Importance of an Inventory

Experiencing a fire, tornado, or even a flood can be unexpectedly overwhelming and life changing. It is in our nature to trust those who are supposed to be there to help us. I know that in small towns and rural areas this is even more prevalent because everybody knows everybody, the buddy system if you will. I am from a small town and know the mentality there is very different from that in the city.

What people sometimes do not know is that their insurance agent that you know has to turn your insurance claim over to someone that doesn’t know you. These outside people will adjust your claim.
As public adjusters, Brown – O’Haver will go over your policy and work to help you receive what you deserve from your policy. If you have a large or total loss many times that could mean you are due policy limits. Unlike the insurance company, who will estimate the value of your belongings, Brown – O’Haver our goal is to go into the home and inventory everything within it. That means if we see a pencil, bar of soap, dishtowel, or any myriad of small items we will include it in your insurance claim. We then will take that list and price it with current replacement values. We will also give you a list of common household goods for you to add anything we have missed due to it being unidentifiable. This gives you an accurate amount to submit to your insurance company, so that ultimately money you receive and help you to rebuild your life.

Sometimes the insurance company will tell you that things can be cleaned and not cashed out. In some cases, this is true. However, there are many things that the smell of smoke or water will never come out of or work properly again.

As an inventory specialist at Brown O’Haver I participate in the physical inventory, input, and pricing of an inventory. It is hard and arduous work that most people do not do for their own claims. Most people only list the big things such as furniture and electronics but I have found over the time I have worked at Brown O’Haver that it is the little things that add up and placing those things on an inventory can truly help a person in the rebuilding of their home and life.