Anyone may at some point need to put up a shelf, change an outlet or fix a faucet. However, you often don’t have the knowledge, tools or time to do this type of work. The best solution is to enlist the services of a “handyman”.
What most don’t know is that Home insurance generally includes this coverage, which is increasingly in demand. Insurers normally have professionals free of charge to carry out small DIY or home repairs.
days are limited. Some policies offer up to three appointments with this professional per year, while others allow only one visit from the technician. A tip for getting the most out of this service is to gather any repairs or work you want done so you can do it during these appointments.
certain conditions
This service, included in the price of the policy, has a limit of repairs or work per year. each insurer offers a maximum number of hours they can spend on repairs. For example, the conditions of the Mutua Madrileña are two annual services, with a maximum of 3 hours each. However, BBVA offers three annual services for a total of 6 hours of work.
Also, some policies cover travel expenses and tools you have to use the technician. In most cases, they are not responsible for any expenses related to the purchase of parts or materials that will be installed, repaired or modified.
Jobs that cover
In most cases, the professionals usually included in home policies are plumbers, electricians, blinds and handymen. Nevertheless, it is better to ask the insurer which specialists he offers with the contracted insurance. In the case of Zurich, they provide their customers with a technological “do-it-yourselfer”. He assists remotely and is in charge of jobs such as synchronizing a television or repairing the satellite dish.
As per usual, the tasks they are usually responsible for These types of professionals assemble furniture, install outlets, maintain heating, change faucets, repair blinds, clean carpets, check air conditioning or repair technological devices.
It is best to check directly with the insurer about the problem or the work to be done to find out if they are covered by the contracted policy.
Make the most of the hours
Hours or number of annual repairs offered by home insurance may seem very little. However, there are a few tricks to get the most out of it.
The main thing is to call it when you really need it. In many cases, these services are misused: hours of service are abused for tasks that you can do yourself or that are inexpensive. For relatively inexpensive jobs, it is best to hire a professional directly and pay them. This will be appreciated during a high-priced repair as the insurer’s ‘handyman’ will be able to take care of it.
Another tip to take advantage of the hours of the service and not charge yourself extra to spend more time is have everything ready. “If the technician comes to your house, does not have the materials he needs and has to go down to buy them, these minutes are deducted from the working hours”, they explain to the Zurich insurer.
It is best if the customer explains to the technician what work he wants to do to know what materials are needed. “Sometimes it’s the technician himself who puts the tools in, but other times he tells you what you need to have on hand when they arrive,” they say from Zurich.
In any case, that everything is prepared and positioned for the arrival of the “handyman” will avoid don’t waste hours of work looking for what’s missing Or even go buy it. “If a faucet needs to be installed, have all the parts and tools the technician asked for on hand so you don’t waste time,” they recommend.
Consider the maximum number of hours they can work or the number of free days offered by the insurance. To take advantage of it, a tip is consolidate all work what they want to achieve. Thus, during these limited visits, the technician will be able to carry out several repairs at the same time.
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