If you are moving home to a brand-new area, have you checked the home to see if it is prepared for natural disasters?
Often overlooked, but a natural disaster is one of the things that will cost you dearly if you don’t have the right things in place. Each specific area or state will have its own spate of weather phenomena, and it could be tornados, flooding, or lots of storms. So before you decorate your dream home, you need to make sure the following precautions and preparations are in place.
Get Homeowner’s Insurance
If you haven’t already got some, it needs to be on your list of priorities! Homeowner’s insurance is different from mortgage insurance it needs to be pointed out, and homeowner’s insurance doesn’t always give full coverage to a home due to things like a natural disaster. So you need to look at your policies and choose one that suits your needs. Depending on where you live in the world, the best prevention method is to get separate insurance coverage for natural disasters that are rife in your area.
Home Protection
Your home will sustain lots of damage, so you need to have certain protective methods in place. While it is common sense to have money put aside for emergency repairs, there are things that you can do to make your home a lot more secure. Making one room a “safe room” in case of disasters like tornados is a good starting point, and this should be in the basement or a room that you can make secure and sturdy. The room should have emergency lighting set up if your home suffers a power cut in an emergency, as well as things to do. If you have to ride out a storm without things to distract you, it can be a long, boring wait. Supplies like tinned meat and nuts have far away expiry dates so you can pack away lots of them in case of an emergency. And make sure you have bottled water in abundance because you never know how long you will have to wait for if your area experiences flooding or heavy storms.
Get Repairs Done As Quick As Possible
As soon as it is safe to do so, make a note of the date and complete thorough checks on your roof and your home, inside and out, for significant damage. On the roof, look for torn or broken shingles, and take pictures. This will make it easier for the repair workers to assess the damage and give you estimated costs so you can plan ahead. The pictures can be sent to the insurance company to help make the process easier. If there are issues with the insurance company, such as not willing to pay out on certain aspects, then you can call a public adjuster, and they will help out.
A natural disaster doesn’t have to cost you lots of money each time, but if you take the necessary steps, it will help make the personal and financial cost much less than anticipated.
XOXO
Debbie
