Don’t want your next storm to damage your property?
Each year, homeowners across America face tens of thousands of dollars in preventable weather damage to their home. In fact, NOAA even has stats showing us extreme weather cost Americans over $1.1 trillion in damages in the last 10 years.
That’s trillion with a T.
Luckily for you, there’s plenty you can do to prevent storm damage to your property.
You see, most storm damage is avoidable with regular seasonal maintenance. A home that stays up to date on their spring/summer and fall/winter property checklist is much less likely to receive a denied insurance claim or struggle through a lengthy property insurance claim settlement.
Here’s the issue though…
Most homeowners wait until it’s too late. They file a property claim only to find out “maintenance-related” damage is not covered by their policy. Suddenly they’re left fighting for every dollar of their settlement while they desperately pay for costly repairs on their own dime.
Lesson learned; a little prevention can go VERY far.
If you’ve already been through this situation and your insurance company is giving you trouble you may benefit from working with a Colorado property damage attorney to ensure you get every dollar you deserve from your property claim settlement.
But if you want to be smart about it? Prevent the damage from happening in the first place.
Let’s take a look at…
What You’ll Learn…
- Why Seasonal Maintenance Is Important For Property Claims
- Spring & Summer Property Maintenance Checklist
- Fall & Winter Property Maintenance Checklist
- How to Properly Document It All For Insurance
Why Seasonal Maintenance is Important For Property Claims
Before jumping into the seasonal home maintenance checklist, let’s review why maintenance is so important when it comes to property claims.
Something most homeowners don’t realize is insurance companies will try to deny or decrease a property claim settlement ANY chance they get. One of the most common ways they weasel out of paying? Property maintenance.
- Were trees already weak before a wind storm? Pre-existing condition.
- Were gutters clogged causing water to overflow into the home? Negligence.
You get the idea.
Sure, some things will always be out of your control. But 26% of homeowners say they’re financially unprepared for extreme weather according to a recent Bankrate survey. Don’t be that person. Do your due diligence and maintain your property every season.
Maintaining your property every season does two huge things:
- Helps prevent damage to your home BEFORE it happens.
- Provides you with solid documentation that your property was being cared for if a claim happens.
Maintenance really is such an important piece to the property claims puzzle.
Spring & Summer Property Maintenance Checklist
Spring time and summer bring heavy rains, hail, wind, and heat. Any combination of these Mother Nature tossed our way can destroy a home that hasn’t been prepped properly. Below is a list of maintenance musts when it comes to sprucing up your property for warmer weather.
Inspect Roof
The number one way to prevent storm damage is to maintain the roof. Issues like cracked shingles, damaged flashing, or hanging branches can be spotted and repaired before they cause thousands in damage.
Have your roof inspected yearly. Not only will this help spot any potential problem areas, but it also creates a handy paper trail that your roof was being maintained (nice to have during claims).
Clean & Repair Gutters
Clogged gutters are the worst. Water flowing into your gutters but nowhere to go can cause huge problems for your basement and foundation. Cleanup all debris in gutters and downspouts during spring and again mid-summer.
Be sure to also clean any area the downspouts direct water. You want all water to be drained at least 3 feet away from your foundations.
Trim Trees/Landscaping
Overhanging branches near the house, garage, or power lines are a huge liability come storm season. High winds can send tree branches flying through windows or even entire trees crushing houses.
Make sure to trim back any branches that hang over your home. Bonus: Dead trees/limbs should be taken down completely. If a tree falls on your home and it was obviously dead before it fell, your insurance company will find reason to weasel out of paying that claim.
Windows, Doors, & Seals
Inspect all window and door seals and replace any that have cracked or gaps. Broken seals allow water inside during rain storms and increase energy costs during hotter months. Replace any worn down weatherstripping and caulk any gaps around window frames.
Fall & Winter Property Maintenance Checklist
Fall and winter come with their own risks. Cold temps, ice storms, snow, and high winds are serious threats to homes that haven’t prepped for winter.
Winterize Plumbing
Frozen pipes can cost thousands of dollars in damage. Make sure to insulate any exposed pipes in attics, basements, or crawl spaces. Disconnect all garden hoses and shut off exterior water valves to avoid a burst pipe in winter.
Inspect Heating
Go ahead and have your furnace/heating system inspected before winter hits. Repair any issues that could lead to frozen pipes, carbon monoxide problems, or fire hazards. Change filters and clear any blocked vents.
Check Roof Again!
Roof problems don’t only happen during summer. Before winter hits be sure to double check your roof for any damage that may have occurred over summer. Ensure flashing is still secure and check for any areas of the roof that may sag under heavy snow.
Ice dams are another huge problem during winter. Proper attic insulation and ventilation can help avoid them from forming and causing water to backup under your shingles.
Test Sump Pumps & Drainage
Does your home have a sump pump? If so test it out before the rainy season hits. Dump some water in the pit and make sure the pump turns on and properly drains water. During a huge rain storm, a failed sump pump could flood your basement in a matter of hours.
How To Document Everything For Insurance
It seems like a lot of extra work but documenting your home properly can save you thousands if a claim is ever needed.
Here’s what you should do…
- Take photos of your property before and after maintenance is complete. Be sure photos are date stamped.
- Save all receipts. Yes, even for that gutter cleaning.
- Keep a maintenance log. Write down who did what and when.
- Review your policy. Every year look over what is and is not covered.
Follow these tips and you’ve got yourself a near air-tight property maintenance file.
Wrapping Things Up…
Seasonal home maintenance isn’t the most glamorous topic but boy is it helpful. Regularly maintaining your property is by far the best way to avoid costly storm damage and messy property claims.
Here’s your seasonal property maintenance checklist recap:
- Inspect/Repair Roof – Twice A Year
- Clean Gutters
- Trim Back Trees
- Winterize Plumbing
- Document, Document, DOCUMENT
Storm damage is costly and insurance companies love to make claims even harder. Don’t be the homeowner that got totally burned by both.
Do your part by maintaining your property every season and you’ll be way less likely to run into these types of problems.
