A house is one of the most critical and expensive assets you acquire. If your property incurs damage due to any natural or man–made calamity, repairing the same could burn a hole in your pocket. This is where a home insurance policy can be helpful for you. Many insurers compensate you for the damages caused to your property and for the loss or theft of your belongings.

While many people know about the benefits of procuring a home insurance policy, not many know about the home insurance claim process. If you, too, are wondering how to raise a house insurance claim, here is a step–by–step guide to help you with the same:

Before you raise a house insurance claim, ensure that your property is out of danger and is not susceptible to being damaged any further. Get yourself and the people near you to safety and check if anybody has sustained any injury.

Once you have ensured that every house occupant is safe, the next step is to contact the concerned government authorities and inform them about the incident. If there is a fire in your house, call the fire brigade. If there has been a theft in your home, call the police. Do not delay in getting in touch with the authorities as this could cause problems in your insurance claim process.

Once you and your house are out of danger, contact your insurance company as soon as possible. Many prominent insurers allow you to raise an insurance claim at any time that is convenient for you. You typically must intimate the insurance company within a set time limit, such as within 15 days. Failing to do so would compel the insurer to reject your claim. You can read the fine print of your insurance policy to know about the maximum number of days within which your insurer requires you to initiate the house insurance claim process.

To quicken the claim settlement process, gather as much evidence as possible about the incident. Take photos and videos that show the damage caused to your property. If you require the insurer to compensate for the loss of your belongings, ensure that you have the purchase receipts of the damaged or stolen items. After informing your insurer about the incident, they would send a surveyor within 48 hours to assess the magnitude of damages. Share the evidence you have collected with the surveyor and document the same to present to your insurer.

Once you have submitted all the evidence to the surveyor and submitted the claim form with all the required documents, all you need to do now is wait. The insurance company would go through the details of the incident and assess the magnitude of the damages. Once they have completed their internal processes, the insurer will contact you with the total compensation amount they are ready to pay you. Insurers usually revert with a verdict within a week or so.