Can Flood Removal Help Preserve Your Home's Value?

7/23/2020 (Permalink)

Should flood waters enter your home, call SERVPRO. We can quickly and safely make it, "Like it never even happened."

Ft. Lauderdale Homeowners Need Flood Removal Before Damage Occurs

Ft. Lauderdale homeowners know the importance of keeping their home's value as high as possible. The valuation of your home directly affects the money you can get for selling it. It is to your benefit to look after your house and boost its market value as much as you can.

Ft. Lauderdale residents dealing with flood removal are more concerned with the immediate need to clear their home of water and make it habitable once more. However, once the initial crisis has passed, it is crucial to consider your house value and whether a flood can damage it.

Can Flooding Affect the Value of a Home?

There is no one simple answer to this question as the effect of flooding on house prices varies by the geographical area and the extent of the damage the flood caused. There is undoubtedly a risk of house prices dropping following a water surge in a specific area.

The law in Florida does not require residents to disclose a house's flood history before selling it. However, much of Ft. Lauderdale is in a flood zone, and most buyers will be aware of that. Knowing that a property is in a flood area can make a difference in the amount a buyer is willing to pay.

SERVPRO of Ft. Lauderdale South encourages homeowners to protect their homes from flooding whenever possible and call in assistance for rapid flood removal and cleanup if necessary. Swift action might affect your home's value, but it will most certainly positively impact your state of mind and ability to get back to your life.

What Are Some Things You Can Do to Protect Your Home from Flooding?

You cannot prevent a flood from reaching your Ft. Lauderdale home, but there are some things you can do to protect your house:

• Add seals and barriers on doors and windows to prevent water seeping in
• Add a sump pump system to drain water away from your house
• Consider putting valves on drainage lines and toilets so that sewage cannot back up into your property when a flood occurs
• Landscape your garden so that water flows down and away from your home

Why Is Extraction Such an Important Part of Restoration?

When SERVPRO teams arrive on your property, our first task is to extract as much standing water as possible. The more water we remove at the start of restoration, the less water will remain to soak into soft furnishings and structural materials. More water extraction at the beginning means less time spent drying and dehumidifying.

The more thoroughly we extract flood water from your home, the faster and more effective the remediation process will be.

What Tools Do SERVPRO Use for Flood Removal?

SERVPRO trains our teams to remove flood water from your home using a wide range of extraction tools. Every situation is different and requires the right tool for the job. Our equipment includes:

• Portable extractors which we can take into your home and use on multiple levels provided there is still power to your house
• Truck-mounted extractors are ideal for use if we need more powerful equipment or no electricity supply in your home
• Carpet wands which extract moisture from glued-down carpets
• Extraction tools, both stationary and self-propelled, to squeeze water out of carpet and carpet pad
• Pumps of varying levels of power that we can choose from to pump out standing water

What Happens After the Initial Flood Removal?

Using equipment such as pumps and extractors is an essential first step in flood removal and remediation work. However, SERVPRO is committed to restoration work, and restoration goes far beyond the initial cleanup.

After flood removal, our teams set to work drying and restoring your home and belongings. We bring in air movers and dehumidifiers to dry out rooms and encourage ventilation. We assess drapes, furniture, and personal items to decide what we can salvage and what we cannot. Our teams thoroughly clean salvageable items and dispose of non-recoverable items.

Our air movers and dehumidifiers remove stubborn damp odors from your home, leaving it smelling fresh and clean. We also check for and take care of any structural damage so you can rest assured that it is safe to enter your home.

You cannot do anything about whether your home is in a flood zone, but you can take swift action in a storm. You can keep up your home value by taking good care of it and keeping water damage to a minimum.

For help with flood removal, call SERVPRO of Ft. Lauderdale South at (954) 776-2000.