3 Dos and Don'ts of Home Safety

When day-to-day life gets hectic, it’s easy to forget some of the simplest yet most important guidelines for maintaining home safety. You may be engaging in several risky behaviors without even realizing. Keep reading to learn more about three basic dos and don’ts of home safety. They take almost no time or extra effort to implement, but go a long way in helping keep you and your home safe.

Of course, it’s impossible to predict every incident that could occur over the course of owning a home. That’s where quality insurance coverage comes in. CoverHound is here to take the burden out of comparing homeowners insurance rates. When you find a policy with the right coverage level and price point for your needs, you can sleep a little more soundly at night knowing that you’re not alone if the unexpected occurs. ‍

Smoke Detectors: Do Replace Batteries, Do Not Disable‍

Have you been cursing the annoying beep that goes off every few minutes lately? It’s all too easy to give into frustration and simply take the batteries out of your smoke detector. Even if you intend to replace them when you get a spare minute, it’s worthwhile to take the extra time and to do so immediately.

Replace the batteries in every smoke detector in your house twice per year, or when the batteries get low. Make sure you test them periodically, especially after replacement. It may not seem like much, but they could save your life. Here’s how to do it, in detail.‍

Front and Back Doors: Do Lock Them, Do Not Assume‍

You’re halfway down the street when you realize you may have forgotten to lock the front door behind you. Oh well, you think. I’m just running to the store for some groceries anyway. I’ll be gone half an hour. Or maybe you’re upstairs and figure the front and back doors are fine unlocked. Chances are, nothing will come of it. But with something as important as your security, is it worth it to take a chance that nobody will try to enter your home?

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting Program estimated based on data from 2014 that a burglary happens approximately every 18 seconds. Your possessions are important to you, as is your peace of mind. Keeping the doors locked is a huge part of avoiding becoming an easy target for home invasion.‍

Vacation Etiquette: Do Make Your House Look Occupied, Do Not Publicize Your Absence‍

Whether you’re off soaking up the rays in a sunny locale, hitting the powdery slopes or visiting your relatives, your house could be an easy target. MSN has a few tips to make it look like you are home when you aren’t. Arrange to have a trusted neighbor or friend pick up your mail. Consider installing smart lights that operate on a schedule and motion-sensing lights to ward of unwanted visitors. One behavior you want to avoid is posting about your absence on social media ahead of your trip. Since you can’t control exactly who may come across your posts, you don’t want to tip off any strangers that you’ll be far away.

Engaging in proactive behaviors like this “to-do” list can help stave off home safety issues in the future. As a backup, investigate homeowners insurance rates through CoverHound and make sure your plan has you covered.