SW Florida homeowners need to be aware that the hurricane damage roof claim settlement deadline is approaching for Irma claims September 10, 2020.  We are at the three-year mark for such claims.  You do not need approval of your claim, but your claim does need to be submitted to your insurance company by that date.

Hurricane Damage Roof Claim Settlement Deadline

Here is what is so important about this.  Many people had roof damage and do not realize it.  When they go to sell their home, it will come up on a roof inspection.  The seller will be required to make the repairs or put on a new roof if the roof is not repairable.  Many roofs are not repairable because the tile system on their home is not made anymore, or because the percentage of damaged shingles is too significant.  In that case, a new roof may be required.  Many tile roofs cost over $50,000.

If an insurance claim is filed and not closed it would be on record and the new buyer might not be able to obtain insurance.  Choosing a roofer with extensive experience dealing with insurance companies is a must.  The attorney they work with when the insurance company says no the first time is important too.  Filing a claim is a big decision and should be done if you have damage, but you need to be prepared to follow through because the insurance company will not just hand over the money.

There is a lot of disinformation on the streets. You must be careful not to listen to the roofing salesman. We have heard some whoppers and not all of their claims are true.  For instance, the homeowner will have to pay the deductible.  Insurance companies reserve the right and will go back and verify later that the deductible was actually paid.  Some roofers entice homeowners to choose them because they scheme up ways to avoid this and the homeowner thinks they are going to get a free roof.  This is insurance fraud, and it could come back to bite the homeowner.  Yes, the roofing company may be committing fraud too, but when they are out of business it will not matter to the homeowner who also committed fraud. Water restoration is a specialized service that removes water from your home and restores it to a livable, pre-damaged condition. Restoring a home after a water damage emergency must happen quickly. Standing water and moisture create a perfect environment for bacteria and mold growth.

Roof May Determine Sale Ability

The bottom line is if you’re thinking of selling during the remaining useful life of your roof, you should have it checked. If there is damage you may not be able to sell your home with the damage.  You also want to use a reputable roofer who knows what they are doing, It may be possible to sell the home if the damaged work in the claim was repaired.  We can submit that info to new insurance company and coverage can be bound.  We work with some excellent insurance companies. That is the other end of the equation people do not always think about.

If you need the name of some roofers we’ve had good experience with, we would be happy to supply them to you.  Simply call Brett Ellis 239-489-4042 or email Brett@topagent.com and we’ll pass along the information.

New Roof May Increase Home Value

It pays to work with experts in their field.  When you have a home under contract it’s sad to lose the deal over something that could have been prevented. A new roof may help improve the value of your home too. Buyers consider the price of a home combined with all the improvements, upgrades, and maintenance items they’ll have to make.  The more repairs and maintenance items eat into what they will offer for a home, if at all.  Maximizing your bottom line is a consultation between you and your Realtor.  An experienced Realtor can guide you to help you make best decisions.  Mistakenly, some sellers believe hiring the cheapest agent they can find will save them money. In fact, this strategy may cost them thousands.

If you want to save thousands on your next sale, ask Brett or Sande how we can save you money. Besides our experience, we have some programs that save our clients thousands of dollars.  It pays to know what they are. Call us at 239-489-4042 Ext 4 or visit www.SWFLhomevalues.com to find out how much your home is worth.

Have questions?  Brett and Sande are here to help!

See last week’s article “Changing Real Estate Trends We Are Watching“