5 Documents and Items to Protect Against Home Disasters

Unfortunately, a home disaster may happen at any time. If you don’t prepare in advance for an emergency, you might find the “cleanup” process quite complicated. By keeping a few documents and items safe at all times, you can handle the situation more efficiently and ensure items you can’t replace are safe. Keep in mind, some of your personal documents and paperwork for your assets take time and money to replace if they’re ruined.

1. Owner’s Card and Deed

Your deed to your home, owner’s card for your boat, or any other documents for anything else you own should remain in a safe place, preferably up high. You want to keep them in a lockbox that’s water and fire proof, just in case your home should flood, your roof should leak or you should experience a home fire.

2. Insurance Information

Make sure to always keep your insurance policy information in a safe, dry place that is easily accessible and won’t be damaged during a disaster situation.

3. Authenticity Certificates

If you own rare or unique items of value, make sure you place any authenticity certificates in a safe place as well. Once you lose any information to authenticate the items you own are genuine, you won’t be able to prove the item is real. You’ll want to keep any stocks, bonds, living wills and bank account information is in the same spot, too.

4. License, Passport, and Any Other Identification

While you want to keep your personal documents safe in the event of a burglary, you also want to keep your personal documents safe in the event of a disaster. To prevent misplacing any of your documentation, you may want to place these items in the same area with any information you have regarding your assets. When you’re gathering this information, you want to include any identification besides your license, such as your passport.

5. Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, and Marriage License

Additionally, you want to include your birth certificate, social security card, and marriage license.

If you experience a fire, flood or other disaster, contact your insurance company and ServiceMaster of Asheville to start the restoration process. ServiceMaster serves Asheville, NC and the surrounding Buncombe County area and is available 24/7.