5 Unusual Items You Didn't Know Your Home Insurance Policy Covered

Your home insurance policy is written using simplified language, but policies still seem downright tricky at times. Unless you’ve spent a sizeable chunk of your leisure time sifting through your policy's agreements, definitions, and exclusions, you might not realize that these five items are actually covered.

If you’ve suffered a property loss to your home, it has undoubtedly caused you substantial stress and grief. Dealing with your insurance company should not compound your worries but, unfortunately, all too often a claim is mishandled and as the insured, you can be left feeling your insurer is not living up to its policy’s promises or is in bad faith. In that case, it may be time to consider hiring a public adjuster to assist you with your claim. When you seek the help of a public adjuster, there are three main points to keep in mind:

With the spate of disasters now plaguing our country and, indeed, the world, it's important for homeowners to have sufficient, quality homeowner's insurance in force. It's also important to understand how it works, what benefits it provides and how to claim your fair share if and when a claim is made. Even with all these bases covered, seeking an insurance claim settlement for a property loss you've suffered is no simple exercise, especially when tackled on your own without the assistance of a public adjuster.

When your home is damaged due to a fire or other insured peril, you have a lot of tasks to accomplish to get your home back to normal. You must restore or replace your personal property, find a contractor to repair your home and work with the insurance company adjuster to settle your claim and resolve any coverage issues. A public adjuster helps you through the claim process, but is that your best option?

It takes a lot of effort to rebuild your home when it’s damaged. Add in a pile of insurance claim paperwork, and the overall burden can be overwhelming. Insurance companies want you to provide estimates, receipts, property inventories, and most importantly, they want your Proof of Loss. If you don't know what a Proof of Loss is, definitely keep reading.

You’ve suffered property damage and it’s time to deal with your insurance company. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy process at times. You’ve paid your premiums on time, in full and you’ve filed a claim. Then, the side of your insurance company no one wants to see is revealed. Be aware of these habits of bad faith insurance claim handling so you can advocate for yourself, or hire professional help to get your claim paid.

When your home or business is damaged, your life gets complicated. You don't need the added drama of pushing the insurance company to speed up your property insurance claim settlement, but it often works out that way. It sounds unfair, but when it’s your home or your business that’s damaged, you will be the one most motivated to move your case forward.

When you must present a property damage claim to your insurance carrier, you begin the claim process with optimism. The adjuster meets you at the site, hands over a business card and offers consolation. The adjuster inspects your damage, gets your statement, and explains what is needed from you to handle your claim.

When a disaster strikes, damaging your home or business, your insurance claim settlement becomes the solution to getting your life back to normal. You need the insurance money to repair your property. You need it to replace your furnishings and pay your extra expenses. You want your settlement check as quickly as possible, because you feel like everything is on hold until your claim is resolved and the damage is repaired.

When you’re rebuilding your home after major property damage, insurance claim problems are often unavoidable. Getting your family to safety can be traumatic enough. Then you must report your claim, sort through your damaged personal property and find a contractor to make repairs. You must also deal with an insurance company property adjuster who might empathize with you but doesn’t have the same emotional and financial investment.