You know your house needs to be insured, and you want it to stay insured and protected. But of course, you also don’t want to have any insurance claims if you can help it! Can you help it? What do you need to do to avoid having too many insurance claims on your home? Here are three ways to avoid having to file an insurance claim:
Pay for Minor Damage Out of Pocket
There are, of course, some unavoidable problems and accidents, and most of them are considered to be minor damage. Your deductible generally will cover things which cost more than one thousand or twenty-five hundred dollars to repair, unless you’ve made it very low intentionally. Realistically, though, if you have a small issue like a broken window, missing shingle, or other little damage issues, you should take care of those yourself. They aren’t terribly expensive to cover, and more importantly, Value Penguin says this keeps the insurer from flagging your account as being high risk.
Practice Prevention
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right? Think ahead to maintenance on all of your property’s major systems, especially as seasons turn. For example, it’s a lot easier to maintain an air conditioning system or furnace than it is to repair one after major damage has occurred, or to replace one entirely. Florida is known for its hard water which can wear out your appliances quicker than other areas across the Nation. According to Rabe Hardware, water softeners and similar equipment can reduce the high mineral content in your water to help protect your appliances from build up. Preventing sediment build up is critical for general home maintenance and for insurance reasons as well. Corroded water tanks and similar gradual plumbing issues often caused by hard water might not be covered in your policy so prevention is key. It’s important to talk to your Agent to ensure that water-related problems are covered under your policy.
Keep Up Regular Maintenance
There are dozens of other little tricks around the home which are essential for protecting your family, which also protect your home. For example, having a working security system, including working fire alarms, can help both, and prevent future claims from being necessary. According to Property Casualty 360, cleaning gutters can prevent them from freezing and breaking, and also help protect your foundation. Small things like walking around your house and making sure there are no cracks in your foundation matters to protect your home as well.
You don’t want to have a lot of house issues, and being able to prevent them if possible is important. Even for those you can’t prevent, if they’re small you should make efforts to hire a professional or repair them yourself. For the large problems, make sure to hire an expert who can properly assess the damage. Also, review your policy with your Agent to ensure that if you need them, your insurer will be there.
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Views expressed here do not constitute legal advice. The information contained herein is for general guidance of matter only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. Discussion of insurance policy language is descriptive only. Every policy has different policy language. Coverage afforded under any insurance policy issued is subject to individual policy terms and conditions. Please refer to your policy for the actual language.
