If your home is damaged or lost in a disaster, you may be feeling overwhelmed by all there is to do. From accessing the damage to salvaging your family treasures, the process can be painful.

However, the one thing you must understand is how to file a homeowners insurance claim, as doing it wrong could delay the proceedings for you. This, in turn, can lead to even more problems and a lot more stress.

To help you make the process of filing a homeowners insurance claim much easier on you and your family, consider the following helpful tips:

Review Your Homeowners Insurance Policy
Most people do not know exactly what a homeowners insurance policy covers. Before you submit your claim, you will want to do the following two things:

  • Read over your policy in detail. Will your policy cover the type of disaster that caused damage to your home?
  • Study the claims process in detail. If your company supplied you with a sample claim for, you can get a better understanding of what they expect. If you did not receive one, check their website for further information on this topic.

Call Your Insurance Company With Questions Before You File
The one thing you do not want to do is to wait to ask your questions until after the claim is filed. Always call them beforehand to ensure you are providing them with the information they need (browse this list of home insurance company claims filing telephone numbers if you need contact details for your insurer). The following are two things you will want to look further into if you discover they will not cover the damage from this particular disaster:

If your policy does not cover the disaster, such as a flood, you will need to ask if they would cover your out-of-home living expenses while you get the damage repaired. Many policies will still provide coverage on this aspect of the claim on the Loss of Use coverage on the policy (sometimes even a car insurance policy will cover home damages so you may not even need to file a home insurance claim but rather an auto insurance claim!)

You also do not want to wait to see what other damages will occur from the situation. For example, if your basement is flooded, you do not want to wait until the water recedes to see what else is damaged. Call your insurance agent and ask them how to handle the matter if further damages are found.

Access the Damage Done to Your Home and Belongings
While the insurance agent will come in and take pictures, you will need to document the damage to your home and belongings, as well. The following are some tips to help you get started:

  1. Take enough pictures or video that it documents all of the damage. The closer pictures you can get, the better they will be for the insurance company.
  2. By separating all of the damaged home items from your own personal belongings, you and your insurance adjuster can get a better idea of the value lost.
  3. Do not throw any damaged items away until your insurance adjuster tells you that it is okay.

Prevent Further Damage from Occurring
The biggest mistake a homeowner can make is not preventing further damage from occurring. For example, if you had a tree come through your roof in a bad storm, until the problem is repaired, you will need to make sure that no water can get through to cause more damaged.

If you were to not step forward and try to prevent anymore damage to your home, the insurance company could claim that you were negligent and actually refuse to pay the claim.

Stay Calm for Better Results
While this may be the most stressful time of your life, you can not let your stress over the situation interfere with the process. The insurance company will be doing everything possible to get an adjuster to your home as quickly as possible. However, if the disaster caused damage to a lot of homes in your area, it could take time. During the process, try to remain as calm as possible and you will get much better results.

When a disaster strikes, a homeowner can quickly become very emotional. The home is where the heart is and it is very easy to become unglued. However, by considering the above information when filling out a homeowners insurance claim, you will find that the process will go much smoother. The main thing to remember is that when you are in doubt, call your insurance agent for an answer.

Author Bio: Susan is a writer and insurance guru. She contributes for both a homeowners insurance quotes website and a car insurance quotes website. She loves finding new ways to save money on insurance almost as much as she loves stuffed crust pizza!