Contents Insurance: It’s only for the rich, right?
Take a look around your house. Start in the living room. Now move your way to the kitchen and bathrooms. Stop at the bedrooms. What do all these rooms have in common? All these rooms have possessions, some very important and valuable while others are junk or worthless. Combined they are all worth money and that is where contents insurance comes into play.
Contents insurance protects your prized possessions, the materials and objects that cost a lot or are emotionally worth a lot to you. Often people overlook contents insurance and feel burned after a natural disaster occurs and the coverage isn’t there to reimburse the damage.
Natural disasters and theft are rare, and the chances of your house getting hit are slim. But let’s say for the sake of an argument your house does get struck with an unfortunate event. This could range from a fire, flood or from wind damage. It could also extend to a house robbery. What would you do next?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, hire an appraiser if you haven’t already. The insurance company your policy is under will provide them for you. Make the call and request one. The appraiser will arrive at a designated time to assess your possessions and their worth. They have been trained to assess worth for a living.
Appraisers are here to serve your best interest. They can only do that with your complete cooperation. Allow them to roam the house so they can appraise the house for the correct value. If they do their job right, the insurance company will quickly and accurate return the damages of your lost possessions.
The insurance provider and appraiser work hand-in-hand, creating the ideal coverage policy for you. The contents insurance package may include suggestions from the insurance company on how to protect your home from natural disasters and theft.
For example, security systems are a great idea for any family home. These alarm systems insure your family can sleep in peace and leave the home for a weekend or vacation. Sometimes safe’s are ordered to protect extremely valuable items like jewelry.
You might be thinking I don’t have enough valuable items or jewelry to need contents insurance, but you may be in for a surprise. Your valuables can add up quickly and usually are worth more than you may think. Hire an appraiser and gain a rough estimate. It’s always nice to have that protection, “Just in case.”
Graham McKenzie is the content Syndication Manager at insurance123.co.zaSouth Africa’s leading Household Insurance information portal