We hope you never have the unfortunate experience of a disaster affecting your home or property. But with their unpredictable nature, it is impossible to be one-hundred percent sure that you will never find yourself in this situation. This is why knowing exactly what steps to take and what to document when disaster hits are essential to helping you be prepared.
Documenting After a Disaster
Taking Pictures and Videos
The first thing you’ll want to do after you’ve been affected by a disaster is to ensure you take pictures or videos of the damage. But don’t stop there. Record everything you possibly can. Having too many pictures or videos won’t do any harm and it’s always better to have too many pictures than not enough. You don’t want to miss some sort of damage to your home because you failed to see it immediately due to the stress of the situation.
Making Notes
Although pictures and videos are great, you shouldn’t just rely on these for proof of the damage. Both pictures and your own notes will help you provide an accurate account to your insurance company as proof of the damage done and will work in your favor to ensure you get a fair settlement. So be sure to write down everything you can think of about the damage so you have something to reference when communicating with your insurance adjuster.
Removing Items
Sometimes it may be necessary to remove items in your home to prevent them from being damaged any further. It is best to do this after taking pictures and videos if at all possible. You can then remove your valuables and possessions from the home and place them in a safe spot while waiting for your insurance agency and before making repairs to your property.
Making Temporary Repairs
Another thing you may need to do to prevent further damage is to make temporary repairs. For instance, if your roof has a leak or windows are broken out, you will need to patch the roof or board up the windows so you don’t have any additional issues. Make sure you save receipts for what you spend on any repairs to submit them to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Need to make repairs after a disaster? Contact us here at Ascension General Contractors! We are full-service repair specialists, and proud to serve the Nashville community as general contractors.