Living in a House After a Fire

Living in a house after a fire seems impossible to lots of people. But it is also impossible to buy a new one right now, isn't it? What to do in this case? Is it better to rent a house instead of living in your own burnt one? Or is there a chance to restore your home to return to a happy life in it?
We can say, it is worth trying to restore your property. How can you do this? Let's talk about living in a house after a fire.

First 4 Steps to Do after a Fire in Your House

When the fire was extinguished, there are ruins you do not know how to deal with. Do not panic and just take the following 4 steps as they will come in handy in future.

1. Document all the damage accurately and call your insurance company ASAP. Even with a standard HO3 insurance policy that is common for all homeowners, you will be able to receive impressive compensation that will be useful for you to rebuild, renovate or restore your home after a fire. Be sure to take as many photos and videos as possible to provide proof of damage to the insurance company. Are you afraid that the insurance will pay too little? Then immediately hire a public adjuster. If you follow the tip mentioned above, you will definitely be able to claim the maximum compensation.
2. Entering a house after a fire is a challenge. The fact is that the premises after extinguishing have suffered not only from fire but also from water and chemical compounds used by firefighters. And the very first thing to do is to turn off all electrical wiring in the house. Otherwise, you could be seriously injured by an electric shock. Apply for electrician services to get your home wired off.
3. After a fire, the most important thing is to vacate the premises. To do this, you can employ specialists or act independently. Remove all the furniture, damaged doors and window frames, all the items and appliances. Try to keep nothing in the house. In this way you can quickly sort your property into the things that need to be restored and the ones that need to be thrown away.
4. Cleaning and airing the house is the first step in preparing for its restoration. Often, a lot of broken floors, stairs, peeling paint, debris on the floor remain in the house.

Add to this a persistent burning smell, soot deposits on all the walls and ceilings - and it becomes clear that you need to start with cleaning routines.

After completing these 4 steps, you will understand that the house can and should be brought back to life. But how to do that?

Choosing Your Route: Whether to Restore a House or Rebuilt It?

At the stage when you have already precisely realized all the damage caused to your house by fire, you have to make a difficult choice: is it enough to make repairs or will the house have to be rebuilt?

We will help you with this. Just check our table to see which option you prefer.

In general, almost all issues of fire damage can be restored besides wooden walls burnt to the ground or considerable damage to load-bearing walls and roof made by fire. In these two cases, rebuilding a house will be a better option.

How to Prepare for Living in a House after a Fire?

First of all, you should take care of temporary housing for yourself and your family. By the way, you can file your hotel checks or lease with the insurance company to get compensation for your living expenses after the fire.

It is then very important to find a reliable construction crew or home restoration service after a fire. Choose those who have good reviews and offer a wide range of services. Be sure to sign a contract with the contractor which will indicate all the services that you want to receive.

When restoring a home, it is very important to eliminate the burning smell. It eats into all surfaces and is difficult to remove. You need to remove soot and smoke traces according to the principle of dry cleaning, and you need to start from the ceilings and then move down the walls to the floor. You can carry out this process yourself or include it in the services ordered from the contractor.

Most often, after a fire, you have to completely remove wall and floor coverings. You will have to remove everything that has been damaged. You can then re-coat the walls with a primer, putty and apply whatever finish you like. In case of floors, only a professional will be able to determine if the flooring needs replacing, or if it is just enough to clean it well.

After the interiors have been put in order, do not forget that it is also necessary to eliminate the consequences of fire from the facade of the house. Otherwise, the smell of burning will remain and will disturb you.

The only thing left to do is to clean the windows or insert new ones, bring in the things that have been dry-cleaned or restored, and buy all the items that have been destroyed by fire. In practice, all these activities, with proper planning, can take about a month. But it all depends on the size of the damage itself, your budget and your willingness to throw all your energy into restoring your home.

It is quite possible to live in a house after a fire. If you can eliminate the smell of smoke, grime and soot, everything else is just a matter of time. The former comfort will gradually return into your home.