Surprising Expenses ALE May Cover
Home insurance includes Additional Living Expenses, ALE, that caters for the additional costs you are likely to incur if your house is damaged and you must live elsewhere during its repair. ALE caters for a wide variety of expenses, some you may not even know about. Here are a few examples of these expenses:
Laundry Expenses
If you have a clothes washer and dryer at home, then washing clothes will be as simple as heading to the laundry room and loading the machine. However, you won't have access to your laundry room while your house is being fixed up and you are living in a hotel, and you may have to make use of paid services. Fortunately, if you keep the receipts for washing and drying, you can claim them as part of your ALE expenses.
Storage
Sometimes you may fail to find a temporary place to take you all in – your household members plus all your belongings. If you lived in a six-bedroom house that is now under repair, you may have to do with a smaller place and store the rest of your belongings in a self-storage facility. Fortunately, the insurance company will pick up the tab for that expense too.
Mileage
The location is one of the most important things people consider when choosing a place to live. You need a place close to your work or where your children can go to school with ease. However, you aren't guaranteed a place close to any of these things if your house is being repaired. This means you may have to spend more money commuting to work or taking the children to school. The insurance company will pay the difference between what you usually spend and what you are now spending in terms of mileage (think gasoline).
Pet Boarding
Your animal friends are part of your family, so they must be taken care of too when your house is being repaired. Unfortunately, your temporary lodging may have a "no pets" policy. If that's the case with the best place you can find for your temporary hiatus from home, then you should find a place for your pet to live and let the insurer pick up the tab.
Note that the insurer will not just take your word for it; they'll require you to provide proof. Therefore, keep your bills and receipts so that you can be reimbursed. For more information about ALE and what it covers, talk to an insurance agent near you.
