Insurance companies and loss adjusters employ specialist disaster management contractors, whose task is to clean up and salvage buildings and contents post fire.

These services can be very useful in commercial and industrial situations in which it may be possible to get businesses and manufacturing operations up and running in short order, even if only on a partial basis.

When it comes to domestic fires policyholders need be cautious about such services. They are usually arranged by the insurers on the grounds of loss mitigation, and costs frequently run to many thousands of pounds, eating in to the limited sums insured without the policyholder having any control over expenditure.

The cleaning companies are acting as arbiters over what is or is not salvageable, and if cleaned items are still unsatisfactory at the end of the exercise, significant costs have been wasted and the sums available to buy replacements, substantially reduced.

Always remember the money they are spending is coming out of your claim pot, and you should never be shy about challenging what is being spent, and whether that expense is actually in your best interest rather than that of the insurers and their contractors.

fire damage to house