EPISODE 20 [Claims] – THE TOP 7 STEPS TO TAKE DURING A FIRE CLAIM

A house fire can turn your life upside down in minutes. Knowing what steps to take immediately afterward can make the insurance claim process much easier and help protect your financial recovery.

In this episode, Fred Turner walks through the Top 7 Action Steps homeowners should take during a fire claim based on his experience inspecting thousands of damaged homes.

The 7 Action Steps Covered

1. Make sure everyone is safe
2. Contact your insurance company quickly
3. Secure the property to prevent further damage or theft
4. Document the fire, smoke, and water damage
5. Begin creating a personal property inventory
6. Work with reputable restoration professionals
7. Keep receipts and track all additional living expenses

With over 15 years of experience inspecting thousands of damaged homes, Fred shares practical insights, real-life stories from the field, and lessons homeowners can use immediately if they ever experience a house fire.

Fred also shares real-life fire claim stories from homeowners and explains how simple preparation steps can make the recovery process smoother.

This episode is designed to help homeowners understand what to expect during a fire insurance claim and how to avoid common mistakes that can delay settlements.

Books available from Happy Homeowners Hub and sold on Amazon.com

For more details on these books, check out HappyHomeownersHub.com 

                       Click on the Amazon book links below

The Happy Homeowners Handbook for Navigating Property Claims

The Happy Homeowners Property Claim Documentation Booklet 

The Happy Homeowners Handbook for First-Time Homebuyers 

The Happy Homeowners Handbook for Selling Your Home by Owner 

The Happy Homeowners Home Maintenance Journal 

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Transcript

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After inspecting thousands of damaged homes during my career, I have seen just about everything that can happen to a house. Water damage, hailstorms, tornadoes, vehicle damage, raccoon damage, frozen pipes, ice damming, and unfortunately, one of the most devastating losses a homeowner can experience is a house fire. A fire claim can turn your life upside down in a matter of minutes. One minute you're watching television on a quiet evening, and the next minute you're standing outside in your pajamas watching firefighters try to save your home while watching your belongings get destroyed. Today's episode is about the seven most important action steps homeowners should take during a fire claim. These steps can help protect your safety, your finances, and your sanity during a very stressful situation. And yes, I will add in a few real life stories along the way because sometimes the best lessons come from experiences of other homeowners. Let's jump into it, shall we? Welcome to the Happy Homeowners Hub Podcast, the place where homeowners come to learn how to protect their homes, their finances, and their peace of mind. We share real life stories and break down the lessons, mistakes, and wins that can save you time, money, and stress on navigating your property claim, buying your first home, selling your home by owner, and home maintenance and repair tips. I am your host, Fred Turner, and each week I'll guide you through these four topics. Step 1. Make sure everyone is safe. This may sound obvious, but it always comes first. Nothing inside your home is more important than the safety of you, your family, and your pets. If a fire starts, get everyone out of the house immediately and then call 911. Do not go back inside to grab your valuables. I know that family photos, laptops, and grandma's jewelry feel irreplaceable, but smoke inhalation can overcome someone in seconds and you may not make it back outside. Your house can be rebuilt, but your life cannot. Step 2. Contact your insurance company quickly. Once the fire department leaves and everyone is safe, contact your insurance company as soon as possible. Most insurance policies require you to report the loss promptly. The insurance company will assign an adjuster to inspect the damage and begin the claim process. When you report the claim, be ready to provide your policy number, your address, a brief description of what happened, and whether the home is currently livable or not. If the house cannot be lived in, your policy often provides additional living expenses, also known as ALE, which helps pay for temporary housing, meals, and other necessary expenses. Think of this coverage as the insurance company helping you keep your life somewhat normal while your home is being repaired. Step 3. Secure the property. After a fire, homes are often vulnerable to theft, vandalism, or weather damage. This is why securing the property is extremely important after the fire has been put out. Often the fire department can provide companies that can do the board up and secure the property for you. Also, a restoration company can board up windows, install temporary doors, and cover roof openings with tarps. Firemen often open up the roof in a few areas to vent the fire and let the smoke out. Step four, document the damage. Documentation is one of the most important parts of any property claim. Take photos and videos of everything, or make sure a restoration company documents everything for you. Items that should be documented include fire damage, smoke damage, water damage from the firefighters, and damage to furniture and your belongings. A homeowner once told me, Fred, everything smells like smoke, but nothing looks like it really burned. Smoke damage is tricky because it affects walls, clothing, furniture, and electronics. Photographing everything helps create a clear record of the loss. And if you're thinking you will remember everything later, trust me, during a fire claim, your brain may feel like it's juggling 20 different problems all at once. Photos help keep things organized. It's helpful if your home had been fully documented before the fire so you have a record of each room and its contents. One thing people don't really think about is fire inspections will occur after a fire. This is one thing that can cause delays in getting started. There could be up to three inspections, one for the fire department to determine the actual cause of loss. This could take up to a few days. Then there's the insurance company inspection. This could take a few days to a couple weeks. Then, if the cause of loss is determined to be caused by a device or an appliance, the manufacturer may also request an inspection, which could take up to a couple weeks as well. Sometimes part or the entire house may be off limits to everyone until these inspections have been completed and the house has been cleared. Step 5. Begin a personal property inventory. One of the biggest challenges after a fire is listing all the damaged contents. The insurance company may ask you to create a personal property inventory, listing all the items that were damaged or destroyed by the fire and the water. Many insurance companies may pay a restoration company to create this list and photo document these items for you. This inventory list can include things like furniture, electronics, clothing, kitchen items, tools, decorations, and personal belongings. Here is where homeowners often underestimate how many items they actually own. A homeowner once told me, I didn't lose that much. Two weeks later, their inventory list was 12 pages long, and the homeowner said, It turns out we own way more stuff than we thought we did. I suggest that you start this process early and work room by room. Step number six, work with the reputable restoration professionals. Fire damage restoration is a specialized process. A professional restoration company may handle smoke removal, odor treatment, structural cleaning, debris removal, contents cleaning, electronics cleaning, content storage, reconstruction, and more. Unfortunately, after major fires, there can also be fire chasers or contractors who show up immediately and offer quick repairs, sometimes at a discounted rate. Beware that some of these contractors may not be properly licensed, experienced, or trustworthy. Take your time when choosing professionals and make sure they are reputable. You can get referrals from your insurance agent, your insurance company, or your adjuster. I suggest dealing with a preferred restoration company, one that your insurance company can recommend because they stand behind their work and they regularly deal with insurance companies. They know and understand how to get proper approvals to make sure that everything is approved and paid for by the insurance company so you're not on the hook for additional unapproved expenses. Step number seven, keep all receipts and track your expenses. During a fire claim, you may have many things like hotel stays, restaurant meals, laundry services, replacement clothing, pet boarding, or extra gas expenses. Your insurance policy may reimburse you for many or all of these costs under the additional living expenses, also known as ALE, but you must keep all your receipts. A simple folder or digital file can make this much easier. Think of it as your fire claim survival binder. I have also created a booklet for documenting your claim details called the Happy Homeowners Claim Documentation Booklet, available on Amazon.com. For more information on this book and others, go to my website happyhomeownershub.com. Several years ago, I inspected a home where a candle started a living room fire. The homeowner had done something very smart before the fire even happened. They had taken a video walkthrough of their entire home a few months earlier for insurance documentation. That video made the entire claim process much easier because it clearly showed all of the furniture, electronics, decorations, and personal belongings inside the home. Sometimes a 5-10 minute video can save weeks of headaches later on. Here are some final thoughts. A house fire is one of the most stressful events a homeowner can ever experience, but knowing the right steps to take can make the process much more manageable. Let's quickly recap the 7 steps a homeowner should take during a fire claim. Step 1. Make sure everyone is safe. Step 2. Contact your insurance company quickly. Step 3. Secure the property. Step 4. Document the damage. Step 5. Create a personal property inventory. Step 6. Work with reputable restoration professionals. Step 7. Rack and save all your receipts. Knowledge may reduce anxiety during difficult situations, and understanding the claims process often helps homeowners make better decisions. That's why the Happy Homeowners Hub exists. If you want a more detailed step-by-step guide to navigating property claims, check out my book, The Happy Homeowners Handbook for Navigating Property Claims. You can find it on Amazon.com or visit my website, happyhomeownershub.com. This book will walk you through the entire claim process and explain how insurance estimates work and helps you avoid costly mistakes that many homeowners can make. If you're currently dealing with a property claim and feel overwhelmed, I also offer property claims coaching. Sometimes having someone walk you through the process can make all the difference in the world. You can learn more about this at happyhomeownershub.com or in the show notes. Also, if you would like more property claim and homeowner tips and strategies, I offer a newsletter. If you would like to receive the Happy Homeowners Hub newsletter, just go to my website, happyhomeownershub.com, go to the contact us page, and type the word newsletter in the message box, and I'll add you to the list. Here's the Happy Homeowners Hub Podcast disclaimer. This podcast is for educational and informational purposes and should not be considered legal, insurance, or financial advice. Always consult with licensed professionals regarding your specific situation and your insurance policy. Thank you for joining me on this episode of the Happy Homeowners Hub Podcast. My goal is to make your homeownership journey smoother, smarter, and way less stressful. If you find value in this episode, consider sharing it with a friend, coworker, or relative who might be interested, and be sure to follow me so you don't miss future episodes. I've got some great stories, tips, and occasional guest experts coming up in future episodes, so stay tuned. And remember, your home is your biggest investment. Smart from the start.