Homeowners

When you have suffered damage to your home or contents there will be a number of things that we may ask you to do to help speed up the recovery process.  These will be communicated to you by our experts however some general advice is as follows:

• DO Ensure your home is secured if you are not there
• DO wear appropriate protective equipment (e.g. gloves) if handling contaminated items,
• DO gather together any personal documents that you may need
• DO identify sentimental or high value items to us as soon as possible
• DO read through your policy documents to familiarise yourself with the cover in place
• DO keep windows closed if requested to do so
• DO make us aware if you are going to be away from your home during the restoration process
• DO please keep pets and children away from working equipment
• DO make parking available wherever possible
• DON’T put yourself or others at risk of harm or injury
• DON’T switch back on your electricity supply or use electrical items unless tested by a competent person and certified safe
• DON’T switch back on your gas supply unless tested by a competent person and certified safe
• DON’T switch back on water until any repairs have been completed
• DON’T dispose of any items which form part of your claim, unless instructed otherwise
• DON’T move or switch off equipment unless you are concerned that it is faulty. Turning off equipment off may make the restoration process longer

If you have any other queries please contact our customer service team on 0345 0502309.

Accidents can happen at anytime in the home. Do not panic however, our experts can remove stains and spills on carpets and soft furnishings caused by red wine, nail varnish, coffee to list but a few.

Using the latest in carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning technology our trained experts will remove the stain leaving the area clean and dry.  We will also ‘blend clean’ the surrounding area so that you can not see where the stained occurred.

Please see our ‘Accidental Damage Success Guide’ to see which stains can be successfully cleaned on carpets and upholstery.

What to do if you have a stain:

• Act quickly!
• For liquids/wet spills – try and blot up or soak up (using a gentle patting motion) as much of the liquid as possible using a clean absorbent cloth or towel.
• For dry materials – dry vacuum as much of the material away as possible. DO NOT use a rotary or brush attachment.
• DO NOT attempt to clean the spill using domestic products – using the wrong chemicals in the wrong way could make the stain worse and  reduce the chances of successfully removing it.
• For liquid & creams/paste’s spills try and keep the stain moist and prevent it from drying out e.g. spray with a little water and cover with cling film.
• Call BELFOR for advice and to book an appointment immediately – 0345 0502 309

BELFOR will be appointed either by your Insurance Company or a Loss Adjuster to carry out the cleaning and restoration in your home. Where a Loss Adjuster is appointed on your claim, they will probably be your main point of contact. When we receive a claim instruction we will contact you to get more information about the incident and arrange a visit to your home.

We will make the appointment at your convenience however it is essential that we visit your home as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 – 48 hours.  This is to maximise the potential for recovery success.

During the initial visit to your home, our experts will fully assess the damage, determine what can be restored and discuss the recovery options with you.  We will try and carry out as much of the works in your home as possible however some of your contents (if covered under your policy) may need to be taken away for restoration.   Our experts will also identify any health & safety issues and will discuss any specific requests you may have.

It’s always helpful if your contents have been damaged (and you have cover in place) that you make us aware of any items of sentimental value or that you would particularly like to keep. Where restoration is not possible we will advise you of these items and prepare a list for you.

Where possible we will commence our restoration works immediately.  We may therefore install equipment to help with this process. Each piece of equipment will be fully explained and we will make follow up appointments if necessary to check progress.

Communication is key to the process, so we will keep you updated as well as any other suppliers who may also be appointed.

Our specialist partners may also need to contact you and visit your home but we will make you aware of who they are, why they have been appointed and how they are going to assist you.

If you have any queries or need any information about our restoration and recovery works please contact our customer service team on 0345 0502309.