Once you finally move into your new home from being a
renter for a while, there's plenty to consider.
If you had renter's insurance in your rental, you most likely
transferred your policy to your new home. Now that you're in your new digs, you
probably bought some new furniture for the rooms along with decorative
items. Naturally, your homeowner's
insurance will increase with more space and more valuables. Additionally, you should become familiar with
the potential risks of fire and learning how to protect yourself, your family
and your property.
Nationally each year, residential fires result in an
average of $7 billion in property damage based on reports by the American Red
Cross. In California, wildfires are the norm in the summer and dry months. In September of 2015, more than 1,000 homes
burned from two
large wildfires in Northern California. Wildfire or not, the following are a few
safety measures to lessen the risk of fire in your home.
A vital part of reducing the risk of fire is
prevention. Have fire extinguishers and smoke detectors all through your
residence, especially in the kitchen. If you have a two or three-story home,
have a fire extinguisher on all floors. Each of these items only need standard
servicing in order to work right. For smoke detectors, just replace the
batteries two times each year, and monitor the date of expiration on your
extinguishers so they can be swapped out too.
With many historical homes built in the early to
mid-1900s, it's crucial for homeowners to make sure the existing electrical
wiring is safe, because poor wiring is among the top causes of home fires. Some
of the indicators of defective circuits are walls that are hot if you touch
them or breakers that regularly go off. Look out for flickering lights or
sparking, electrical outlets that are charred. During escrow on the home you
bought, hopefully, you did a home inspection and the wiring is not an issue per
the report. You don't want to move into
a home that has prominent signs of malfunctioning or old wiring.
