April showers bring May flowers, right? Maybe not in Michigan because it still snows half of the time! Regardless of whether we have snow or flowers, the storms will come. The thunder, lightning and wind are going to “rain” down on us again! If we know that every Spring, the storms are on their way then we should prepare for them as best as we can in order to avoid any unfortunate events.
How to prep your home and yard for storm season: Make sure you’re completely ready for the powerful rain and the wind gusts of lake effect storms! Make sure your roof is up to date and that none of the shingles are curling at all. Loosing shingles in a storm is messy to clean and hard to replace. Keeping an updated, quality roof over your head is going to be key if you’re living in Michigan! Also, make sure any large or leaning trees are removed if they’re even remotely close to your home or any outbuildings. Getting these removed ahead of time will cost about the same as it would to remove them but without the stress or damage that they would cause if they came crashing down. For further help on how to prepare for storms and wind, check out this guide!
https://www.newjerseyrealestatenetwork.com/home-high-winds-preparation/
What to do when a storm starts getting out of hand: Make sure you have an EAP (Emergency Action Plan) for your household. Whether it’s simply going down to the basement or designating jobs to people to ensure that everything is okay, it’s always best to have a predetermined plan in the event of an emergency.
What to do if damage occurs: If you think that you have a potential claim on your hands then call your insurance agent. Give them as much info as you can and make sure you’re able to describe damages. You should have an idea as too how much the fix should cost and also how much your deductible is. Filing claims on your home is risky business so it’s best to stay well informed. A claim has to be sudden and accidental, so keep that in mind when assessing the damage. If there’s a ton of damage and it seems to be urgent then it’d be best for you to call your agent asap. If your agent isn’t available then call the company directly so you can get everything taken care of, make sure you still report it to your agent as the earliest convenience. You’ll want to take lots of photos of the damage no matter what. If it’s damage that doesn’t need immediate attention then it’s best for you to have an estimate done so you can better determine if you’d like to file a claim or not.
What does it mean to file a claim on your Home Insurance: When determining whether or not you’d like to file a claim on your home, first find out the cost of the damage. You’ll need to subtract your deductible from that total amount and then decide if that’s an amount that you’re able to pay to fix or if you’re going to need some help from your insurance company. Home claims are okay if it’s only 1 or 2 within a 3 year time span but any more claims could cause your home insurance to drastically increase and/or nonrenewal from your company. So it’s important to be cautious and informed when filing a home claim.
