There are few things more severe and more disastrous that can affect your home than a fire. They can be tremendously expensive, emotionally devastating and, even if they are quickly controlled, can result in lingering health effects in the home. Here are a few tips on how to restore the home and pick up the pieces after. My daughter and her husband were the victims of a home fire in November of 2019 and they are still rebuilding.
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| Actual photo of my daughter's home in November 2019. |
Make sure you’re covered
Most homeowners are required to have some sort of home insurance in order to gain ownership of the property in the first place. However, it’s important to set the claims process in motion as soon as you can following the fire, talking about your plans and what you intend to do with the home. Depending on state law, you may or may not have to rebuild in order to access your insurance payout, while some will allow you to use it even if you’re not planning to rebuild.
Restoring what you can
If you are lucky enough that the fire didn’t do extensive damage all throughout the home, you still need to make sure that you invest in fixing and replacing what you can. After all, lingering things like layers of soot and smoke damage can still be dangerous for your health. Fire damage restoration is all about removing all of the remaining damage caused by the fire and replacing what they can. If the damage is more extensive, you may need to rely on fire damage restoration first and then bring in a structural repair team, or vice versa, but you shouldn’t skip this step.
Take care of the utilities
One of the systems of the home most likely to be compromised wholesale by fire is the electrical system. When you can, make sure that your home isn’t getting any mains power and avoid turning any appliances on as these can be an additional fire risk if they haven’t been fixed. It might be worth getting in touch with a local licensed electrician to inspect the electrical system. It might need a simple repair but don’t be surprised if it needs to replaced wholesale, which can be something of a costly endeavor.
Moving on if you need to
Sometimes, the damage to your home might be so severe that there is no way for you to continue living there. You may not want to rebuild given the memory of the fire, especially if it took many of your treasured possessions with you. There are home-buying services that can take heavily damaged homes off your hands. Naturally, you can’t expect to get near as much as you would for the home when it was whole, but it can help you recoup some of your losses and give you enough money to take care of your family and move on.
Be sure to take care of not only the home but yourself and your family. A house fire can result in lasting trauma that, if unaddressed, can seriously impact your mental health.
