Four mistakes homeowners make with common emergencies
Having your own home can be a fantastic experience. You have a place that’s just yours, which you can personalise with your own style as well as create a safe, loving family unit. Yet there will be problems you’ll come across during your time of home ownership.
From small problems to issues that greatly affect your day-to-day life for weeks or even months, you need to make sure you’re prepared for every eventuality. These are some of the mistakes homeowners make during an emergency – so make sure you take the correct steps to avoid them yourself.
ONE: Not budgeting for unexpected costs
Any experienced homeowner will be able to tell you that there’s always something to budget for. They can be anything, and can come out of anywhere – such as an appliance that needs to be replaced not long after you’ve patched up a leak in your roof. So you need to plan for the unexpected by putting away extra money; the rule is 1% to 3% of your home’s purchase price every year.
You could also get a loan secured on your car, so you can withdraw cash from this asset. Using reputable lenders such as Car Cash Point means you can get the funding you need quickly to pay for any unexpected costs.
TWO: Not reviewing your home insurance policy
The insurance policy you have for your home is there to protect your property and your possessions. If it’s been some time since you initially took out your policy, then it might be that it no longer matches your situation now. As your lifestyle changes, you need to make sure your policy changes with you. So make sure that you update and adjust your policy if you buy or sell any of your belongings.
THREE: Ignoring minor issues and regular checks
It can be easy to ignore small problems such as a toilet that runs all the time, or a tap that drips constantly. The thing is, these issues can get bigger as time goes on – your water bill could then be higher than it should be, for instance. So you should act swiftly to stop them from escalating.
Checks should also include appliances: not only will this mean they work effectively and for longer, but maintaining them can prevent serious issues. So tasks such as clearing out dryer exhaust vents and testing your smoke alarm should be forgotten about.
FOUR: Not using a disaster relief company
If you have been unfortunate enough to have a disaster happen at home – or to your home – you might still think that you can remedy the damage yourself. Yet it is likely that you don’t have the correct tools to fix them correctly, or you don’t know how to do it.
If you use an expert in disaster relief and clean-up, they will then know what steps to do so that your insurance company will cover the damage and the issue is dealt with in the best way possible. If not, you may encounter problems later on.
