Lift papers, photos and electronics off the floor first. Then call (413) 603-1274. We do the heavy lifting: moving, protecting and listing your things so the house can be dried and repaired.
Why contents have to move
Drying equipment needs open floors and walls. Wet carpet has to be lifted, walls opened and floors dried, and that cannot happen under a couch, a bed or a basement full of boxes. Moving belongings out of the way also keeps them away from wet floors that stain wood and rust metal. For a lot of our customers, especially older homeowners who live alone, this is the part they cannot do themselves.
What we do
- Triage. We separate what is wet from what is dry, and what can be saved from what cannot.
- Move or block. Furniture is moved to a dry room or lifted on blocks. Boxes and smaller items are packed.
- List and photograph. Damaged items are photographed and listed before anything is thrown out, so you have records for your insurer.
- Clean and dry what can be saved. Hard furniture and household items are cleaned and dried.
- Put it back once the rooms are dry and repaired.
What can usually be saved
- Usually saved: solid wood furniture, metal, glass, ceramics, most clothing and linens from clean water
- Sometimes saved: upholstered furniture and rugs from clean water caught quickly, books and papers if frozen or dried fast
- Usually lost: particleboard furniture that swelled, mattresses and upholstery from dirty water, anything touched by sewage, food in contact with water
Photos, documents and keepsakes can often be dried or frozen to stop damage if they are dealt with in the first day or two. Tell us about them when you call.
Protecting your claim
Insurers ask for proof of what was damaged. Do not throw things away before they are photographed and listed, and keep receipts when you have them. We give you the list and photos. See how to document water damage for insurance.
In Chicopee homes
Most of our pack-out work is in basements: storage boxes, holiday decorations, tools and furniture sitting on a floor that flooded from a burst pipe or a water heater. In two- and three-deckers, a tenant's belongings may be damaged by water from a unit above, and those belongings are covered by the tenant's own renters policy if they have one. See does renters insurance cover a burst pipe.
Pack out or move within the house?
Not every job needs contents taken off site. If only one room is wet and there is a dry room nearby, furniture and boxes can often be moved there, with legs blocked up off any damp floor. A full pack-out makes sense when several rooms are affected, the home will be under repair for weeks, there is no dry space, or the water was sewage. Ask what is planned and why before anything leaves the house.
Keeping track of your things
- Every box labeled with the room it came from
- Photos of items as they were found, before they are moved
- A written list of what was removed, what was thrown out, and why
- Photos and a list of anything discarded, kept for your insurer
- A copy of the list for you
Things to set aside yourself
Some items are better taken by you than by anyone else: medicine, passports, birth certificates, cash, jewelry, laptops and backup drives, car keys, and anything irreplaceable such as family photos. Put them in a bag that stays with you. Wet photos can often be saved if they are rinsed in clean water and laid flat to dry face up, or frozen in a zipper bag until there is time to deal with them. Wet important papers can be frozen too. Do not try to separate photos that are stuck together while wet.
Insurance and contents
Your contents are covered under the personal property part of a homeowners or renters policy, separate from the building. Insurers usually want an itemized list with approximate age and value. The photos and pack-out list make that much easier. Do not throw out damaged items before they are photographed and listed. See documenting water damage for insurance.
Contents questions
Do I have to move things before you arrive?
No. Lift what is small and valuable if it is safe. Leave the heavy items to us.
Can wet photos be saved?
Often. Keep them separated, do not rub them, and let them air dry face up, or put them in the freezer until they can be dealt with.
Does insurance pay for pack-out?
When the water damage is covered, moving and protecting contents is often part of it. Check with your insurer. General information only.
Need help moving it all? Call
Call (413) 603-1274 now. Locally owned in Chicopee. See areas we serve.