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What to do if a tree falls on your house

Here's some advice on what to do if a tree falls on your home.

A worker cuts up the oak tree that bisected  Courtenay Harris Bond's house in Bala Cynwyd on March 2, 2018. The second and third floors were destroyed.
A worker cuts up the oak tree that bisected Courtenay Harris Bond's house in Bala Cynwyd on March 2, 2018. The second and third floors were destroyed.Read moreCourtesy Courtenay Harris Bond

Here's some advice I would give others whose home is damaged in a natural disaster:

Leave the house and property as soon as possible, and call emergency services to check the safety of the house and gas and electrical lines. Don't do what I did and walk around snapping pictures. Photo documentation is important, but it can wait. Just get out.

Call your insurance company and document what happened. Consider hiring a private adjuster to advocate for you and make all the required phone calls. (The process can become a second full-time job.) Make sure the adjuster is licensed and reputable and be clear on the commission.

If you're able to factor in funds for a designer for the rebuild, hire one. Otherwise, brace yourself for an overwhelming number of rebuild decisions: flooring, fixtures, and finishes, for instance.

If you don't already know a contractor, seek recommendations from friends who have done renovations.

Try to be patient, but also assertive — and firm.