Checklist: which documents belong in your file

Whether you handle the claim yourself or engage a counter-expert: an organised file makes the difference. It prevents items being forgotten and speeds up the settlement. Use the checklist below and keep everything in a single (digital) folder.

Your insurance

• The policy schedule and the accompanying policy conditions.
• Any clause sheet and the valuation or contents calculator used.

The notification

• Confirmation of the claim notification and the claim number.
• The name and contact details of your contact at the insurer.

The evidence

• Photographs and videos of all the damage, from overview to detail.
• Images of the cause (leak, seat of the fire) where it is safe to record them.
• A loss list: for each item a description, year of purchase, price and condition.
• Purchase receipts, bank statements, guarantee certificates, old photographs.

The costs

• Receipts for mitigation measures (drying, sealing, storage).
• Quotations and invoices from repair and cleaning companies.
• Costs of temporary accommodation, where applicable.

The correspondence

• A log of conversations: date, with whom, what was agreed.
• All emails and letters exchanged with the insurer and the experts.
• The loss reports (from the insurer and from your own expert).

Tip — Number your photographs and receipts and refer to them in your loss list. A well-substantiated file is your best starting point on every route — negotiation, Kifid or the courts.