Rebuilding Your Life After a Fire Damage

According to the NFPA, more than 358,000 home fires occur throughout the year in the United States, totaling about $6.7 billion in total damage. And while most homeowners think “it’ll never happen to me,” the fact is that these things happen, no matter how well prepared or how ill prepared a family or homeowner is. Home fires have the potential to be far more devastating than other home disasters for a variety of reasons. For starters, fires can rip through a property, displacing a family until areas of the home – or the entire home – is restored or rebuilt. Then, there’s the damage that the fire has the potential to cause to personal belongings and items. Fire is much more likely to completely destroy these valuables than water, for example.

Yes, fire damage can be devastating. But it is possible to rebuild your life after a fire. Here’s a look at how to do it:

• Don’t re-enter until it’s OK to do so: First things first, only re-enter the home to search for salvageable valuables after you’ve gotten the OK from the fire department and/or restoration professionals. While it’s important for homeowners to recoup what they can after a fire, fire damage can affect the structural integrity of a home to the point where entry may be unsafe.
• Work with your insurance company: You’ve bought homeowner’s insurance for a reason. This is that reason. Work with your insurance company to identify the next steps to take in rebuilding your life. This will likely take time and require you to live elsewhere while restoration and/or reconstruction occurs. Most insurance policies cover the cost of displacement living during this time.
• Replace valuables: It’s likely that documents, clothing and other valuables were destroyed in the fire. It’s also likely that some items are able to restored by a contents restoration firm. Your insurance company will likely cut you a check for the items lost, which you can use to replace what was lost. You should also contact the parties responsible for replacing any important documents that were lost (i.e. home deeds, birth certificates, etc.).

Fire damage isn’t something that anyone should want to experience, but it is possible to rebuild following a house fire, both when it comes to the structure and to your life. For more information on rebuilding after a fire, contact us today.