Can You Ever Be... Too Prepared?
Absolutely Not, So Why Risk It?
Orange County Real Estate
Prepare for fires and other disasters by conducting a home inventory and updating your insurance policies.
California is in the midst of a dangerous fire season due to a harsh confluence of factors. Increased fuel, abnormally dry weather and greater urban interface are creating a particularly combustibLe mix for the 2007 fire season.
Waiting for a fire to erupt before conducting a home inventory and reviewing your insurance policy means you could get burned twice - first by the fire then by trying to recover your losses. Here are steps you can take today to protect your home.
Using your own personal household digital camera plus a Home Inventory Guide to catalog your possessions and document your valuables.
California's recently hot housing market may mean that expensive upgrades would not be a covered loss. People who have remodeled their homes over the past few years should take particular care to update their policies.
Photographs of household goods are especially helpful when an item is hard to describe on paper, or if a purchase receipt cannot be obtained. Each photograph should be labeled with information about the item. If a video recorder is used, commentary should be added about each item. Date stamps should also be employed. A copy of the inventory and supporting documentation, such as receipts and model numbers, should be stored in a safe place, such as a safe-deposit box, work office, or a relative's house. These records should also include financial documents such as insurance policies and mortgage information.
5 emergency preparedness tips:
- Prepare a supply kit and design a plan of action for every kind of emergency that could occur in the area where you live.
- Create two escape routes for every family member in your home in the event of a fire.
- Find a person outside your area that everyone can contact after an emergency has occurred.
- Identify an area where everyone should meet after an emergency has occurred.
- Conduct drills and practice your emergency plans of action often.
Source: Orange Coast Title Co.
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