If you had asked me what was in my dresser before October 29th, I would have given you a vague list, but I wouldn’t have been 100% sure. I’ve always heard the recommendation to take pictures or a video of your belongings, but how many of us have actually done it? After living through what we have for the last 6 months, I would love to share some quick tips when it comes to your home insurance:
- Do you have enough coverage? For your actual structure (if you own a home), and for your contents (for home owners and renters). If all of your belongs in your home or apartment were destroyed, would you have enough insurance coverage to replace it all? You may think you do, but I recommend looking at your policy to be sure.
- What’s in your dresser? Really, what possessions do you own? This is where that video advice comes in handy. If you only lose some of your belongings like we did, you won’t be getting the entire payout for your contents. But you want to be sure you get reimbursed for every last pair of underwear you lost! (I speak from experience) Also be sure you have riders in your policy for any expensive art, etc.
- Where did you purchase your belongings and how much did they cost? You don’t want the insurance company to assume your Pottery Barn furniture was from Home Depot, or your Lululemon leggings were from Target. (Again, I speak from experience)
- How long would your insurance company pay for you to live somewhere else if you were displaced from your home? Is it a set amount of time, or total allowance? Or is it unlimited, until your home is repaired? Now may be a good time to talk with your insurance agent if you aren’t sure about the specifics of your policy.
Insurance isn’t a sexy subject, which is probably why most of us don’t know much about what our policy really states. This is why I want to share as much as I can, so if you ever (God forbid) have a situation requiring a claim, you’ll have a much better understanding than I did. So, off you go now to start taking pictures of your underwear drawer, and if you have any other random questions along the way, please reach out to me. I’m happy to help!
