7 must haves to protect your newly bought home
New homeowners are often overwhelmed in the process of securing their home that they forget a very important aspect of homeownership: home maintenance and security. Much like taking measures to protect their homes with the likes of security systems, homeowners also need to perform regular maintenance and household chores to keep their families protected from potential emergencies. With repairs a replacement in the initial first year of owning their home, homeowners will be able to make sure their properties are properly protected.
Home Maintenance and Protection Tips
As many first-time homeowners are ew to the responsibility of owning a home brings, they tend to forget important elements in securing one’s home. Read on for key tips every homeowner needs to protect their property.
1. Attentive Neighbors
When moving into a new neighborhood, homeowners should get to know their surrounding neighbors. These families will be the eyes and ears that look out for one another. This is especially important when it comes to protecting their properties.
Neighbors are able to keep an eye out for any unsavory activity whenever they’re home and vice versa. The better homeowners get to know their neighbors, the more effective they’ll be in pinpointing something out of the ordinary. For example, attentive neighbors will notice a strange car outside a neighbor’s home or someone lurking around the property and notify the homeowners immediately.
2. Upgraded Door Locks
Moving into a new home doesn’t guarantee that the locks are new. Homeowners need to make a point of replacing their locks after moving in. Even though the home is new to them, there are likely several copies of the house key floating around.
In addition to replacing these locks, new homeowners often are inspired to upgrade their lock technology altogether. By investing in advanced technology like no-key locks, homeowners are able to subdue would-be criminals even further.
3. New Window Locks
Many homeowners have a lackadaisical attitude toward their windows, but this can be problematic. In situations of a home invasion, many robbers make their way in through an unlatched window or door. Instead of conveniently forgetting to latch their windows, homeowners should make it a habit to ensure their windows are always locked properly and securely after closing them.
4. A New Roof
Roof inspections should be included in a new homeowner’s checklist when purchasing their property. This preventative measure will help homeowners protect their assets from potential emergencies in the future. To avoid a roofing emergency, homeowners should watch out for broken or missing shingles, cracked caulk, and similar issues that indicate that the roof is in trouble.
Before repairing items like the roof, be sure to check what is covered under home warranty. In most cases, the home warranty will cover the replacement or repair of items like the roof, though homeowners must act within the first year of owning their home.
5. A Security System
Home security systems are another effective way to protect a new home from criminal activity. While security systems can range from the use of motion detectors and security stickers to live camera feeds and an alarm that runs through the entire home, investing in a quality system will help homeowners protect their newly acquired asset.
6. A Proper Electrical System
New homes have a way of springing surprises on their owners. As such, these surprises can lead to compromising situations that can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage. One such potential hazard involves the electrical system.
Whether the circuit breaker is tripping often or the light switches aren’t working properly, failing to take proper care of the electrical system will result in serious issues. Homeowners should schedule regular inspections of their electrical system to make sure everything is in working order, reducing the likelihood of future issues.
7. Install Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors
While new homes should have carbon dioxide and smoke detectors already installed, homeowners must make sure these detectors are working properly. Both detectors help to alert homeowners to the presence of carbon monoxide gas or smoke. In both situations, these detectors can be the difference between life, death, or serious property damage.
Homeowners should be sure to place CO detectors with fresh batteries inside each bedroom. When installing their fire detectors, homeowners need to ensure they are placed throughout the house and in every room. Additionally, they should be kept some distance away from the ceiling, fan, and air conditioning vents to ensure they are as effective as possible.
Hone security includes everything from preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of criminal activity to make one’s house less susceptible to the likes of structural emergencies. With this guide in mind, new homeowners will be able to account for every aspect of home security to keep their properties protected.
