Last Thursday, Phoenix and its surrounding suburbs experienced the first bona fide storm of the monsoon season. Buckets of rain, howling wind and a dash of lightening and thunder echoed throughout the Valley.
Normally, I love storms. Living in the desert, any rain is good rain. We rarely have power outages in my neighborhood, and the storms usually last only a couple of hours. But last week’s storm was not a welcome respite at my house. It literally brought the house down, er, I mean the ceiling.
Turns out a leak in our roof had been breaking down the drywall and insulation for quite some time. So when the rain hit Thursday night, the ceiling over the dining area quickly disassembled and crashed to the floor. Luckily, no one was hurt, but we were left with an 11-foot-by-6-foot gaping hole.
After hours of cleanup that ran late into the night, I pulled my homeowner’s policy from a file cabinet drawer. I’ve never filed a claim with my homeowner’s insurance—or even an auto claim for that matter—so it was all new territory for me. And while I hope I never again have to write down a claim number, I am so very thankful I have insurance—health, auto and home. Without it, I would be looking at thousands of dollars and months of work.
When was the last time you reviewed your insurance policy? Are you getting the best coverage? Have you upgraded your security system or added climate-controlled buildings? Do you offer specialty storage, such as wine, records management or boat/RV? Knowing what your policy covers—and doesn't cover—is critical.
For more on making sure you have the right coverage for your facility, check out Inside Self-Storage’s hot topics section on insurance for information on everything from professional liability to tenant insurance.
Also, take a moment to peruse your policy or check in with your insurance company to be sure everything is in order. An hour of diligence now could save you money and problems down the road.