Nobody even wants to even imagine the idea of their home going up in flames, let alone dealing with the reality when it happens. Now you are probably thinking to yourself, ‘That will never happen to me.’ Well, do not be so sure. Everyone that has suffered from a fire-damaged house did not believe they would have to go through with this struggle.
Yet there are many different ways in which a fire can start within your house, which increases the possibility of it happening. Faulty electrics, a pan left on the stove too long, a lit cigarette falling onto a sofa – there are plenty of dangers that you need to avoid.
A fire can cause catastrophic damage to a property. Even if someone is fortunate enough that the fire did not claim their home, there is still an extensive clean up process to follow.
If you find yourself in the latter position, here are five steps to help restore a fire-damaged house.

1. Assess the damage

When professionals like the fire crew declare your home is safe to enter, it’s time to see the extent of the damage. It is still important to take caution when exploring the property. Even if the damage seems only to be aesthetic, there could be hidden damage to the structural integrity and safety of the property. This includes certain areas that were not affected directly by the fire or smoke.

2. Gather evidence

When walking around the house, make sure you have your smartphone out ready to take pictures. This is because you must document the damaged caused by the fire. The more evidence you have of this, the more accurate your insurance pay-out will ultimately be as loss adjusters can use it to come up with an appropriate quote.

3. Bring in the professionals

The damage might seem minimal via your untrained eye, but make no mistake: getting your property back to a liveable standard will be a long, arduous task. If you try and take this task on by yourself, this could actually lead to your house regressing even further.
This is why it makes sense to receive professional assistance. With an experienced fire and smoke damage cleanup contractor on your side, you can be safe knowing that the job will be done right first time.

4. Decide on what can be salvaged

Yes, in a lot of cases, it will not be possible to rescue most of your possessions. However, that doesn’t mean you have to take everything to the scrapyard. Carefully go through your items and see which can be cleaned and restored.

5. Redecorate

Your property is clean, dry, and safe. Now it’s time to bring your home back to life. Redecorating is the fun part of the process, although there is one potential stumbling block: insurance payments. If you’re waiting for these to clear before you start splashing the cash, it could take some time before you can get to work.