Safety checklist: How to secure your new home

When it’s finally time to move into your new home, your ‘to do’ list can seem endless! The stress of moving is sometimes enough to leave you pulling out your hair from packing to paperwork. We know that this time can be overwhelming so we we’ve put together a few tips to help secure the safety of your new home when it’s time to move in.

The front door. Make sure your door is an exterior door built for insulation and safety. Many times people don’t think to look at the quality of their front door. It seems like it’d be a no brainer but oftentimes past owners will put an interior door up for looks. Interior doors do not protect against forced entry as well as exterior doors and they don’t have insulation, which can up your energy bills in a hurry.

Door Locks. You should change all of the locks on your house before you move in. You never know how many previous owners had copies of the keys not to mention, relatives, neighbors, and other strangers that could have been given copies as well.

Fire Alarms and Extinguishers. Make sure the fire alarms are properly installed, working, and cleaned. Three in five home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that stopped working. You should also have at least one fire extinguisher for every level of your home.

Carbon Monoxide Detector. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a scary topic. Carbon monoxide is a odorless gas with no taste. An average of 430 deaths occur each year in the United States due to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.

Dryer Vent. Lint is highly flammable which makes it easy for your dryer to spark a flame. Make sure that you check not only the little vent inside your dryer, but also the big vent from your laundry room to outside.

Escape Route. There should be two ways to exit every room. If there’s only one door, find a window. Lay out a plan for every person in the house, just in case you end up needing those newly installed fire alarms.

Windows. Window screens should only be able to be taken off from the interior of the home. Double check to make sure the screen wasn’t installed backwards. However, a screen won’t stop a thief. Make sure that there are new and updated latches on every window.