One of the first questions a home owner might ask themselves after the initial shock has subsided because of a home fire or flood is how much their home is actually worth now that it has unspeakable damage? It can be very difficult to determine the value of a house when it needs tremendous repairs to get back to the way it was. If your insurance company believes that it can be saved and the value restored it gives you hope.

The first thing you must do is for you or the insurance company to call in an expert repair team that handles water and fire destruction to evaluate the extent of the damage and what it is going to take and cost to make the necessary repairs. Deciding which company to choose to should be done carefully. You want to make sure that they have the experience needed to do all of the repairs according to codes and that they are expertly executed.

Researching a company is not that difficult and chances are your insurance company might already have a reputable firm that they will use. Your job will be to make sure they do not cut corners that could cause your home to be valued less than it was before the fire or flood. This means you want the best materials available you can get. Do not allow your insurance company to use second rate materials in the restoration. Some insurance companies might be tempted to force you to use a less than perfect company because they will be the ones to foot the bill.

You should also even oversee the repairs yourself to some extent to make sure that jobs are being done the way they should be. If you have questions about how something is being done and it worries you, do not be afraid to ask them about it. The final inspection can be important when it comes to having your home appraised again. If anything you want the value to be more than it was before and not less. If the repairs are done using top grade materials and workers, returning your home to its former state and worth should not be a problem.
If a flood caused your destruction or if a large amount of water was used to extinguish a fire, make sure that every precaution and remedy has been used to make sure the home will not have any trace of mold. Mold can cause the value of your house to decline every bit as much as the flood or fire damage can.