Suffering a house fire can be devastating and befuddling at first. Most homeowners usually do not know where to start from. It is even more difficult when everything has been burnt and you have automatically been made homeless.
Something you we without a doubt had not planned for. Panicking and nit-picking will not solve a thing. You need an action plan on how you are going to pick yourself up and start again.
You should start thinking about fire damage restoration. Basically, how you are going to salvage the little that is left. Your family should also be a priority make sure they are safe. All things can be replaced but family is irreplaceable.
Find a temporarily space to stay
Contact your local disaster relief agency if you do not have family and friends who can host as you try to pick up your pieces. The agency should be able to give you a temporal place to stay. Once you have a temporarily home, you can then start assessing the amount of damage. From your assessment you will be able to know if you can move back to your home immediately or if it needs an overhaul before moving back.
Claim from insurance
After a house fire lodge an insurance claim by contacting your insurance agent who should be able to addressing your housing needs straightaway. Daily expenses and other living expenses should be covered by your insurance policy. Keep a detailed record of your purchases once you have received the claim is very important. Your insurance agent should come in handy to ensure that your property is well secured and also offer any renovation suggests if any. They should also be able to identify what salvageable and duly compensate for all items that are completely damaged.
Other essential expenses
Although your house has been destroyed by fire, you still need to make your mortgage payments. This should be your first priority before you embark rebuilding. It should be an uphill task as your insurance agent is mandated to make payment to you and your mortgage lender in accordance with your insurance policy. Handle anything that needs to be urgently addressed such as replacing burnt credit and debit cards. Additionally, do not forget to make any loan payments if any, as failure to do so may lead to repossession or penalties.
Purchases inventory
Keeping an inventory of your possession is a great step towards a great fire damage restoration. The inventory should basically have dates of purchase, description and cost at purchase. Ideally, your insurance policy is a replacement cost policy. Even though you will receive the actual value of your damaged items during settlement. You may be required to show if indeed you replaced all the items and also show how the amount was utilized. Insurance agents always require receipts or quotations hence the reason your purchases should be well documented to avoid underpayment. This is will also help you purchase all the necessary with thought mistakenly leaving others out.
Insurance policies are very diverse. Therefore, you should always familiarize yourself with your policy. This will prepare you in the event of any fire disaster. You should also master your responsibilities as a policy holder.