Protecting Your Home from Disasters

What a time it is to own a home. It seems that news of natural disasters and the havoc they’ve wreaked dominate headlines across the nation–even the world. In the past couple of months, global citizens have fought off tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires and landslides. We’ve faced almost every natural disaster imaginable, some in epic proportions.

At a time where homeowners’ premiums are at their highest, especially in certain parts of the country, protecting one’s investments is more important than ever. However, many natural disasters are oftentimes unpredictable and extremely destructive. Just in the past couple of months, we’ve all seen the devastation of the Southeast Asia tsunami, California coastal homes destroyed by landslides, avalanches and flooding ruining homes and infrastructure in Utah, and that’s just to name a few.

Here are some tips you can offer your clients to protect themselves and minimize damage to their homes and belongings during a natural disaster:

Homeowners should keep an itemized inventory of all belongings, preferably by photo or video. Record serial numbers, receipt dates and original purchase costs. Advise your clients to update their inventory as needed and to file it away from the home.

Finally, customers should review their homeowners policy regularly and advise you of any changes or modifications to their home as soon as possible.