Natural disasters are a devastating yet unavoidable part of our lives. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is prepare yourself for its arrival. You can weather the storm, but there’s a huge possibility that you won’t be able to do so unscathed.

Your home will likely suffer the most damage after a calamity. Restoration won’t be easy for even those who are prepared. If you don’t know where to start, here’s what you need to do for your home after a disaster.

Assess Damage

Damage assessment is important when it comes to determining compensation and repairs. You’ll need it when you file a report to your insurance company; they use it to ascertain whether your damages fall within their coverage plans. More importantly, it will help you decide on your next course of action.

Before anything else, have a professional assess your home to ensure that it’s safe and free from hazards. A house that has suffered structural damage is likely to collapse with the wrong touch. Jammed doors, sagging roofs, and leaning walls are a sign of weak structural integrity.

As you inspect your home, take note of the professionals that you’ll need to hire to repair your house. For example, if your windows are shattered beyond repair, you’ll need window companies to install new ones for your Salt Lake City home.

Do Temporary Repairs

Once you’ve determined that your home is safe, get some temporary repairs done. Turn off the gas line—gas leaks are one of the most deadly fire hazards during the dry summer months. Turn off your electricity and cut the power from your home temporarily. Open power lines make floodwaters more dangerous.

Cleaning up is one of the first things you need to do. Floodwater will be one of your biggest enemies in this situation, so make sure to drain your home thoroughly. Otherwise, your house will be a home for water reliant pests and damages, like mosquitoes, mold, or mildew.

Foundation repairs should be prioritized above all if you want to get your house in working order as soon as possible. On another note, repairs aren’t the only option you have. Sometimes, you’ll save more money if you demolish your house and rebuild it from the ground up.

Get a Contractor

If your house needs various repairs, you might want to hire a general contractor. It’s better compared to hiring multiple subcontractors—especially if extensive home repairs are required. Other advantages come with getting a general contractor for reconstruction.

General contractors have more experience when it comes to managing various repairs. They can coordinate with subcontractors who work in the same area. The chances of faulty or mishandled repairs will be lower since they know what a well-done job looks like.

Let’s face it—you aren’t exactly in the best state of mind to manage your affairs right after a disaster. It’s best to hire professionals to rebuild your home. Instead of stressing about how to rebuild your home, take this as a time to recover physically and emotionally.

Recovering from a natural disaster isn’t something that happens overnight. Don’t pressure yourself and rush towards going back to normal. As you pick up the pieces, do your needed preparations so that you can better withstand any disaster that comes in the future.