UNITED STATES, Sep 08 — Whether your house was already on the market, or you’ve decided to sell it after the fire, dealing with the clean up after even a mild house fire can be rather daunting. However, a thorough cleaning of the premises is essential to getting a fair price for your home after a fire; if your home has smoke residue you will not get the price that you want.
Your work begins immediately after the fire; call your insurance agent and make arrangements to stay elsewhere until the cleanup is sufficient for you to move back in.
Remember once your home is cleaned up and ready to go back on the market that you need to be upfront with your agent about your home sustaining fire damage
W
hether your house was already on the market, or you’ve decided to sell it after the fire, dealing with the clean up after even a mild house fire can be rather daunting. However, a thorough cleaning of the premises is essential to getting a fair price for your home after a fire; if your home has smoke residue you will not get the price that you want.
Your work begins immediately after the fire; call your insurance agent and make arrangements to stay elsewhere until the cleanup is sufficient for you to move back in. The smoke and soot residue can be extremely toxic, especially to children or anyone with a chronic health condition.
Once the fire is out and the fire inspector has finished with the property, have a building inspector come and check out the premises to ensure that it’s safe to be there. Your insurance company might make these arrangements for their own records as well. If the damage is more extensive, you may need to have the power and/or gas turned off for safety reasons.
Take pictures of every room in your home; you should have previously taken pictures for insurance purposes which these ones can be compared to. Your insurance agent may want to take their own pictures as well.
The next step requires the hiring of a professional cleaning company to clean your home; while you can clean soot and smoke damage from your home yourself, hiring professionals can save you time and money in the long run and result in a much more satisfying end-product. Your insurance may pay for some or all of the cleaning done by professionals because it can cut down on what needs to be replaced.
Much of the soot and smoke will be in places that a homeowner cannot easily clean, like ductwork and in the pores of the walls. You can clean it yourself, but it is a lot of work and you may not be able to remove all the smell of smoke from your home; professionals will have all the proper chemicals and equipment. Professional cleaners will use ozone treatment to break up smoke residue to remove odors and thermal fogging to remove smoke odor from walls.
You may need to remove furniture and belongings so that house can be cleaned. Professional cleaners can let you know what items are beyond repair and need to be thrown away. Many items of furniture and draperies can be professionally cleaned and de-odored. Trying to clean these items improperly can actually make them uncleanable.
Other areas may need extra attention; the flooring in your house may need to be replaced, particularly if you had carpeting. Air your house out as much as possible; change your furnace filter daily until no trace of soot remains. Attic insulation may need to be replaced if it has been smoke or water damaged. You may also want to repaint the walls and ceilings in your home if they are stained.
Remember once your home is cleaned up and ready to go back on the market that you need to be upfront with your agent about your home sustaining fire damage. As long as you’ve done your clean up by the book, and made any repairs that are necessary, there should be no problem selling your home for a fair price and getting it.
Communicate directly with Mike Ciucci, the author of this article. Ask questions, send suggestions, comments, engage in conversation, or perhaps you would like to submit a project.
Click Here to ask a question, send a comment, or proposal.
You’ve found your perfect house and you are ready to make an offer. You sit down with your agent and decide on a price that seems fair given the condition of both the house and the local real estate market. You spend up to an hour deciding on y
Moving day is a double-edged sword for families because it can be both exciting and tedious, especially when you have children who are restless and have mixed feelings about leaving their old home. Here are some things you can do to make moving easie
Thanks to the explosion of T.V. shows featuring ambitious real estate investors quickly renovating run down homes for a pretty profit, it seems that everyone these days is trying their hand at house flipping. However, as is true for most things, it&r
What makes a condominium or apartment building truly amazing is not just its unique features, but also its usability and the desire people have to live within the building, long term. Below are four examples of amazing condos or apartment buildi
Puerto Vallarta’s calendar is always brimming over with events and shows which range from food festivals to fund raisers, sports to festivals. So it doesn’t come as a surprise to know that expats in Puerto Vallarta love the town so much.
Tunisia’s emerging real estate opportunities are quietly making an impact, as growing numbers of buyers begin to discover the attractions of this truly unique market. Having been relatively overlooked in the few years the market has been open t
Puerto Vallarta real estate industry is booming because of the many attractions and beautiful beaches in this lovely resort community. While the Puerto Vallarta Real Estate market is wonderful for vacationers and buyers, it is also a great way for pr
Most people find it difficult to buy their home as they are not in a financial condition to afford it. If you are looking for a new home and if you don’t have enough money to make your purchase then you can apply for a home mortgage loan with which y
For those who see themselves as a novice in real estate, the idea of taking that first step into real estate investment can be an extremely confusing and daunting time. Many of those who look to join this field may have found the perfect investment t
Seabrook Island is about 45 minutes outside of Charleston, SC. It is a beautiful drive from Charleston, through Johns Island, which have the magnificent live oaks that drape over the road, and on towards Seabrook and Kiawah Island territory.
People relocating to the Charleston, SC area have one major question I find. Which area surrounding Charleston is best to live in? Well, the short answer is quite simple. Why are you moving here? In real estate, I find that bu
If you’re considering a move to Mount Pleasant, then you ought to consider the popular neighborhood of Dunes West. This is a great community located just outside of downtown historic Charleston, with a great location to the beaches.
Mount Pleasant holds some of Charleston’s most popular neighborhoods. There are many reasons for this, but mainly it is due to the close proximity to downtown Charleston, its location to the surrounding beaches, and arguably the best publ
Negotiating a real estate contract can be a lot of fun, or it can make for a painful, sour experience. It all boils down to how prepared you are. Some Realtors have a knack for it, others don’t. Some real estate agents embrace
Syndication
tweet
PDF version
Printable version
Publisher HTML version
Discussions (0)
Email Article
Post New Comment