Ensuring the protection of your home following a natural disaster

Losing your home or having it severely damaged by a natural disaster is traumatic and devastating, as so many people in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) experienced due to extreme rainfall in the region.

In the months that follow the occurrence of a flood or other natural disaster, it is advisable to keep a close eye on your property to look out for any signs of damage even if your home did not sustain anything obvious.

“Following a significant storm or flood, property owners should conduct a careful inspection of their homes,” advises Dr Hardy Ncube, Head of Personal Products at Standard Bank Insurance. He goes on to explain that it is especially important to thoroughly check your driveway after severe flooding, as this can result in sink holes, which driveways are more susceptible to than homes.

SA expected to experience frequent extreme weather events due to global warming

Over 11-12 April 2022, intense rains hit the eastern coast of South Africa – causing floods and landslides across the provinces of KZN and the Eastern Cape. Images of collapsed roads, sinkholes and washed-away bridges flooded social media platforms during this time. And climate change experts have warned that extreme weather events in the country are likely to be more frequent and intense because of global warming.

“While the KZN province is notorious for flooding and severe rains, Gauteng is also known for heavy storms around the November-March period,” says Ncube. “In addition, some of the country’s outlying areas tend to experience intense cold snaps with SA’s interior already having experienced sub-zero temperatures earlier on in June.”

The reality is that we live on a continent that is notorious for extreme weather events, which are only expected to become more severe and frequent. It becomes critical for homeowners to be aware of the potential impacts, and to ensure the protection of their homes by taking necessary provisions and precautions.

The impact of extreme weather events on your home

Says Ncube: “Cold snaps are overlooked and sometimes poorly planned for. When temperature drops below zero, the water that flows through pipes expands as ice takes up more space than water and this then causes a chain reaction on the bursting of pipes.”

He explains that one solution is to place trunking or covering over your water pipes to try and insulate them well before the cold really hits, which will assist in the prevention of burst pipes. Meanwhile, hail, which is a very sporadic storm that can hit any part of the country, typically causes severe damage to roof structures and that can cause subsequent internal damage as well. Overall, he says, it is sensible to ensure that your roof is well maintained.

The value of a professional home inspector

One way of ensuring that you know the real condition of your home, is by consulting a professional home inspector. “A professional home inspector looks at everything with a well-trained eye, they can pick up hairline cracking in the walls of your home or boundary walls quickly, which you might have overlooked,” explains Dr Ncube.

Such inspections will give homeowners that have experienced extreme weather events in their region peace of mind that there is no residual flood damage on the property, that could cause further serious issues.

Depending on your specific insurance policy, Dr Ncube says that insurers typically offer a 30-day grace period for submitting claims, “so after a massive storm or flood, one should have their home inspected by a professional to make sure that you are still able to claim from insurance for any damage that you may not have picked up or noticed”.

“Our checklist, broadly, covers your boundary walls, out buildings, swimming pools, awnings, main structure, a roof inspection as well as a ceiling cavity inspection. As Standard Bank Insurance, we look out for the early signs of a big, expensive problem that may occur in the future. Identifying such problems early on means that they are almost always cheaper to repair than if left over the long term.”

The true value of a professional property inspection following an extreme weather event is that it allows for potential damage to be detected that would not be obvious to a non-professional. The cost of any necessary repairs can then be claimed from your insurer if the damage is related to the weather event. This will also increase the value of your home, which will put you in good stead when it comes to placing your home on the market.

A professional property inspection may cost from R3 000 upwards and depends on the size of the home, so it’s a good idea to include this in your budget when buying, selling or insuring a home.