Most claims for home and belongings insurance go smoothly, but sometimes people disagree about how much something was worth. But another problem that keeps coming up is when buildings are not well taken care of. The homeowner has a responsibility to take care, and insurance companies don't like claims that the homeowner could have and should have avoided. Because of this, your claim may be lowered or even denied.
To avoid these kinds of problems, you should give your house a MOT every year. A check in the spring would be good. If you do just a few simple checks, you should be able to find problems early on.
Rain, wind, snow, and frost are some of the things that put the most stress on your home every day. Because of this, most homes have a few problems in the fall and winter, so a check in the spring can save a lot of time and money down the road.
You won't be paying money that you could later get back from insurance. In fact, if you claim a cost that was really a maintenance issue, your insurance company will not pay it.
Here are our 10 points for your home's springtime MOT:
- Now, go back inside. It's been a rough winter, so don't forget to get your central heating boiler checked out. And check how much carbon monoxide it gives off. While the engineer is there, you should also ask him to check out your radiators.
- Walk around the house and make sure nothing is covering up the damp course. Most of the time, it's garden trash that's piled up. Grass clippings are not the best thing for your house. If water gets past the damp course, it will get into your walls and cause damage to the plasterwork and decorations. Rot will set in over time.
- When you plant bushes and trees, you need to make sure their roots won't cause damage in the future. If roots get into your drains or foundations, you'll have to pay a lot of money to fix them. Some of the worst offenders are willow and poplar trees. Do you know that you shouldn't have a Popular tree within 150 feet of your property? If a new house is built within this distance, the foundations have to be extra strong.
- While we're talking about trees, you might think that your property insurance will cover damage caused by trees that fall. Yes, if the tree has been well cared for. But what if the tree was already rotten or damaged? Yes, you guessed right, that's a problem that needs to be fixed. You're liable! If you can't show that you took care of the trees in a reasonable way, the insurance company can deny your claim. Having big trees could cause you a lot of trouble. A tree surgeon should give you an annual report that lists any work that needs to be done. Don't forget to do the work and keep the paperwork! This shows that you have been careful, so any claim you make in this area will be accepted.
- Do you have any plants that grow up the side of your house? Check to see if they've broken any of your bricks or render. Ivy is the worst of the bunch. And don't let climbing plants get on your roof, because that's a bad idea.
- Last but not least, up to the loft. Check the wiring for signs of leaks and rodent damage. Squirrels like warm lofts and the insulation that covers wires. The fire department doesn't like squirrels. And a tough job. Remove any old bird or wasp nests and plug up the holes while you're there.
- Check the paint on the outside of your house. Any paint that is cracked, flaking, or bubbling needs to be fixed. Fix it up to keep the wood from getting worse. Summer can be hard on paint in surprising ways. High temperatures and big changes in temperature make cracks that are ready for the worst that winter can do the next year.
- Get the chimney cleaned if you used an open fire a lot during the winter. Heavy amounts of soot make it easy for fires to start, and in the summer, the soot soaks up water.
- Get the gutters clean. Fall can be hard on gutters because a lot of debris can build up. That needs to be taken away. If water can't get out of clogged gutters and downspouts and gets inside the building, it can do a lot of damage very quickly. But please do this job carefully. Working on ladders is dangerous, so why not have your window cleaner do it?
- Now, take out your binoculars and look at the roof. Look for tiles that are broken, loose, or have moved. When a roof leaks, it can cause expensive damage. Damage to the ceiling, rot, and redecorating can quickly eat up money. Then there's the question of safety. If a tile falls, someone could get hurt very badly. Even your car could be hit straight on.
If you do these things, you shouldn't have any trouble with any structural insurance claim. Also, your home will love you.
