Skip the Appraiser: Welcome to virtual home inspections

Nobody likes to wait when their home is in need of repair. Scheduling estimates and home visits is never something that fits easily into our hectic schedules, but some damage can leave our homes in need of immediate attention.

A new form of virtual inspections is emerging on the market with several insurance carriers, helping expedite the review process. Safeco Insurance and Travelers Insurance already offer a video chat option, which lets your claims representative view your property and personal items, take screen shots, and quickly complete your damage estimate remotely.

All you need is a mobile device that is capable of FaceTime™ or Skype® calling. You can then dial your claims representative and show the damage with no appointment needed.

Not all claims will be eligible for the video chat review service, so you will still need to file as usual and your agent will determine if video inspection is appropriate for your claim. But if you find yourself in need of appraisal and short on free time, it could be worth finding out if a video chat inspection could put a few much-needed hours back in your day.