We welcomed Moyer’s Services today for a lunch and learn for the property and casualty staff. Mike Helfrich shared with us the Moyer’s Difference and how they are ready 24/7/365 to help our insureds when something bad happens to their property. This is also important for us to know when working with our clients to determine the amount of coverage needed for a building or guiding them when they need to report a claim.
Mike shared some pictures of properties Moyer’s Services has responded to after a fire. The amount of damage can vary from one case to another. In one example everything in the home was completely destroyed and only thing remaining were the studs of the walls. This was a great example of why having photographs of a home is important, so that a list can be created of what was inside the house and pictures of what the house looked like before the damage can be provided to the insurance adjuster.
Some Insurance Tips:
- Take photos of the exterior and each room in your house/apartment from each corner of the room. Save the photos in a safe location where they can be accessed if your home is damaged. Update the pictures once a year.
- If you have a finished basement, contact FIFS to ensure you have backup of sewers and drains coverage and the amount of coverage is adequate for the type of finish or contents in your basement.
- When older homes are damaged, it can cost a significant amount of money to upgrade the house to the current building codes. Contact FIFS to review the amount of ordinance or law coverage you have on your policy, so that if your home is damaged, you’ll have enough coverage to bring the house up to current code and restore the damaged portion of the house to its original state.
- Smoke damage can be the most difficult to clean. If not done correctly, it can create more damage. Moyer’s Services will provide complimentary assessments of smoke damage and let the homeowner know if it needs professional cleaning.
- If you have damage to your home, contact FIFS before signing any contracts with restoration companies or public adjusters who show up uninvited. Be sure to only do business with reputable companies.
Helping our clients when something bad happens is why we’re in business. While we hope nothing bad happens to you, we strive to be prepared to guide you through the claims process if you ever need us.
A regular coverage review of a homeowners, dwelling fire, or commercial property policy is highly recommended because of increases in the cost of building materials to fix a building after damage, the cost of labor increases over time, building codes may be in place that didn’t exist when the property was purchased, and/or improvements or renovations may have been completed that increase the value of the property. Please contact your FIFS Client Service Advisor today to be sure the policy you have is adequate. We can be reached at info@fifs.com or 267.384.5300.
