Steps property owners need to undertake Homeowners should take photographs of the damage caused by the floods to their property for future reference. By all means take photos of items that have been damaged, but it is also essential to photograph high water marks and flood damage to the fabric of your home. Notify your insurance company or broker of the damage to your property. They may send a loss adjuster or both a loss adjuster and a surveyor. Only a surveyor is likely to be able to accurately assess the damage to the building. If a loss adjuster has already been appointed and visited it is essential you carefully look through the details of the claim to ensure all areas of damage have been covered. Does it address the problems we highlight on this site? If you have been appointed a loss adjuster but feel that you require further technical advice, please contact us. If no surveyor has been sent you should check terms of insurance policy to identify whether professional fees are covered by their policy, if so you should contact your insurance company and inform them that you wish to appoint your own independent professional. Or contact us through the flood advice enquiry form and we can help you through this. If your insurance company does not cover professional fees you really need to decide whether the proposed remedial works from the loss adjuster accurately represent the damage to your property. If this is not the case it is your responsibility to appoint a professional to investigate the damage and remedial works required. If you decide to appoint an independent firm of chartered surveyors they will carry out an inspection of the property and provide a schedule of the extent of the damage to the property. Once a schedule has been produced they will agree the extent of the remedial works with the loss adjuster. Once agreed the professional can arrange quotations for the undertaking of the remedial works, arrange and then supervise the remedial works. It is essential that prior to any remedial works being carried out on properties affected by the flooding that the building is dried out completely. Owners should start drying out their properties with ventilation and heating which usually takes several months before the property will be sufficiently dry.