Keep Your Most Valuable Investment Safe, Secure, and Beautiful
For most of us, our homes are the most valuable investment we have. There are not many more expenses in life as costly as a mortgage, and – besides, perhaps, financial investing – there are few things we can eventually sell that will provide such a significant return. Therefore, it’s very important to find ways to keep our homes in the best shape possible.
We do this for reasons other than impressing a potential buyer, of course. We take good care of our houses because this allows us to enjoy the space we’ve chosen to call home. When we take care of this space, we’re also ensuring a more stress-free lifestyle, as there’s typically nothing worse than having to deal with expensive and disruptive home repairs.
It’s also important we take care of our houses to keep ourselves safe. There’s a reason why the expression “at least you have a roof over your head” exists, as shelter is a basic necessity to protect ourselves – and to thrive. Here are three ways to protect your home for safety and enjoyment, and so you can maintain your investment.
Watch Your Trees
Keeping an eye on your trees is an important part of taking care of your home. Large tree branches that loom over your roof can crash down during a storm. Further, tree branches can act as a bridge for critters who may be thinking of moving from their hollow to your home. Leaves on these trees can also introduce more moisture to your siding and roof, which – over time – can cause water damage.
It is important to keep trees as far from your home as possible, too, so that an entire tree doesn’t come crashing down during a storm. Consider trimming back branches, and keeping an eye on trees that are too close for comfort. If a tree that’s too close to the home begins to get sick, it’s an especially good time to get it removed – as you then won’t have to worry about hurting a thriving organism. Trees are meant to be enjoyed for their majesty and beauty, and you want to ensure that you can enjoy the natural world around your home without it causing too much of a threat to your house.
Keep an Eye on Your Foundation
Your foundation is literally the base upon which the rest of your house stands. Typically made from concrete and iron beams, your foundation is the underground stability for your house – but it can also be a source of woes. Just ask any foundation repair expert in your area, and they’ll tell you the stories. Water can erode your walls – as can shifting soil.
When this happens, cracks appear in your foundation walls, and your house begins to shift on its base. Soon, you notice more water in your basement, as well as sticking doors and windows upstairs, and even cracks around your door frames. Keep an eye on this, or call a foundation repair business when you have questions, or you’re not sure what’s normal and what’s not. If foundation issues are not addressed, you could end up in a situation where your foundation begins to fail, which can be costly, damaging, and even dangerous.
Come Up with a Fire Plan
Every home should have a fire plan, but many homes don’t even have smoke detectors or fire extinguishers. Unfortunately, in the majority of home fires, the residents will say they didn’t have a smoke alarm installed. Each house should have multiple smoke detectors – one outside of the sleeping areas, and another on each floor of the home, including the basement.
It’s also important to practice finding at least two exits for any room in the house, as well as holding regular drills about what the household members will do in the case of a fire. With this kind of plan in place, you’ll not only be able to protect yourself and your family, but you’ll be responsive to your home if it catches fire, and the situation can be remediated quickly by firefighters.
Staying Mindful of These Basics – and More – to Keep Your Home Safe
If you are mindful about your landscaping, your house’s bones (such as your roof and foundation) as well as common sense safety, your home will be in great shape. You also want to have regular services performed, such as HVAC maintenance, plumbing and electrical check-ups.
A good rule of thumb is this: if it’s expensive, it’s worth paying close attention to. This will cover the most important aspects of your home, and keep you safe, so you can deeply enjoy your space and ultimately hand it off to the right buyer at the time that’s right for you.
