Starting over is never easy! Especially when you have to start from scratch and build everything back again after it has been destroyed by fire. Fire is a dangerous and destructive force. Even though we as a society have been able to tame it and do not fear it as much as we should, there are thousands of accidents happening all across the world each day.
These accidents take many lives and cause thousands of dollars worth in destruction. You may not be able to get the compensation that you need for life but you sure can get one after your home has been damaged or destroyed. The insurance that you might get may be insufficient to start over again, especially if one has been injured as well.
Luckily, there are ways to determine the cause of the fire and sue the one who is responsible, so one can get at least something or more in return. You can even sue for injuries and not just due to property damage. For those that don’t have any means of filing a suit, there are companies that can help burn injury victims through lawsuit loans. It makes everything easier and the situation a lot less stressful as you don’t have to worry about the financial side of things.
Starting back up again after your home has been destroyed by fire is hard. But it is not undoable. It takes time and effort and most of all patience. But it can be done.
Step 1 – Investigate Everything
First things first – Hiring a professional builder to assess the structural damage is the main thing you should be concerned about. The exterior of the house should be inspected first and you might also consider the help of the fire marshal as well. Don’t enter the house until everything has been sorted out and all the damages assessed. This is not a job for an average homeowner and doing the inspection and eventually fixing things will need to be done by someone who knows what he is doing.
Step 2 – Dispose of the Debris
Next comes clearing all the debris. Start with the outside and move towards the inside. Take away all the damaged stuff and dispose of it. Some parts that are too damaged may need to be bulldozed. You can save whatever you can but you should know that in these types of situations there is not a whole lot that can be saved.
Step 3 – Check if Everything is Safe
You should also inspect the basement and the structure of the house. It is highly important to know how safe certain parts of the house are. This should also be done by an experienced person and a builder will help you a lot here. Inspect the bearing walls and see if they are still strong enough to hold the floor and the roof of the house. Inspect the basement as well and it would be best to start from the bottom and go all the way up if your house has more stories.
Step 4 – Start Remodeling
Once the damage is established start rebuilding. The most important thing is to fortify the structure so it is safe. Make sure all the structural things are done first. The next step is fixing the roof and the windows. You don’t want more damage from outside forces after you start rebuilding. It might rain or there might be the wind that can further damage the interior unless the roof and the windows are fixed.
The exterior of the house will come next. As you go you will be able to see how much of the fixing is actually needed for this part but a careful plan that you will devise after the assessment of the entire problem will lead you to success.
As for the inside, go from room to room. It might be hard at first but it is going to get easier as you finish each task. The bathroom and the kitchen are your priorities. There might be certain things that are salvageable in these parts so you can make certain types of assessments first before you go ahead and buy new parts for these facilities. After you are finished here, more to the rest of the house. Do the walls first and find a person who is going to do a good job with bringing back electricity to your house. This one might be important so don’t be stingy about it.
Step 5 – Make Sure You Have All the Documents
You should also keep a record of all the things that you have fixed. This might allow you to get a certain amount of money back from your insurance company. Ask for a report from the fire marshal as well so you have all the necessary documentation that you need. The final part is to make sure that your house is safe and that you add everything that might prevent something like this from happening again.
