Wildfires, storms, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes.
They’re all events that are nearly impossible to predict more than a few weeks in advance. And all of these natural disasters can take a huge toll on your home, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Because of this, homeowners are often at their most vulnerable in the immediate aftermath of one of these storms or weather-related events. If your property has been damaged, it’s only natural that you’d want to find an immediate solution — but in some cases, acting too quickly could result in you getting ripped off by people looking to profit off your situation.
To make sure you’re able to recover from the disaster that damaged your home without being scammed or ripped off, be sure to follow these tips:
Be present for all property inspections
You should never allow anyone to inspect your home or property for damage while you’re not there to observe the process. There have been cases where contractors have added more damage to a home during their inspections in an effort to get more money out of the homeowner! To prevent this, simply make sure you’re at home when there’s an inspection taking place.
Don’t hire door-to-door solicitors
It might seem like that contractor who rung your doorbell to offer his or her services might genuinely be interested in helping you — they did come to your door, after all. However, door-to-door solicitors are often representatives of scammy drifter companies that descend upon disaster-stricken areas to take advantage of homeowners.
Consider the benefits of public adjuster services
If your home’s damage is significant enough that you’re considering filing an insurance claim, you might want to think about hiring a public adjuster. Public adjusters work to get the best possible settlement for you during your claim — and when many insurance companies try to pay homeowners the least amount of money possible during claims, public adjuster services might be what you need.
Have any other questions for us on public adjuster services or the process for filing flood damage or fire damage claims? We’ve got all the advice you need — ask anything by leaving a comment below. Research more here.