our quote, we’ll request your insurers to appoint a loss adjuster to meet our surveyor at your property and agree on all the costs.
- After the costs have been agreed, our contractors will carry out all restoration work within 48 hours, reinstating everything back to its original condition.
- When all work is finished, we’ll send the bill to your insurers – you only have to cover the excess on your policy!
APC: From Water to Fire Insurance Claims, We Can Help
If you find yourself needing to make a home insurance claim for property damage, then look to us here at All Property Claims for help in making a successful claim. Whether you’re making a claim against your home insurance for fire damage or for storm damage, our experts can assist you.
We are experienced with working with insurers and have a strong understanding of the technical and legal jargon involved in insurance claims, allowing us to navigate the claim with expertise and understanding on your behalf.
If you need help making a claim, or would like to learn more about how we can assist you for future reference, then please contact us today.