A house fire is one of the worst nightmares but also one of the most common disasters that could happen. After suffering a house fire, people are often at a loss as to what's to do next.

This article will discuss 4 important things a person should consider doing after a house fire.

Selling your Burnt House

Sometimes people have to choose between selling or restoring a burnt house. Usually your insurance company will send an evaluator over to check the damage of the house and decide whether the house can be saved or if it needs to be demolished and rebuilt.

In case you are under financial stress, do not have insurance for your home or just want to get away from the bad memory of the fire as quickly as possible, you can consider selling your house to a company specialized in buying burnt houses. There are various such companies and you can click here to learn about some of the sale options available to you. How it works is that once you reach out to the company, they schedule a free evaluation of your damaged house.

There is no need to clean or tidy up anything as they will make a cash offer right after the visit. There is usually no additional cost or realtor cost and you can get your money after settlement. Quite often, the whole transaction can be closed as fast within seven days. There are companies that buy fire damaged houses in all 50 states so it can be a significantly simpler and straightforward process than trying to restore your house to its original state.

Claim your Insurance

One of the first things you can do to help get back on your feet is to contact your insurance company. Report what happened and file a claim immediately to get the process started. You will most likely be able to receive an advance on your claim or a "loss of use" fund that will help cover living and daily expenses.

Make sure to keep the receipts and record of all purchases though. You will also be able to get recommendations from the insurance company on cleaning services or fire damage restoration. These will be so important because moving back into a house that has extensive fire damage can be extremely damaging to your health. There are all kinds of harmful chemicals and particles that are left over after a fire and the last thing you want is to have your family breathing them in.

It's also important to note that your insurance will usually cover items destroyed in your house fire. You will receive the cash value of damaged items, so to make sure everything is accounted for, you should always keep an inventory of your possessions. The inventory should be as detailed as possible, with the date of purchase, cost at purchase, the models and make, and description of each item.

Start the Paperwork Immediately

One of the most important pieces of paperwork that you will need to do first is to get a fire report from the local fire department. This will be required for several procedures, including making a successful claim to your insurance company. Insurance companies will often try to avoid paying out so it is vital to provide as much evidence as possible to force them into giving you a fair settlement.

It's also important to list out all the important documents you've lost in the fire, such as IDs, drivers' licenses, birth certificates and passports. You will most likely need to start the paperwork process immediately to replace them in good time. You will also need to contact the bank to replace any debit or credit cards you have lost, or to seek their advice if any important bank documents have been lost in the fire.

If your house is still under mortgage, you will still need to make mortgage payments even when the house has been burnt down, so you will need to contact the mortgage agent to discuss your options. Since you will not be in your home for several months, it is also wise to cancel cable and internet services and save some monthly bills because you won't be using these services.

Save your Possessions

If the fire department deems your house safe to re-enter, you can go back and retrieve any undamaged possession. If your home was only partially damaged by the fire, the chances are that there will still be items that were not affected.

At the same time, remember that even if your house was burnt, you still need to keep it safe from looters and criminals, so make sure to alert the local police department of the fire, and consider hiring someone to board up your windows and doors in the meantime to protect your property.

House fires are disasters that can result in serious physical and mental impacts to those involved. Recovering is never easy, but these steps will help you get started on the road to recovery.


WRITTEN BY

Daria Brown