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Original poster

House fire today - what to do/expect with insurance?

29 replies

Smowk · 09/07/2025 13:16

Everyone is ok and it could have been SO much worse. Mainly smoke damage.

Rented house. The whole of downstairs was full of thick black smoke, and it absolutely reeks. It looks ok now, it’s just very dirty and so so smelly.

I have contents insurance. Will they replace items that are structurally ok but stink? Like expensive coats, floor rugs, made to measure curtains etc?

The floor and walls I think will clean up apart from where the fire was - are they likely to redecorate and put new floors down because of the smoke smell?

Thank you. And sorry to anyone who has been through this!

OP posts:

BangersAndGnash · 11/07/2025 23:20

KatieDidIt · 09/07/2025 22:13

I am so sorry to hear of your fire, but glad everyone is ok. I had a lot of smoke damage from a neighbours fire.

My contents insurance were brilliant! They insisted on paying out for ALL soft furnishings, clothing, curtains, sofas mattresses bedding, towels etc. They even paid out for a replacement pushchair. As they said smoke is a real risk to babies. (I had my 9 month old grandchild here at the time.)

I couldn’t fault them. There were no quibbles at all. My landlords sorted a complete redec, so once that was done I was able to purchase everything. Hopefully you have the same experience OP.

Good!

Smoke residue can be really toxic.

After our fire at work the fire brigade and insurers told us not to do any cleaning ourselves and they sent a specialist team.

TourdeFrance25 · 12/07/2025 02:58

KatieDidIt · 11/07/2025 20:11

I was with John Lewis. They went above and beyond! I would never go elsewhere after my experience with them.

Edited

Show quote history

Thanks for that. I would never have thought of them for insurance & due to theuf dreadful customer service, tend to avoid them now ( unless I go to a store & can just buy something & take it away with me.However given their insurance, department will be completely separate I'll definitely look into it.

Steelworks · 12/07/2025 03:02

Smowk · 09/07/2025 16:36

It was a Hotpoint - it was a replacement from Hotpoint for a previous dryer that also went up in smoke. After that you can rightly assume that I was VERY paranoid about emptying the lint.
So I won’t be getting another Hotpoint!

Oh dear, just got a hot point tumble drier.

TiredAllNight · 12/07/2025 03:32

Smowk · 09/07/2025 16:36

Now I don’t recommend this as I’m not an electrician but my tumble dryer ( hotpoint() used to stop and I looked on the internet for a fix and it was something to do with a place with a sensor, and fluff or lint could get in, on the back, stopping it working.

So I fixed it a couple of times. Always unplugging, and pulling it out, it involved vacuuming it too.

One time my husband suggested undoing the back panel , and we saw that around the drum was completely covered in thick lint, where it should not have been, so vacuumed it all off… masses of it.

That model was one of the ones at fault for which we never got compensation or repair… we were just on a “list” and eventually we bought a new one, after it broke down.

You need to be careful with electrical appliances , because of residual current in them, I was once foolishly embarking on a repair on another item , then read I might electrocute myself. So stopped pretty quickly.

I do think I should check on our newer one really.

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