Safety Tips New Homeowners Need to Know
While you’re moving to a new home, the last thing on your mind is how to protect this new property. You may, instead, be concerned with furniture placement or how to fill out your new closet. However, new homeowners have a unique risk when they enter their first property.
Change the locks. You don’t know who was given a spare key by the previous owner, and it’s best not to chance it. As soon as you have the keys in hand, call a locksmith to change the locks. You may even decide to add new safety features such as a surveillance cameras and outdoor lighting at the same time, too.
Meet the neighbors. Your neighbors can be a helpful first line of defense against home incidents. They know the area and can keep an eye on your home. When you have a moment, go around and introduce yourself to your neighbors to form good relationships.
Get to know the systems. In an emergency, do you know how to shut off your water, gas or electricity? Get to know the property so that you can respond quickly. Familiarize yourself with each system as soon as possible.
Replace the filters. The previous owner may not have changed the filters in a while if they knew they were moving soon. Go around now and change the furnace and air-conditioning filters, making sure that the ducts are clear of any dust.
Test smoke alarms. Test all the smoke detectors in your new home, refreshing the batteries if need be. If there is a carbon monoxide alarm, test that, too. If there isn’t, consider installing one.
Your new home needs the right insurance to protect it from accidents and disasters. Contact All Nevada Insurance to get started on your reliable homeowners insurance policy today.