How to Rebuild After a Fire
Rebuilding your life after a fire has devastated it is an extremely difficult task. With all the chaos that results, it can be hard to think of what you should do next. But it is important to try to approach the problem in an organized manner.Here is a sequence of steps you should follow in the aftermath of a fire. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Secure the property and move your family to safety. Start by contacting local agencies (such as the Salvation Army or the Department of Social Services) to ask for assistance with your short-term basic needs, such as shelter, food, medicine and clothing. Also contact your insurance company to let them know about the fire. Do not re-enter the damaged building, especially if there is major damage. Floors or ceilings could collapse and injure or kill you. Tell the police that you will not be returning immediately to the house, and try to secure the property so that no one will enter it. Keep any receipts from anything you buy, since your insurance company may be able to reimburse you.
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2
Once the fire department says it is safe, try to find important documents, such as your driver's license, insurance policy, Social Security card, credit cards and prescriptions. You might also look for cash, glasses, and jewelry, as well as family momentos like graduation degrees and photo albums.
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3
Inform everyone who might need to contact you of just what has happened and where you have relocated. This would include the insurance company, the mortgage company, family and friends, your employer and your children's schools.
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Keep anything that has been damaged long enough for the insurance company to inventory it. Otherwise you might not get reimbursed for it. Also, before you try to hire a contractor for the purpose of making repairs or rebuilding, make sure that you run your plans by the insurance company, since they may have a say in who you contract with, as well as what gets done.
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Decide if you even want to rebuild the house. It may be that the location is one prone to fires (certain hillsides in California), in which case you might want to rebuild elsewhere. Or the insurance you receive may be insufficient to cover the cost of reconstruction. But before you can decide if you want to rebuild, you need to make a quick estimate of how much it will cost. Take the area (in square feet) of your house and multiply it by building cost per square foot where you live. The latter figure can be obtained by contacting local real estate agents. Once you have an idea how much it will cost to rebuild, you can judge whether you want to move forward.
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Contact local contractors (once you decide that you have sufficient funds and that you want to rebuild) and ask for bids on the project. You should have a least three from which to choose. Create a budget for the project and a timetable for payments that is tied to progress. Make sure that delivery dates for items like appliances or furnishings work well with completion dates for construction in those areas.
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Make sure that you take photographs of the work and work site as the construction proceeds. Also make sure that the contractor keeps the work site clean so as to avoid any complaints from the neighbors and to maintain the safety of the site. Finally, hire an independent inspector to check that the work that is being done properly.
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