I don’t like addressing potential issues, but there are some that come along with the territory of being a homeowner. There are burglaries, fires, and carbon monoxide problems that can arise; but there are things you can do to keep your home as prepared as possible for one of these events. Keeping your family and kids safe is a huge priority for me, and there are some safety precautions that you can do. Here are my easy 7 tips to keep your home safe.
Check for frayed wires
To prevent electrical issues, a good preventive measure would be to go around your home and check all electrical items for frayed wires. Sometimes this occurs with a move or with wear and tear. Without checking for the wires, it could potentially cause a fire or a short in your electrical system. When you’re doing this, it would also be a good idea to check your breakers for any warm spots as this could also signal an electrical issue that needs to be addressed by an electrician.
Examine vents
The outside vents coming into the home, need to be checked periodically to prevent any carbon monoxide issues developing inside the home. While you’re checking vents, giving your air conditioning vents a good cleaning is always a good idea; as well as changing the air filter in the air conditioning unit.
Install and inspect smoke and fire detectors
I’ve talked about making sure you change the batteries in your smoke detectors in my fall checklist before, but making sure they’re installed throughout the home is critical before you can even change the batteries! Each bedroom, hallway and living area needs a smoke and a carbon monoxide detector. Be sure when they’re installed that everyone in your home knows the sound and the difference between the smoke alarm and the carbon monoxide alarm.
Make a fire escape plan
No one hopes to have a fire, but if there is it’s best to be prepared for the unlikely event. Making sure that bedrooms on the second floor have an escape ladder are a must. It is also important to make sure that everyone who is living at home, knows the meeting point for everyone in case there is a fire. To protect valuables, I highly recommend getting a fireproof box to save social security cards, birth certificates, and other important documents.
Childproof
If you’ve got little ones, keeping them safe at their eye level is especially important. They have a whole different view of the world, and we have to make sure they’re safe to roam around. A few of the important items to make sure are safe are electrical sockets and locking cabinets. If you want to know a little more about childproofing your home check out some of my other ideas here.
Deadbolt outside doors
If your home has some flimsy doorknobs and no deadbolt on outside doors, I highly recommend adding one. Burglars can easily strike a single doorknob door in if they’re trying to break in, and a deadbolt adds an extra level of security to your home. When adding a deadbolt don’t forget all outside doors, including garage doors.
Street numbers on mailboxes and homes
In the event that you need to call emergency services, it will greatly help them locate you sooner if your street number is located on the mailbox and your home. If you’re one who likes to have their name on the mailbox, it’s recommended to leave off your name, and put your street numbers instead.
Taking precautions to make your home as safe as possible take a little work, but is worth it to have the peace of mind knowing that you’ve done what you can do to keep your home safe. No one likes to talk about the potential issues that can happen, like burglaries or fires but addressing them and having plans helps you not to worry about them as much.
If you want to know more about any of these tips, or are looking to buy or sell your home in the Aubrey, TX area let me know here!
