Home Safety Made Easy

Our homes are our castles and just like any other castle in the world, making it safe is a top priority. Once we start considering safety measures, we often fall into a rabbit hole of despair and become overwhelmed at every possible worst-case scenario. Home safety is easy and can be completed over time so as not to exhaust our energy or our wallets. We are reviewing several safety options that you can choose to employ or wait until later.

Don’t be Alarmed by Alarm Systems

When it comes to home safety, alarm systems are the very first thing that comes to mind and the one thing we always think we cannot afford. The thing is, you can afford a good system if you look hard enough. Firstly, look for one that offers wireless service! Many of these systems require a cellular service but can also connect to your home wi-fi network and only use the cellular service if the power were to go out. Wireless is often more expensive than landline-based services, but with the growing popularity of wireless tech, landline services are becoming more obsolete. Secondly, review the company’s feedback regarding customer service. Reviews online should be taken with some grain of salt, but if you look at a whole picture that is presented you can usually tell that the company is doing their best work. Lastly, look for rental options rather than purchase. Sometimes you can save a lot on fees when you rent the system.

Have You Ever Considered Your Fire Extinguisher?

Homeowners sometimes don’t think about purchasing a fire extinguisher, unless their insurance company has inquired about it. Some homeowners have one and then forget about it. Here is the thing, you should have at least one fire extinguisher and perform routine maintenance on it to keep it in working order. How many fire extinguishers should you have? Well, that all depends on the size of your home. If you have a single floor ranch-style home, one should be enough. Multi-level homes should have one per level. However, many firefighting experts will tell you that homes do better when they have 2-3 extinguishers no matter the size of the home. Why? If you have a fire in your garage that is on the other end of the house from the kitchen (the most likely place to see an extinguisher), your chances of getting the fire under control diminish quickly. With more spread throughout the home, minimizing fire damage becomes much easier!

The Locks Are the Easiest to Consider

Many people don’t think about changing the locks on their home until there is a break-in. Guess what? That isn’t the time to think about it, as many locksmiths encourage changing your locks more often than that. When you first buy your home, you should have all the locks changed. You simply don’t know who has copies of the keys to your new home that the seller didn’t think to get back! If you lose your keys, or they are stolen, having a locksmith change your locks immediately to avoid any strangers being able to get in. Also, watch your locks over the years. Many locks start aging and after some time has passed, it can become a lot easier to pick the locks and break in. You want to look for obvious tarnishing or rusting to the locking mechanism and take that as your cue. The best thing to do is to find a great locksmith and develop a good relationship with them. They will do their best to help you protect your home.

All of these are just simple things you can do to keep your home safe and secure. They are also ways to help you save money on your insurance policy on the home. It never hurts to let your insurance agent be aware of changes you have made and ask if it will lower your rate!