Whether it
is after a storm or simply some pipes that decide to burst in the middle of the
night, emergency home repairs are something most homeowners have to deal with
at one time or another. However, if you have given little thought as to how
these situations will be dealt with, you can find yourself making numerous
mistakes along the way. To make sure any emergency home repairs that come your
way are handled in the best way possible, keep these tips in mind.
Check
Your Insurance Policy
Once an
emergency home repair presents itself, you must check your insurance
policy immediately. By doing so, you may find your policy will cover the cost
of the repairs. However, don't procrastinate. If you do, the insurance company
may have an easier time denying your claim because the damage may
not have occurred due to the reasons you stated when initially filing your
claim.
Have
A Plan For Paying
Since you
never know when emergency home repairs will be needed, it is always best if you
can have a plan in place for paying for such situations. Whether you put money
away in a savings account or have a credit card you keep specifically for such
emergencies, knowing how you will pay for the repairs if you need to can make a tough situation much easier.
Don't
Panic
Should you
require roof repair or other types of repairs to your
home, use your common sense and good judgment when deciding who you will get
to make the repairs. This is especially important if the damage to your home
took place after a natural disaster, since many scam artists are always looking
for ways to prey on panicked and stressed-out homeowners. Call a professional company that you can trust to come out and assess the damage and give you a
repair estimate cost. In this case, it is always better to rely on
professionals instead of trying to do the repairs yourself, particularly for a
roofing job.
Disaster
Relief Assistance
If your home suffered extensive damage, you should be willing to check into any assistance that can be provided by the Red Cross or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, commonly known as FEMA. This can be especially important if some repairs will not be covered by your homeowners' insurance. However, you should remember that any funds you receive from FEMA will be only for major repairs that will make your home safe to occupy and create sanitary living conditions, and is not to be used for restoring your home to exactly how it was pre-disaster.
By having
a plan in place in the event an emergency home repair is needed, you can get it
resolved much faster and with much less stress than you could have imagined.
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