Getting the most from your insurance claim starts with how you handle the cleanup. Here are the essential steps Melbourne residents should follow.
Identifying and Documenting Damage
Thorough identification sets the scope of your claim:
- Systematic inspection: Check every room, not just the obviously damaged areas. Water travels through walls; smoke penetrates HVAC systems. Damage extends further than you think
- Photograph everything: Every affected surface, item, and area. Wide shots and close-ups. Include areas that look minor — they may worsen
- Video walkthrough: Walk through narrating the damage. Captures context photos miss
- Detailed inventory: List all damaged items with description, age, pre-damage condition, and replacement cost
- Check external areas: Roof, gutters, fencing, shed, garden — often damaged but forgotten in the initial assessment
- Note hidden areas: Under carpet, behind furniture, inside cupboards, in roof cavities. Professional assessors check these; you should flag them
Hiring a Professional Cleaning Service
The right restoration company makes a measurable difference to your claim:
- IICRC certification: Industry standard for water, fire, and mould restoration
- Insurance specialisation: Regular insurance claim experience, proper documentation, assessor communication
- Response speed: Damage compounds hourly. Fast response limits the scope and cost
- Full assessment capability: Thermal cameras, moisture meters, air quality testing — the tools that find hidden damage
- Content restoration: Specialist cleaning of furniture, clothing, electronics, and documents
Get the restoration company involved early. Their initial assessment often identifies damage the insurer’s assessor would miss, ensuring full scope is captured in the claim.
Proper Cleaning Techniques for Different Types of Damage
Water damage:
- Industrial water extraction before structural drying begins
- Commercial dehumidifiers and air movers for walls, floors, and cavities
- Antimicrobial treatment to prevent mould (must start within 24-48 hours)
- Content drying using specialist low-humidity chambers for documents and electronics
Fire and smoke damage:
- Dry sponging to remove loose soot before wet cleaning (prevents smearing)
- Chemical cleaning with damage-type-specific solutions
- Ozone or thermal fogging for embedded odours
- HVAC decontamination to remove smoke from the entire air system
Mould:
- Containment with plastic sheeting and negative air pressure
- HEPA vacuuming of affected surfaces
- Antimicrobial treatment and verification air testing
Each technique requires specific training and equipment. Using the wrong approach makes damage worse.
Maintaining Communication with Your Insurance Company
- Lodge the claim first: Before cleanup starts. Get a claim number
- Provide regular updates: Share restoration progress, additional damage discovered, and revised scope
- Ask questions early: What’s covered? Pre-approval needed? What’s the excess?
- Follow up in writing: Email summaries of phone conversations
- Respond quickly: When they request documents, provide them fast
- Keep a log: Every call, every email, every decision — dated and detailed
Ensuring Proper Documentation and Evidence
Your documentation and the restoration company’s documentation should work together:
- Your records: Photos, video, inventory, receipts, communication log
- Restoration company records: Damage assessment, moisture readings, progress reports, before/after photos, completion certificate
- Third-party evidence: Bureau of Meteorology records for storm events, fire service reports, plumber’s report for burst pipes
- Financial records: Every receipt for every expense — accommodation, emergency purchases, meals, transport
Submit documentation progressively rather than waiting. Keep copies of everything you send.
Following Up and Ensuring Full Compensation
- Review the assessment carefully: Compare every line item against your documentation
- Check for omissions: Hidden damage, external damage, content items, and incidental expenses are commonly missed
- Challenge undervaluation: Provide evidence for items assessed below their actual cost
- Don’t accept under pressure: You have the right to review and negotiate
- Consider an independent assessor: For large claims, they identify additional claimable amounts
- Escalate if needed: Internal complaints first, then AFCA
- Confirm final settlement in writing: Keep all documentation for your records
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