How to Maintain Your Important Documents Safe During an Emergency

Home emergencies can strike fast and unexpectedly. After disaster strikes, you will need to have all your important documents safe and in order if you want to claim some insurance. 

Maintain Your Documents Safe

What kind of documents do you keep at home? You probably have a variety of insurance policies, your passport, your title insurance, birth certificate, and a variety of other vital documents, right? And if you’re like most people you probably store them in different places so “you won’t forget” where they are. If a home emergency were to happen, gathering all your documents will undoubtedly pose a challenge for you.  You should follow these easy tips to keep your documents safe and accessible in case of disaster ever strikes your home in Indio.

Which Documents Are Considered Important?

There are plenty of documents you can consider important, but which ones are the most valuable that you absolutely need to keep safe at all costs? First, you need to start with your and your family member’s personal documents. Gather up your birth certificates, social security cards, passports, citizenship papers, driver’s licenses, and custody or adoption papers. It can be a complicated process to replace these original documents so you should keep them safe all times. What else is considered an important document? Your property records, medical information, wills, trusts, various insurance policies and emergency contact numbers. There might be other documents that you consider essential, so choosing what to keep safe it’s up to you. Perhaps you need to save a few photographs or mementos as well. For more ideas on which documents need to be kept safe, check out this list.

Know What You Have

You shouldn’t rely solely on your memory to remember which documents you have and which you need to save. It’s a good idea to make a list of everything you will be storing once you’ve gathered all your documents. This list will help you keep an inventory. While you’re in the process of making a list, why don’t you take some time to create a system of organization? Use a binder and color tabs to sort your documents into categories such as insurance policies, personal documents, and irreplaceable photographs. You’ll find it easier to find everything, and it will be less troublesome to grab them on your way out of your home during an emergency or natural disaster.

Get a Safe

If a disaster such as a fire strikes, all your organization tricks aren’t going to keep your documents away from harm’s way. The best way to keep your documents in safety is by storing them in a safe. Don’t worry you don’t need to a get a huge high-tech safe and hide it behind a bookshelf or painting. You can get a small, portable one that you can carry with you if you need to leave your home. Just be sure that the safe you’re getting is waterproof and fireproof. Remember you will need your documents to talk to your insurance agent and get your home restoration process started after disaster strikes. You can always contact Daniel’s DKI at (760) 320-2128 if you need a reliable team to offer their property restoration services. They will work along with your insurance company to restore your home and help you go back to your routine.

Make Copies

When you’re traveling, it’s always a good idea to bring copies of your documents as a backup. You don’t want to be carrying your passport everywhere and risk losing it or getting your bag stolen. It should be the same thing at home. You need to have some backup in case something goes wrong. Store the original documents in safety and keep a binder with the copies. You can use these copies for your daily needs. Other than making physical copies, it’s also smart to keep an electronic backup too. You can scan and save images of your documents in a USB or other kind of external hard drive. You can also store your documents online using the cloud. You’ll have easy access to your documents from any computer or smartphone.

Consider a Safe Deposit Box

If you don’t feel like storing your important documents at home is safe, even if you’re using a safe, you should look into storing them offsite. Get a safe deposit box at your bank or credit unit. Of course, you’ll need to pay extra, but at least you’ll know that if anything happens to your home or if someone tries to break in, your documents and valuables will be in a safe place. The only downside is that every time you need to use your original documents, you will have to go back to the bank to retrieve them.

Call Daniel’s DKI If You Need Their Property Restoration Services in Indio

After a disaster such as a flood or a fire has struck your home and you find your way to a safe location, you should look into getting the best property restoration services in Indio. Daniel’s DKI has an excellent team of experienced professionals that can get your home back in shape. Contact them at (760) 320-2128.