Flood and storm damage, Your Home Insurance

Most home insurance will cover flood and storm damage. As a minimum you should have buildings insurance which covers you against the costs of repairing, or in extreme cases rebuilding your home, but you would be wise to also take out contents insurance to protect your belongings.

Although you may have home and contents insurance, flood or storm damage can be very messy, time consuming and expensive to repair, and although you can buy new things, items with sentimental value will not be replaceable. To avoid damage to your property from storms and floods, keep your house properly maintained. Prevent leaks by checking your roof and replacing any missing or damaged tiles. Gutters should be cleared of debris such as dead leaves. Cut back overhanging or dead branches which could fall down in high winds.

Your computer should be backed up regularly in any case, but you may not be aware that lightning strikes can cause electricity surges that may damage your computer and other electrical appliances. Water from leaks or floods can also damage your hard drive and electrical equipment. While you can replace a computer, important files like family photographs would be lost. In a storm, unplug electrical equipment, not forgetting your telephones.

If you believe a storm or flood is likely, move precious and valuable items upstairs if possible, and put important documents including your insurance documents in a watertight container. If that is not possible, because the item is too big or too heavy such as a fridge, try to raise it up off the floor for example with bricks.

Prepare for the aftermath by ensuring you have a first aid kit, battery operated radio, bottled water and food, and keep pets indoors.

If you are unlucky enough to suffer serious flood or storm damage, your home insurance policy may cover the cost of alternative accommodation, but cheaper policies are unlikely to include this. Think carefully about your needs when you take out the policy, as very cheap insurance is unlikely to give you all the financial protection you may need.

Contact your insurance company as soon as possible if your home or possessions are damaged by storm or flood, and do not throw away damaged items because the insurance company may be able to repair them and may not pay out to replace them. If it is very inconvenient or dangerous to keep damaged items, then take photographs as evidence before disposing of them.

Things to look for in a good home insurance policy include the cleaning, repair or replacement of damaged items, including the physical structure of your home. It is worth thinking about where you would like if your house was made uninhabitable and think about cover for the cost of alternative accommodation. Make sure you do not underestimate the value of your belongings or property, and remember to keep an inventory with receipts so that you can prove your losses if the worst should happen.

It only takes a few moments to get our house insurance quotes online with Kwik Fit Home Insurance.

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

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