Just last month, Hurricane Irene caused record amounts of flood damage to Connecticut houses. While there’s nothing anyone can do about natural disasters like Irene, you can still save a flooded real estate investment if you follow the proper procedures. Here is a list of steps you should take if your home has flooded:
1) Turn off the power. When returning to a flooded home, the first and most important thing to do is to kill the power and the gas, no matter how much water has invaded your home. Water is of course a conductor of electricity, and you could be endangering your entire family if you don’t remove the risk.
2) Document everything. No matter which agency handles your home insurance, in many cases it’s going to be a fight to get the amount of compensation you need to cover your damages. Make sure to take pictures of everything that was damaged, and make an itemized list with appropriate values. Be prepared to provide receipts if you have to. They can be a pain to locate, but they’re worth the trouble if they can prove that you deserve compensation.
3) Replace any wet carpeting. After your house has been cleared of water, remove and replace any carpeting that is still damp. It won’t be cheap to install new carpets, but there’s nothing you can do to save flooded fabric. It’s guaranteed to harbor odious mold that will sink your property value.
4) Get a few dehumidifiers. Your best friend when you set out to repair a flooded home is a dehumidifier. Buy several. They’ll suck the remaining water out of any room and will slow the spread of damage. Floors made of real wood can even be saved if you pull the floorboards up and then place them in a small room with a running dehumidifier.
A house that has flooded can seem like a tragedy, but it’s not the end of the world. If you work hard, fast, and safely, you can save your real estate investment and live happily ever after in the Constitution State.
