Make a List and Check it Twice: Insurance Adjusters Need Your Help

After the storm, assessing the damage is a long and difficult task. Insurance agents say there are several things homeowners can do to speed up the process and make it as smooth as possible. When a tornado takes away everything you own, it`s hard to wrap your head around exactly what you`ve lost. State Farm Insurance agent Katie McAttey says that homeowners are often so frantic that they can`t remember exactly what they had in their homes. In order to prevent that problem local insurance agents suggest that homeowner`s create a list of all their personal property. They say the best method is to videotape or take pictures. They also recommend that homeowners write down the make, model, and serial number of all of their electronics. Once the list is complete it needs to be stored somewhere other than the home. Burnham, Coleman, Kaelin, and Walker Insurance agent Randy Smith also recommends that you inventory your house one room at a time rather than take on the whole house. He says you should also invite a friend or family member to help you because you will be less likely to miss something. Smith recommends that you start with the large objects, such as furniture, and work your way down. McAttey says you should be as specific as possible. She says that many people forget about their clothes, DVD`s and CD`s. Both agents say they hope homeowners will never have to deal with insurance adjusters but they do want them to be prepared. They say making those lists now will save homeowners precious time when they need it the most. Smith says the Boswells, whose home was completely destroyed, are still doing inventory. His other clients, the Gillenwaters, only had structural damage. Contractors have started to repair their home.