Home Maintenance: Tips to Make Your Home Safe for You and Your Family

Every person's home is their castle. You might not have all the bells, whistles, and expensive trimmings of some other homes on the market, but chances are you take pride in where you live, and you want to ensure that it's in the best condition possible.

Home maintenance is every homeowner's obligation. The frequency at which you perform upkeep on your home has a direct reflection not only on you as a homeowner but also on your overall property value. 

Many times we don't fully realize the hazards that our home can hide. These minor disasters are like ticking time bombs, hidden from the naked eye, just waiting to cause as much damage as possible.  

With proper guidance, you'll be able to rid your home of any potential hazards and enjoy your home and its value for years into the future. 

Why a Hazard Free Home is Important

While it should be evident as to the many reasons why it's essential to keep a safe, healthy, and hazard-free home, many people don't fully understand the consequences of not properly maintaining a home. 

It's been reported that nearly 18,000 people lose their lives due to hazards present in their own homes each year in the United States. This also results in over 200 billion dollars in medical costs every year. 

Not only will you and your family live a happier and healthier life when your home is adequately maintained, but you'll also avoid costly repairs down the road and avoid any potential legal ramifications.  

Hazards in your home not only present a threat to you, but they also present a threat to any visitors or neighbors that you may have over at any given time. In addition, those who have suffered an injury on another person's property have considered filing premise liability lawsuits. These are filed due to the negligence of a property owner and can be costly. 

These occurrences offer additional reasons to ensure that your property is hazard-free.

Check Problem Areas

The first thing you're going to want to do is to perform a thorough survey of all areas of the home and its surrounding property. Anything that's on your land is considered your responsibility.  

You might also consider hiring a safety inspector to come and take a thorough look at your property, just in case you miss any potential hazards. Safety inspectors are trained to look for safety problems and uncover potentially dangerous areas before they manifest into a worse situation. Things to look for are as follows:

• Water Leaks
• Faulty Wiring
• Broken Paths, Pavers, or Walkways
• Loose Steps
• Loose Thresholds 
• Rotten Fencing
• Holes or Dips (in the yard)
• Loose or Missing Tiles
• Proper Drainage 

Though the above is just a shortlist to follow, ensuring that all of the above is fixed and secure will mitigate any accidents you or anyone is living in or visiting the home may encounter.

Hidden Dangers

Along with the visible problems that you might encounter as a homeowner, many less visible hazards can affect the safety and value of your home. 

Mold is one of the most silent and potentially dangerous hazards that many homeowners face. Unfortunately, this can be a common problem, especially if you live in an area near water or a humid, subtropical climate. Black mold can cause serious health problems and can overgrow in moist areas of the home and are left unchecked for it to grow. 

Insects also create another hazard. These tiny lifeforms spread disease, and the more bugs you have running through your walls and cabinets, the higher risk you run of becoming ill. 

And, we can't leave out termites. Aside from roaches and ants that might be thriving in your home, termites also create the biggest problem of all, as these critters are capable of ruining the structural integrity of your home.

Many of the dangers that you'll find present in your home are often easily fixed, and if you're able to locate the problems early enough, the cost for making repairs won't be as high as it would if you waited too long to fix the problem.

Treat your home like a member of the family. Care for it, check on it frequently, and you'll be proud to watch it mature in value.