Unfortunately, some of the kitchen projects Main Line Kitchen Design works on are due to water, fire or smoke damage and are financed by an insurance claim. Even more troubling is that by following the advice of their insurance company, homeowners start a process that wastes time and money, and almost always results in providing a fraction of the money needed for a new kitchen.
Once you have an Insurance claim, your insurer is the last person to take advice from.
Caution! The first advice insurance companies give is to call ServePro.
When homeowners call their insurance companies to make a claim, the agents recommend calling ServePro as soon as possible. ServePro is a national fire and water cleanup and restoration operation. When contacted, they immediately initiate demolition and other remedies that are incredibly overpriced and often unnecessary.
ServePro knows nothing about renovating kitchens and almost as little about construction. Many of their remedies for water and smoke damage even create more damage. Ultimately, the majority of what they charge for ends up requiring repairs or to be completely redone by reputable general contractors.
Water Damage remediation. Read the reviews of ServePro here.
When making an insurance claim ALWAYS do this first!
Call the insurance company second!
Homeowners about to make an insurance claim need to call a well-reviewed licensed independent insurance claim adjuster BEFORE calling their insurance company. Licensed independent claim adjustors act as the homeowners’ advocate.
An independent adjustor will effectively negotiate with the insurance company. Their fees are generally based on a very fair percentage of the claim they obtain. And they always get substantially more and more quickly than a homeowner expecting their insurance company to be fair. Your adjustor will also alert you to and protect you from overpriced scam companies that prey on vulnerable home owners dealing with unexpected damage and issues.
The window industry isn’t transparent either
Another company that is ridiculously overpriced and preys on homeowners not knowing any better is Renewal by Anderson. While Anderson windows are good windows and reasonably priced, Renewal by Anderson installations are often 4 times the going rate for window replacement.
The possibility of a homeowner hiring both ServePro and Renewal by Anderson to do some of their needed renovations is devastating. Both these companies operate like the aluminum siding installation companies from the 1960’s. Watch the movie Tin Men and you’ll get the idea.
ServePro is a mistake. Renewal by Anderson is a mistake. RUSHING IS A MISTAKE
Rushing – whether it’s with renovation projects or dealing with insurance claims, is the biggest and most costly mistake homeowners make. A few hours of researching companies and how best to proceed saves substantial dollars and minimizes inconvenience from project delays. Believing that starting quickly will result in finishing quickly couldn’t be more wrong.
In reality, as with all renovations, the jobs that finish first were the best planned with the project organized and performed by honest professionals. With few exceptions, companies that specialize in calamity should be avoided! So, before homeowners call their insurance company to make a claim, take a breath and call an independent adjuster first.
