The intense emotions and feelings can be overwhelming if you or a loved one has lost your home due to Fire. It is essential to take time for self-care during this challenging period. You may notice that you are less likely to sleep, eat right, or be able to concentrate on anything other than what is happening in your life. Remain calm and focus on what you want to achieve rather than what happened in the past. Here is a list of things you should not do when your home has been damaged due to a fire.
- You Should not Immediately Make Decisions Based on How you are Feeling
When a house fire occurs, a lot of feelings come with it. You likely feel helpless and confused about what to do next. These feelings can lead you to make hasty decisions about your belongings or the repairs needed with your home.
- You Should not "Clean up" or Try to Alter the Evidence of the Fire
Once a fire has occurred, you will likely have a lot of smoke residue in your home. Until this smoke is gone, it is best to leave the areas affected by the Fire untouched. It is also best not to touch areas where you think there may be residue or other signs of fire damage. This will help preserve any evidence that can be used during the investigation.
- Do not Waste Time, and do not attempt the Clean-up and Restoration on Your Own
Making decisions about the repairs and restoration of your home should be left to professionals. Professional restoration is specialized work that is designed for this purpose. If you attempt to perform it yourself, it will take longer, cost more, and result in a lower quality finished product.
If Fire has displaced you, the sooner professionals can get to your home, the better. If you cannot work with them because of time constraints, then it is ok to have someone experienced in restoration act as an intermediary. The longer your home remains unoccupied or uninhabitable, the more likely that evidence and all possessions in your home will be lost. It is important to let professionals assess your property and begin the process of professional restoration.
- You Should not Allow Yourself to be Financially Burdened by the Fire
It can be elementary to become overwhelmed with the financial burdens that come with home fire damage. Due to this, it can be easy to make poor decisions to cut costs. One way to prevent this is by developing a budget before damage occurs. This means having money set aside for emergencies, so you do not have any near-term financial stress. It also means having a good credit score to receive proper financing for your repairs.
- You Should not Allow Yourself to be Haunted by the Fire
The emotions you feel after a fire can make it difficult for you to return to your everyday life. These feelings often include guilt, sadness, anger, embarrassment, and worry. If you allow these feelings to remain unresolved, they can haunt you and prevent you from moving on with your life. When feelings continue to hold on, this can ruin your relationships, hamper your ability to work, and cause depression.
- You Should not do Anything Illegal or Dangerous
If you have experienced a fire in your home, it will likely cause you to feel angry and upset. This may cause you to make decisions that are not legal or safe. If this occurs, it is best to remove yourself from the situation or get professional help. If you choose to do something illegal or dangerous, then move on with your life and forget about it.
- You Should not Depend on Others for Help During the Fire Restoration Process
While professionals will likely be able to start the restoration process more quickly, they will still not be able to get all of your belongings back. If you do not have any savings or access to credit, you may find yourself in a situation where there is nowhere to turn, and no one is willing to help you.
Following these guidelines will help make it easier for you to move forward after a fire. This is vital if you do not want to become overwhelmed, depressed, or homeless. It would be best if you took this Time to begin to put your life back together as soon as possible.
