6 Tips For a Post-Disaster Home Restoration

No matter how strong the structure and foundation of your house are, it is still not safe from any danger. Numerous disasters can bring so much damage to your property. From accidental fires to intense storms to man-made accidents, there are just so many existing dangers every day that can leave you unprepared, even when you have prepared months ahead for such scenarios. Climate change, for example, is very aggressive and unpredictable these days. One minute it might be raining; the next, a wildfire is on the news. So when you are left with nothing but a damaged property brought by an incident or disaster you did not see coming, how will you move forward from it? How will you handle damaged property?

 Here are six tips for a post-disaster home restoration:

1. Know Your Priorities

You will most likely be left with a tight budget when your property gets hit by a disaster. House restoration will cost thousands of dollars. Before anything else, you should figure out what parts of the house you need to have restored quickly. 

If one side of your house got extremely damaged to the extent that it left most parts of your home open for the whole world to see, then have it fixed first. Your safety and security should be your number one priority above anything else, especially if you are with your family. Another thing you need to get checked first is the structure. Some disasters can shake the structure of your house, so even if the damage is minimal, have an expert thoroughly check the condition of your home to see if it is safe enough to let people inside the house without having to do anything else. You wouldn't want a part of your wall collapsing suddenly in your children's bedroom.

If you still feel lost and know where to start, here is a quick guide to help you figure out what you should do first:

●      Know your budget

●      Have an expert assess the structure and foundation, including the damaged area to know how much it will cost.

●      Assess which damaged area needs restoration first. This will depend on the intensity of the damage and what your family needs the most.

●      After the assessment, check with friends and families if they can help with the restoration and have some of the materials you need, as this might help cut down on your expenses.

2. Look For A Reliable And Trustworthy Property Maintenance Expert

The common thing we do once we notice signs of property damage is to look for an expert that can help us on Google. Google is a very reliable search engine that can give us answers to any questions in seconds. While it's helpful when you need to look for a property maintenance expert, it might not be the best choice to resort to using Google first before asking people around you. 

Property damage brought by disasters is not as easy as one, two, three. You need to find a reliable expert to help you with this problem, otherwise, you might end up with someone who charges at a high rate, and still, you are not getting what you paid for. 

Some of your friends or other family members might know a proven and tested property maintenance expert who's not as expensive as those we see from Google's top results but delivers the same quality of work. Getting a trusted worker can put you to ease, trust us. 

3. Tap Insurance Companies And Other Government Aids

Governments provide disaster relief assistance to anymore who experienced extreme disasters, so check this option as they might be able to help you with the amount you need for your home's restoration. If you have insurance, you may also contact your insurance company to ask what you can get from them after what happened to you.

4. Closely Examine Damages And Possible Causes Of Fire And Floodwaters

The intensity of one disaster can vary from mild to extreme, and this is what you have to watch out for in case you become a victim of natural disasters. Some disasters may cause damage to your house that may trigger other causes of mishaps. To check if it is safe to stay in your house if the damage is not something major, check everything first to ensure that you won't be facing another damage any time soon. Remember, safety first above anything else.

5. Check What You Need To Buy 

When your property gets damaged, you will not only be spending on the repairs. There are things inside your home that got involved in the damage too. Check the things you need to replace for your home, then create a list of what you need to buy immediately. One good example would be rugs. Your old rugs might have gotten damaged during the disaster, so get rugs that you can use after the restoration. If you're on a tight budget, you can always pick antique rugs. They're stylish yet affordable, and they can give a new light to your home once the restoration is complete.

While you're at it, consider the things you will also need during construction. Construction tends to get messy and dusty, mostly for large-scale projects such as home restoration. The dust you get from construction works is not safe for your health, so you might want to get something that can help control dust during construction, especially when you have children.

6. Be Hands-On With The Construction

Monitoring the construction of your damaged property can help appease your worries, as you will be closely watching how well the workers will do. You can also answer their questions right away if they have some, and while they're working, you can ask them questions in return to keep notes so the next time you have a similar encounter, you will have a piece of background knowledge on what to do first.

Being hands-on with the construction can also allow you to help the workers, especially since you know best the ins and outs of your home.  

Conclusion

When you get hit by a disaster and end up being one of the victims with a heavily-damaged property, you need to be wise on your next steps. You will be spending a lot on home restoration, so you need to step back and rethink the best options for you. The six tips we have here may give you an idea of how you should plan things out; however, you can always ask for help from your friends and family. Get some guidance from people who know you best since they can give you insights on what option may work for you and what may not.

Guest Contributor: Ksenija Meller