Firstly, if your property is getting damaged, do not wait until you get hold of your insurance company and they process your claim before you do all you can to prevent the damage getting any worse. Get temporary work carried out it. Most insurance companies should cover you for this. Check with your insurance company if you are unsure, ideally before an incident occurs.

Insurance companies tend to have emergency help lines. These will be able to give you advice in case of trouble. Keep this number in a safe and accessible place. You do not want to have to search frantically for this number in an emergency.

When you have an insurance policy, you should be fully aware of your policy details and which situation are covered. If you aren’t sure, you should refer to your policy so you can check that whatever loss or damage you have incurred is covered by your home insurance policy.

Then decide which policy you want to claim under. Is it your buildings insurance – which covers the structure of your home and any fixtures or fittings? Or is it your contents insurance – which covers your possessions that you could take away with you should you move?

As soon as you can in an emergency, advise your insurance company of the situation. But get your priorities straight. If you have been in a burglary, call the police first. If your credit cards have been stolen, call your card companies and get them cancelled.

Telephone your insurance company and tell them what happened. Ask for a claim form, then fill it out when it arrives and send it back with estimates for the cost of repair or replacement. Should estimates be hard to obtain (if there has been a flood, a lot of people will be wanting estimates at the same time), then return your claim form anyway, telling the insurer that you will forward estimates when you are able to.

Keep your damaged items, they are evidence when you claim. Keep sodden or burnt items in an outhouse if you don’t want to keep them in your house. You will need your receipts, warranties and other documents as further evidence of your losses

When your insurance company receives your claims form, it will take one of three actions. They may simply pay your claim. Or they might send round a claims assessor to your property, who will clear up your queries and arrange with you the basis on which the claim will be settled. Thirdly, a loss adjuster could be sent to handle your claim. They might be an expert in an area and could advice on repairs or replacement.