No matter how big or small, a flood in your property can be devastating. Normal life must continue as best as possible which can be very stressful for the family. Unless you are one of the lucky ones who have friends or family to stay with until all work has been completed.

The first thing to remember is to switch the water off at the main inlet to stop any further flooding and damage to your carpets. It's best to inform the insurance company ASAP and find out exactly what they will cover and what next steps they would like you to take.

They will probably want you to organize the carpet restoration guys to come in and dry the carpets out for you, before they can really access the situation as to how bad the damage is. If the flood was caused by sewerage there would be no questions about replacing the carpets and they would be removed immediately.

A loss assessor will contact you on behalf of your insurer who will deal with your claim. They should be fully informed of the incident and have all your policy details at hand. They will probably still like to hear from you what went on and if you have contacted any one as yet, as well as visiting the property as soon as possible to take photos and see the carpet.

You will need to contact carpet companies to arrange measure and quotes to be done, to hand over to the assessor. He may recommend his own carpet companies, but it is always advisable to get your own as well. It is important to make sure they compare “apples with apples”. If you have wool carpets down you don't want them to quote you on a poly carpet just to win the job through the insurance. You want the quote to reflect the carpet you already have laid.

If you have already got a carpet company in mind but the insurance have gone with another. You can let them know you would be happier with your own choice as may be you have used them previously. If there is a difference in the cost you can pay a bit extra to get the work completed to your standards.