There’s nothing more exciting than moving to Florida, and entering your new home. Once you’ve finally unloaded the last box, you’re suddenly free to explore an entirely new world. You’ve got new neighbors to meet and greet. And then you go out looking for local amenities or start memorizing the public transport system. But before you go out strolling and start doing the fun stuff, there are still a few things to do around the house as well. And there’s one more important than others – making sure your new home is completely secure. If you don’t have experience with this, don’t worry – we’ve got some great home safety tips for you right here!
Let professionals check out the place
While we don’t doubt you understand the importance of safety, sometimes it’s best to leave this to professionals. So, before you move into your new place, we definitely recommend hiring someone to take a look first. Trust us – there may be some safety issues that you won’t think of by yourself in a million years. And it’s certainly better to be safe than sorry! This is as important as hiring a trustworthy moving company was during your relocation. Besides, hiring safety professionals to analyze the house may reveal:
- Hazardous materials: Among our home safety tips, you won’t find many more important than this one. Because a construction professional could find that your new apartment or house contains materials that are harmful to your health. Or even worse, they may be in the very construction of the place itself, which means it may be permanently unsafe. Or, at least, it’ll take some time and money to fix it up.
- Ventilation issues: It’s extremely important that your home is well-ventilated. In the contrary, you may be risking significant health problems. So definitely hire someone to check out the ventilation system and determine if it needs some work.
- Carbon monoxide – If you have any appliances that run on gas, you definitely want to install a carbon monoxide detector. We don’t even have to explain how much of a safety issue a gas leak can be – and it’s something you can easily avoid if you think about it in advance.
Find the right home security system
In this day and age, having a home security system is almost a must. Even if you’re moving to Miami to live in the safest neighborhood imaginable, you’d still be better off installing one. In fact, all relevant statistics point out that this is true. On average, homes with additional security systems have 60% less chance of being broken into. This is why buying a home security system is one of the most valuable home safety tips we can give you.
Now, all that remains is choosing one. There are all kinds of systems out there, for all price ranges. However, we recommend not saving money on this, if you can afford it. Really, if you ask us – you can’t put a price on safety. That’s why we recommend buying security cameras from reliable manufacturers, instead of finding cheaper alternatives. Also, you may want to hire a security company to install these for you – although you can probably do this by yourself as well, if you’re tech-savvy.
Hire a locksmith
Here’s one of our home safety tips that people generally put off and ignore, to their detriment: changing their locks. It’s a simple thing to do, really, and one of the cheapest home security measures you can enact. While some people may claim there’s no need for this, think about it. No matter how well you’ve researched this piece of property that you’ve bought, you can’t know everything about it. And one of the things you don’t know is: who are all the people who have the keys?
It’s not just the previous owners we’re talking about – that’s easy enough to check. But if the property was previously rented out, there’s an entire slew of people who may have a set of keys. That’s why we recommend being on the safe side, and hiring a locksmith. It’s not expensive at all, it will probably be done in a day – and then you’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief. So don’t take your chances on this.
Home safety tips: Work on the lighting
When you move into a new home, you definitely want to make it as safe against burglars as it can be. And if they estimate property value is high in an area, burglars will be drawn there like bees to honey. So if you’ve installed a home security system and changed the locks – what else can you do? For one, we recommend assessing how well lit your new place is. And we don’t mean in an atmospheric sense either – it’s also one of the all-time great home safety tips. Why?
Well, it turns out that most burglars completely avoid well-lit houses. It’s only logical, really – psychologically, criminals prefer working in the shadows, where they can’t be seen or recognized. So it may not be a bad idea to invest some money into great outdoor and indoor lighting. Not only will your house constantly have good visibility, but you’ll also greatly reduce the chances of someone breaking in.
Make sure the doors and windows are secure
Finally, there’s one last thing most people forget. Once you’re done following our other home safety tips – check out the windows and the doors. Think about it – these are the most logical entry points into your home. After all, no criminal will actually tear down walls. No, if they’re coming, they’ll be breaking down the doors, or shattering windows. So make sure these are secure and undamaged – you don’t want to make the burglars’ job any easier, right? And don’t worry – this is one of the last things you’ll need to do in order to adjust after moving home.
