Crisis! What to Do When You Have a Home Emergency

It’s the last thing that anyone wants to happen. You wake up in the morning, and the boiler is broken. Or you return from your holiday to find that a pipe has burst. Maybe you hear a crash in the living room and find that a tonne of soot and debris has fallen down the chimney. Dealing with an emergency at home isn’t something anyone wants to do, but you often need to do it. When something unexpected happens, you need to sort it out as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the worse it could get. If you find yourself faced with a crisis, here’s what to do.

Take Immediate Action

The first thing you need to do is work out if there are any immediate actions you should take. These are things you can do yourself that might prevent further damage or perhaps keep your family safe. For example, if your house is flooding, turning off your water at the mains would be a sensible thing to do. In some cases, you might need to block off a room or even leave the house if something is unsafe. If you’re panicking, it can be hard to think about what you need to do. Take a deep breath, so you can calm down and think clearly. If that fails, call someone or google your problem.

Call for Help

The next thing you can do is call for help. The sooner you can get someone to fix your issue, the less likely it is that other problems will develop. If you don’t know who to contact, it’s easy to find out. With the internet at your disposal, googling “plumbers near me” or checking your gas supplier’s website isn’t hard. You probably need to look for emergency services that are available 24/7. Many of them can be with you in just a few hours, but you might have to wait longer.

Make Temporary Arrangements

Sometimes, you’ll need to make some arrangements when your life is disrupted. For example, you might be unable to stay in your home until the problem is fixed. Sorting these things out can be next on your list. You might need to find somewhere to stay for a couple of days, or perhaps think of an alternative way to heat your house. You could be left without your oven, and you need to think about how you’re going to eat for the next couple of days.

Dealing with Work

Sorting out an emergency at home when you have to go to work is even more difficult. If you have an understanding boss, things may be a little easier to deal with. However, sometimes your superiors won’t let you sort out your plumbing issue during work hours. First, try letting your boss know you have an issue. They might suggest you stay at home or allow you some time to sort things out at work. If not, you may have to take a sick day or use your breaks to find a solution to your problem.

If you have an emergency at home, you should take care of it quickly. Keep calm and work through the problem and it will soon be fixed.

XOXO

Debbie