When I purchased my home, I was beyond excited. I waited a long time before my life came together enough so that I could finally buy it. To be truthful, I didn't really give much thought to home maintenance and remodeling beyond the fact that I would need to cut the grass and change a few light bulbs every now and then.

Even though the house I purchased did not have everything I wanted - it lacked a fireplace and a front porch that is large enough to relax on - I was just happy to have my own home at that point. I figured that I could always have a gas fireplace installed and have the front porch expanded. After all, my husband was very handy and had loads of experience in improving homes. As the result of a hurricane, though, I will think twice before undertaking any home remodeling projects on my own again.

The Hurricane Hits

In September 6, 2003, Hurricane Isabel formed as a tropical storm, and at one point, it was a dangerous Category 5 hurricane. By the time it hit Virginia, it was categorized as a Category 1 hurricane. Even though we were without electricity for 13 days, and many other homes sustained significant damage, despite my worst fears, my home emerged from the storm relatively unscathed.

When Hurricane Ernesto hit my area of Virginia on September 1st, it was labeled as an extra-tropical cyclone. Even though the overall effects of Ernesto in Virginia were far less than those of Hurricane Isabel, the main bathroom in my house began to leak from the roof. The ceiling of the other bathroom also exhibited some dampness.

The Aftermath

After the storm cleared out, my then-husband assessed the damage. His estimation was that earlier storms, such as Hurricane Isabel, had likely weakened the roofing shingles, allowing rainwater to get under them. The result was that two leaks, though they were small, needed to be fixed to stop further damage.

Repairing the Damage

Using his skills and knowledge, my ex-husband determined that the materials and labor would require extensive amounts of money and that making a claim against the homeowner's insurance would be the best route. Once the insurance adjustor came out to the house, though, he had a different view. In his estimation, the damage would cost much less than my ex-husband thought and he authorized a check that was a great deal lower than my ex-husband anticipated.

What I Learned in the Process

In the future, I would call in at least two home remodeling companies - giving preference to those who offer free estimates - before even thinking about making a claim against the homeowner's insurance. Armed with that knowledge, I would carefully weigh their figures against the deductible on my homeowner's insurance and use that information to determine if filing such a claim was in my best interests.

Nix the Family Members

Another thing that I learned during this process involves using family members for work such as this. While I think my ex-husband had the best intentions, he never did finish the work on the bathrooms completely. Even though he replaced the drywall on the ceiling, it is still unpainted. Years later, the room is definitely functional, but it is far from pretty.

If this happened to me in the future, I would bypass using family members completely. I would use one of the many contractors in the area to complete the work. While family members often have good intentions, I have found that it is all too easy for them to put my needs on the back burner while they complete more lucrative projects.