How to Protect Your Home Furnishings in The Event of a Natural Disaster
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By Jamie Furrate
Mother nature has been awfully moody lately with her torrential rains, imminent danger of floods, and those straight-line winds that woke us all at 5 a.m. If you’re dealing with elemental damage from flash floods or structural damage from the near tornadic-force winds — or better yet preparing in advance — Curtis Moving offers these tips to protect your home furnishings in the event of fire, flood, or storm damage.
Create a Home Inventory Document
The first step is to record what you have by creating a home inventory document. Whether it’s a detailed Excel spreadsheet or a simple hand-written list used to identify and prove ownership of personal property, having this document proves invaluable when substantiating losses after a disaster such as fire, tornado, or flood.
It is likely going to be the key to getting the maximum insurance settlement given your policy’s coverage and determining individual item, collection, and estate values. This is often a difficult and arduous task that takes time to complete, but in the end, you will be happy you did it.
If you don’t have the time to spare to take a home inventory and you have the means to pay for help, we recommend TakeStockInventory.com, an inventory expert that can keep a record of your home inventory in the cloud.
Have a Plan Before Disaster Strikes
Who can forget the 2021 “Snowmageddon” we experienced here in North Texas? Just say the words “no heat” and “burst pipe” and it’ll all come screaming back to you.
When ERCOT projected peak energy use, no one could have forecast what happened across the state. But what about the next time extreme weather is forecast? Now’s the time to put together your plan.
If you have business records or sentimental items that are not secure and vulnerable to damage, secure the items from harm by moving them into a fireproof safe in a less vulnerable area of your home. In North Texas, we typically do not have much advance warning of storm damage, flood, or fire, so having a plan to preserve your valuable possessions ahead of such a disaster should be a priority.
In a case like this, time is of the essence, and the answer is to have the name and number of a local white-glove moving and storage company that knows how to quickly and carefully uninstall (if necessary), pack, transport and store these items in a safe, secure, and climate-controlled environment. A white-glove moving and storage company can also help you to identify items that can and those that will not survive a fire or flood so you can better choose which of your valuable possessions to get out of your home before a disaster strikes.
When it comes to what you should do about storm, flood, or fire damage to your home, documentation and preparation beforehand is key to minimizing financial loss and an expedited insurance settlement. Next is the ability to act fast and to have the resources and help at the ready to save your valuables.
Whether you are a designer requiring delivery services, a homeowner faced with a challenging relocation, or a company moving across the country or to the building across the street, the professionals at Curtis Specialized Moving & Storage are qualified to ensure every detail is addressed.
Contact the Curtis professionals at 214-634-0304 or www.curtismoving.com.
