Your home is much more than four walls and a roof over your head – It’s a safe haven for you and your loved ones, and an expensive one at that. For this reason, most people dread the mere thought of anything happening to their property. That being said, few homeowners take the necessary precautions to keep it safe. If you want to keep your house, belongings, and family protected, then here are six risks your home could face and what you can do to combat them.
- Water
Whether it’s coming from inside or outside your property, water has the power to cause unimaginable amounts of destruction. For this reason, you need to ensure you check your pipes and roof on a regular basis to ensure there aren’t any leaks. Keeping your home warm and insulating your pipes will also help to prevent them from freezing and bursting during the winter.
- Fire
House fires can spread quickly, damaging your home and risking the lives of your family and pets. To reduce this risk, you need to be sensible when it comes to sources of heat. This means never leaving cooking or candles unattended, keeping matches away from children, and switching off appliances when they’re not in use. You should also install a working smoke alarm.
- Burglary
Burglary is far from an uncommon crime, with thousands of houses being broken into every single year, leaving families traumatized and out of pocket. To reduce the likelihood of your home becoming a target, you should store valuables in a safe, like the ones from Barry Bros. You should also consider installing a burglar alarm and motion sensor lights outside your property.
- Squatters
Most people wouldn’t consider their homes to be a target for squatters, but, if you have a larger property, or leave your home unattended for long periods of time, then it could be a real possibility. The best way to combat this risk is ensuring that there is always somebody in your house. That, unfortunately, might mean you having to hire a full-time housesitter.
- Vandalism
Vandalism is an issue caused by burglars, squatters, and anyone else that has nothing better to do. While it may not destroy your home completely, it can cause expensive damage and be incredibly upsetting for your entire family. You should treat this issue the same as you would squatters and burglars, by installing cameras and other home security and hiring a housesitter.
Picture- Subsidence
Subsidence is an incredibly serious issue that occurs when the ground underneath your property lowers or collapses, damaging the foundations and putting a strain on your home’s structure, often causing cracks to appear. To prevent this problem, you should avoid planting trees or shrubs too close to your house and keep your guttering maintained to prevent any damaging leaks.
Your home has to face a number of serious risks and trying to combat them all can be a difficult and complicated process. That being said, the trouble you have to face now is minimal compared to what you’d have to deal with if your home were to be damaged. With that in mind, make sure you follow the advice above and keep your property safe.
*This is a contributed post
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