Every year, thousands of us get our homes flooded.

Recovering from a flood can be a long and costly process. Here are just some of the important steps to take when recovering from a flood.

Contact your insurer

If you have home insurance that covers flood damage – or a separate flood insurance scheme – it could be vital to contact your insurer straight away. Some insurers will not allow you to make a claim unless you contact them within 48 hours of the incident occurring.

Take lots of photographs of the scene and document the damage. This could be useful if you need to provide evidence alongside your claim. With any luck your insurer should accept your claim, at which point you can receive compensation to start cleaning up and restoring your home.

Look into other forms of funding

There may be other forms of funding that you can seek out if you’ve been the victim of a flood. This could be useful if you’re not insured.

Such funding could include support from local charities or financial support from your local council. You may even be able to start a fundraising page to help pay for reparations.

Look into recovery specialists

Cleaning up and restoring your home will likely require hiring a water damage restoration company. Such a company will be able to assess the damage and work out exactly what steps need to be taken. This could include finding areas of water damage that may not be visible, but that could still present structural issues or potential for mold growth.

Take your time to research these companies online to find the best option. If you live in a high-risk flood zone, there may be companies in your area that you can rely on. Neighbours in your area may even be able to offer recommendations if they have previously had to look into flood damage remediation.

Protect your home against future floods

If your home has flooded once, there’s a high risk that it will flood again. This depends on the nature of the flood of course – flooding from a burst pipe may not necessarily mean that you’re in for a repeat situation.

If you live in a high-risk flood zone near a water source such as a river or the sea, it could be essential that you flood-proof your home to reduce more costly damage in the future. There are two types of flood-proofing: wet floodproofing and dry floodproofing.

Wet floodproofing involves finding ways to minimize damage when water enters your home. This could include moving electrical sockets higher up the wall out of reach of water, choosing a water-proof flooring option such as tiles or adding drainage flood openings into a water-sealed basement.

Dry floodproofing involves finding ways to prevent water penetrating your home in the first place. This could include adding flood barriers to doors, sealing up exterior cracks or using obstacles and channels to redirect the flow of water away from your home.