It’s a situation none of us want to think about, but one we need to prepare for. You’ve found your home damaged by fire, flood, or “act of god,” and it’s currently uninhabitable. What do you do? Obviously, the first step here is to make sure everyone is safe and the emergency is over. The next step is to figure out where you’re all going to go.
Thankfully, homeowners with the right insurance policy can ease the stress during the insurance claim process. Your provider can help you with temporary accommodation while you work on repairing your home. Comfortable furnished rentals for families can make the next chapter much easier to handle. The following step-by-step guide is designed to help you find the right temporary housing for insurance claims with ease.
Step 1: Contact Your Insurance Company Immediately
How do you set this process in motion? You start by contacting your insurer as soon as possible to discuss the coverage in place for this sort of situation.
You’re looking at clauses regarding loss of use and additional living expenses. Make sure to mention both to be clear on what you’re entitled to. The response may surprise you. Even if the home is only partially damaged, such as a fire contained to the kitchen, families have received help. This can extend to financial coverage for temporary housing, but it all depends on your plan. That brings us to step 2.
Step 2: Understand Your Coverage
In the heat of the moment, you may panic, wondering what your insurance covers in these situations. If you took out a home insurance plan with coverage of loss of use, you could be entitled to help towards some form of accommodation for a short period. The details will vary depending on the policy.
The good news is that even if the costs for temporary housing sound low, they can go a long way. For instance, policies that have $50,000 in personal property coverage could allow for as much as $10,000-$15,000 for temporary housing. It also helps to know what type of accommodation is covered in this budget. So what are your options?
Step 3: Explore Your Housing Options
Now you know that you can get coverage for temporary accommodation after a fire, flood, or other calamity, where are you going to go? You might assume that you’ll end up in a hotel for a couple of days while you arrange something more long-term with family. You can do that if you feel it’s best for you and your children. However, you might find that a long-term furnished rental is a much better option.
Long-term furnished rentals offer a home-away-from-home feel, whereas hotels can be expensive and far from homely. These extended stays in houses or apartments allow for greater comfort and stability amid the chaos. Parents can create family dinners around a kitchen table in this new setting after visiting the damaged home to check on the repairs and clean-up operation.
Step 4: Keep Track of Expenses
The idea here is that you go into this great furnished rental, and the insurer covers the costs. Any skeptics reading this may then wonder how you make sure your insurer actually reimburses you? It all comes down to being smart, realistic, and highly organized.
Basically, if you want to be reimbursed for an expense, you need proof. Homeowners who get the most out of their policies and see the greatest returns are the ones who save every last receipt, invoice, email, you name it. There are people who have been flooded out who have created files with all their housing costs, meals, and anything else they could think of. Tedious? Maybe. Worthwhile? Absolutely!
Step 5: Work With Your Adjuster for Approval
Now, I know what you’re thinking here. With all this talk of financing and reimbursement, how can you be sure your expenses will even be covered? Who decides that? Don’t worry. As long as you have a reliable insurance adjuster by your side through this process, you can get your temporary accommodation approval with ease. These professional insurance adjusters will work with you to go over your options, review the allowances within your plan, and set you up with the right solution.
Their approval takes a lot of weight off the shoulders of families concerned about the costs of home repairs and temporary accommodations. You can sleep soundly in a secure, comfortable short-term home while ensuring your forever home is as good as new again. In some cases, this could even mean complete approval for a whole month in a furnished rental.
Of course, the coverage you get will depend on the plan you took out. So, it’s a good idea to check the fine print or discuss any adjustments if you feel you could get a better deal to protect you against future damage.
Step 6: Choose the Right Fit for Your Needs
So far, we’ve seen how temporary housing for insurance claims, particularly furnished rentals, can provide comfort and peace of mind following a disaster. However, with so many types of housing out there, how can you know which temporary housing is best for you?
This is where you need to consider your circumstances and priorities carefully. Some factors will be dealbreakers, such as ensuring an apartment is pet-friendly or has enough room for the whole family. You also need to factor in the projected duration of your stay and how far away it is. Let’s say you’re a cat-owning nurse working long shifts at the local hospital. The last thing you want is to double your commute to work in the morning or to give your pets to a relative until everything is back to normal.
Temporary Accommodation Is A Stress-Free Option.
It’s comforting to know that should you find yourself in a nightmare situation that you can sleep soundly in a family rental soon enough. All you have to do is stay calm, talk to your insurer about your situation, ensure you have the coverage you need, and find the perfect furnished let.
For now, it helps to have an idea of what to expect so you’re prepared for the worst. Go over your policy now to see what coverage you have and what you are entitled to. Talk to your insurer if you think you can get a better plan. Also, think about the type of accommodation you could get within your budget. The more you prepare now, the easier it will be if you ever face a disaster.