Steps to Take After a House Fire
Experiencing a house fire can be extremely traumatic and stressful. Not only is your home damaged, possibly beyond repair, but your beloved belongings are, too. When it's time to assess the damage, you may feel overwhelmed. Here are some
tips to recover after a house fire.
Find a safe place to stay.
No matter the amount of damage, it's likely that you won't be able to stay in your home. If staying with friends or family isn't an option, talk to your local disaster relief agency, such as the American Red Cross or Salvation Army.
Call your insurance agent.
You'll need to start a claim and address your immediate needs. If you have €˜loss of use' coverage, your insurance policy will cover living and other daily expenses while you're not in your home. Be sure to keep all receipts for expenses incurred while living away from the house. Your insurance agent should be able to help you secure your property and offer recommendations for cleaning up or restoring salvageable items.
Address your finances.
You'll still need to make mortgage payments even if your home is destroyed. Your insurance policy should cover home's value and mortgage, making payments to you and your mortgage lender. Remember to continue any car payments and replace credit and debit cards that may have been destroyed in the house fire.
Recover your possessions.
Items destroyed in a house fire are usually covered by homeowners insurance. Typically, the homeowners policy is a replacement cost policy, meaning that your policy will help you to replace belongings that were destroyed according to its current worth. You should have a home inventory on hand to know exactly what you lost and what needs to be replaced.
Homeowners insurance can help you recover a house fire. The team at Little & Sons Insurance Services is ready to help you find reliable home coverage today.
