Selling a Fire Damaged House
in California

Selling a Fire Damaged House California

After experiencing a house fire, it’s understandable to feel a sense of despair. However, now is not the time to disconnect mentally. The aftermath of a fire can be overwhelming, leaving you with numerous questions and uncertainty about the next steps. Once the fire has been put out, it is essential to take immediate and decisive action to avoid any additional harm.

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What are the Recommended Steps for Dealing with a House
After a Fire in California?

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Should I Repair the Fire Damage or Sell the Burned House in California?

You have two options for a fire-damaged house in California: either undertake the fire damage repairs yourself to restore your home to its original condition, or sell the damaged house as it is.

Factors Affecting your Decision Regarding your Fire Damaged House

In general, if you have the necessary time and financial resources, you can proceed with repairing the fire damage to your home. Otherwise, it may be more advantageous to sell the house in its current condition.

Scenario 1: You Decide to Repair Your Fire Damaged House.

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7 Steps in Repairing a House with Fire Damage

Step 1:

Ensure a comprehensive assessment by a certified home inspector. It’s important to identify this inspection from the one conducted by the insurance adjuster earlier.

Fires often result in significant hidden damage. For example, they can dehydrate wooden beams, making them fragile. Additionally, fires can also cause cracks in basement walls, exposing the steel reinforcement and affecting its structural integrity.

Step 2:

If your house has significant damage, you may have to engage various inspectors, including those specializing in structural, electrical, mechanical (HVAC), and plumbing systems.

Therefore, areas of inspection must include:

Step 3:

After the assessment, the restoration contractor will determine the scope of work, timeline, and overall cost. It’s important to note that renovating a home damaged by fire is highly challenging, and unexpected repairs may arise in the future.

If the inspectors determine that the damage is too extensive for major repairs to render your fire-damaged home habitable again, demolition may be the only option. At that point, you could sell the property as an empty lot to real estate investors who may want to hold onto it for the long term or develop it in the future.

Step 4:

The contractor will secure the property by installing fences and sealing any openings in the structure. Tarpaulins may be used to cover exposed parts of the roof, preventing additional water ingress and protected the structure from the weather.

If any areas of the house remain unaffected by the fire, even if only a small portion, they should be sealed off and isolated to prevent contamination and additional damage.

Step 5:

In the next step, it is essential to eliminate the water left from firefighting to prevent mold and wood rot. Additionally, any toxic residues from chemical extinguishers must also be removed.

Step 6:

Upon the completion of the drying process for the structure, an extensive cleanup operation will begin. Any drywall, flooring, ceiling, or other materials damaged by fire must be removed. However, every square inch of the affected areas, especially within the ventilation systems, will be particularly removed of smoke and soot, which can present numerous health hazards.

The use of deodorizing agents will effectively eliminate the smoke odor, and if needed, antimicrobial chemicals will be used to sanitize and prevent mold growth. Additionally, furniture, drapes, curtains, and clothing will undergo cleaning and deodorization.

Step 7:

If you were not totally honest with a home buyer, they would probably walk away from the sale since they would always find out. If your contractor performed the restoration and remodeling to a high standard, the new owners of your home shouldn’t have any issues in the future.

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Advantages of Repairing Your Fire Damaged House

It is recommended to repair your fire-damaged home before selling it. If you have the time and money to do so (and depending on the extent of the fire damage). If you did this, you could ask for more money than if you let the buyer take care of the repairs themselves.

If you need to take out a loan for repairs for your fire-damaged property, figure out whether the increase in asking price justifies the cost. If you want to be sure you will still make money after repairs, you also need to account for closing costs.

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Scenario 2: You Decide to Sell your Fire Damaged Home As Is

Challenges in Selling a Fire-Damaged Home As Is

First off, there are fewer buyers in your pool. It will require some work to locate experienced house buyers who are up for a project involving fire damage.
The second thing you’ll have to pay for is the buyer’s necessary repairs for your fire-damaged house. This indicates that some experienced buyers of real estate will try to drive the selling price, and you may not receive the full market worth for your property.
Finally, since some home buyers would not be able to get a loan from a mortgage provider, it may turn them off. Finding a buyer prepared to pay cash is your best option.

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Reasons to Sell a Fire Damaged House As Is

In spite of the possible challenges you may face in trying to sell your fire damaged home, you may still be left with no choice due to the following 6 reasons:

Tips for Selling a Fire Damaged House California

Whether you go with scenario 1 or scenario 2 (as described above), here are 3 useful tips:

Disclosure is important

Real estate sales in general, including house sales, are trust-based business. It is essential to explain to the buyer what happened with the property and why. It is not advisable to withhold information from buyers as they will eventually discover it.

Document the restoration process

Make a record of all that was accomplished throughout the restoration. If you decide to put off selling your house, it will be helpful to snap pictures and keep all of your bills and receipts organized. This way, you can use them to calculate your asking price at a later time.

Do not be impatient

Selling a home destroyed by fire requires persistence, effort, and patience. Concerning anything related to your house, prospective buyers will have a lot of questions. They may occasionally ask to send their own inspectors. Give them what they want. When it is safe and possible, give them a tour of your home.

Do not be fixated on selling your California house fast. Just trust the process and it will be alright.

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Closing Thoughts: Selling a Fire Damaged House California