As a homeowner, you have a lot of responsibilities. Once the home is yours, there’s no one else  but you who is in charge of noticing and addressing repairs and other issues. It’s up to you to keep your house in good shape and make sure it’s safe for the people who live there and anyone else who will be moving through it. Here are some helpful tips and strategies for staying on top of your home maintenance and safety needs.

Fire Safety & Disaster Prep

The key to safety for you, your family and any guests in the event of a fire or some other disaster is preparation. You should have smoke detectors in every room, and preferably some carbon monoxide detectors as well. Test these every month and change the batteries twice a year to make sure they’ll be working when they’re needed. Make a plan as a family for how to respond to fires and other disasters. Plan your routes to escape from the house and meet up for fires, and decide where everyone in the family should stay in the house if there’s a hurricane or other strong storm.

Structural Maintenance

There are a lot of regular home maintenance concerns that, if left unaddressed, can become serious safety issues. Water damage from leaks or weather, termite damage, or other pest concerns can cause slow but serious damage to your home. Weakened fixtures on the stairs or damage to floors or ceilings can lead to serious accidents. “While most of this type of home damage starts small and is easy to address, it can get serious quick.” says Edward D. Friedman, attorney at Friedman Simon. “Any unexpected accident or fall because of a weakened structure is going to be your responsibility.” 

Security Awareness

Keeping your home secure from outside intruders is also easy and simple, but it requires vigilance and care. Motion sensors or an alarm system are good ways to deter criminals and ensure that you get advance warning if someone does decide to try to break in. Make sure your locks on doors and windows are in good condition, and make sure you’re thorough about preparing to go on vacation. Have someone else collect your mail and try not to leave valuables out where they are visible from outside the house. Store firearms in a safe but accessible place and keep them unloaded. Gun safety in the family is more important than having the gun ready to fire in an emergency. 

Outside Concerns

Safety outside the house but in your yard is also important and sometimes more challenging to stay in control of. Do regular checks of the garage, the roof, and your house exterior to catch any repair concerns there before they escalate. Keep the yard cleaned and avoid standing water or other conditions that attract or shelter pests or dangerous animals. If you have a pool or some other kind of water structure, that should be one of your priorities for maintenance and safety precautions. Keep the pool covered when not in use and consider putting a fence around it, especially if you have small children.