Burst pipe in empty house: £45,000 buildings and contents claim
Location Kent
Customer Mr Macintosh
Mr Macintosh’s three-bedroomed semi-detached house in Kent was unoccupied as he was living elsewhere. Therefore no-one was aware for several days during a very cold spell that a pipe had burst in the loft and water was cascading through the back of the house. The damage, according to Mr Macintosh, was “catastrophic”. Ceilings fell down in several rooms, water leaked into the foundations, and furniture and personal items were ruined.
Mr Macintosh had two different insurers for his building and contents. When he met with their loss adjusters, he realised that he faced a very difficult job in sorting out two separate insurance claims, and felt he would benefit from professional help. He therefore appointed Morgan Clark to handle the two claims on his behalf.
The claim
Morgan Clark immediately took over everything. The priority was to ensure the house was dried out correctly, which was something Mr Macintosh hadn’t thought about, and they brought in experts to carry this out straightaway. They also arranged for the secure storage of contents.
Morgan Clark then got the agreement of the appropriate insurer to bring in chartered surveyors who specialise in reinstating properties after water damage. They prepared a specification for the reinstatement and, with Morgan Clark, discussed with Mr Macintosh his options; in particular, that this provided a cost-effective opportunity to carry out other repairs to the property.
The results
Morgan Clark successfully negotiated a settlement of £40,000 for the reinstatement of the property and £5,000 for contents and experienced contractors were appointed to carry out the work.
The reinstatement included re-plastering the damaged rooms. Mr Macintosh decided to pay a small amount extra to have the rest of the house re-plastered at the same time, and therefore ended up with a better house than before the incident.
No matter what has caused the damage to your home, Morgan Clark will guide you through the insurance claim process and ensure you are back in your home as quickly as possible while ensuring you receive the full settlement you’re entitled to. Contact our Kent Loss Assessors today to find out more.