Documentation & Preparation

The best way to handle a loss is to be prepared. Being prepared means documenting and taking an inventory of your personal belongings and property before a loss occurs. When property owners are involved in a loss such as a fire, tornado, or flood and a large amount of their property is destroyed, it becomes a extremely difficult to rely on memory when trying to inventory the items. These types of occurrences are often stressful and chaotic situations; having to document the damage, make sure loved ones and/or employees are unharmed, move to temporary housing or locations, find reputable contractors to perform repairs or provide estimates, and deal with the insurance company, makes having a complete inventory instrumental in being fully compensated for all damages. It’s as simple as listing every item that you own in a notebook or videotaping all your belongings and personal property located on and around the premises. It may seem like a tedious task now, but that’s not as daunting of a task of having to do it after you’ve suffered a loss and a lot of items are damaged or missing.