Any homeowner will tell you how buying a house and furnishing it can truly put a dent in your finances. Yet, your home is more than just something you own; it is an asset. Your money has been spent well for in the future, you may choose to sell this asset for good returns.
Now, considering how you home is an investment of your money, it does make sense to buy adequate home insurance to cover your property. A good home insurance plan must protect you from financial losses that you may sustain due to natural or man-made calamities. These can include theft, fires, landslides, floods, earthquakes, and so on.
When you buy home insurance, your insurance provider will take you through their plan terms and conditions, exclusions, and so on. As a homeowner, you should also be aware of the claims process in the event that you need to seek reimbursement for damages from your insurance company. In this article, we take you through an overview of the home insurance claims process that is generally followed by insurance companies.
Steps for filing a home insurance claim
Here are the steps to be followed if your home sustains damage that necessitates a claim:
1. Contact the insurer
You should contact your insurance company as soon as you possibly can. Ideally, keep their toll-free number handy on your smartphone. Once you speak to a service representative, they will guide you on what you immediately need to do.
2. File an FIR
In some cases, you may need to submit an FIR as part of your claim. Make sure to check with your insurance company if they need this report and get it done immediately at your local police station.
3. Take pictures of the damage
It helps to take pictures quickly to show the insurance provider the exact damage as it happened. These images will add a lot of validity to your home insurance claim.
4. Keep all bills safely
You must safely keep all the bills that indicate the costs you have borne immediately after the incident. These will need to be added to your claim.
5. Fill the claim form
Your insurance provider will ask you to fill up their home insurance claims form. Make sure to give all details accurately and honestly. You may need to send this back with other documents as requested by your insurance company. Some of the documents you may need are personal ID proof, address proof, invoices of items in the house, hospital bills, report of the fire brigade, and so on. Do keep a copy of the filled form for your own reference.
6. Surveying of the claim
The insurance company will send a professional to check and evaluate the claims being made. Do cooperate with them completely. Once your claim has been approved and validated, you will receive the reimbursement due as per the terms of your policy.
Do note that the individual steps of filing a claim can vary slightly between insurance companies. We hope this article helps you. Take care.
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