The holiday season is already filled with lots of stress. Whether it is gathering and buying gifts, ordering holiday cards, or getting your home ready for family and friends to visit, adding anything to your to do list can seem overwhelming. However, a terrible unplanned event such as frozen water pipes, a burglary or a kitchen or electrical fire can be expensive and can ruin even the most carefully planned occasions during the holidays. There are some basic precautions that we can take to not only protect our house, but even more importantly – our love ones.
Check all your holiday lights and extension cords carefully: Decorative lights are the cause of many Christmas free fires. Always inspect your lights and cords, especially old ones that have been packed away for a year or maybe more. Also, don’t overwhelm any outlets with too many plugs – buy extra power strips if you are not sure as it is always better safe than to come home to an electrical fire that could have easily been prevented.
Check your roof to prevent ice dams: Ice dams form during the winter when heat from your house rises up into the attic area while the outer edges remain cold. If you have snow on the roof the rising heat melts the snow which drips and then refreezes. If you like you can read more basic tips for preventing ice dams.
Take steps for avoid frozen pipes: When our temperatures drop, water left in pipes can freeze and eventually burst, causing a lot of damage that can be very messy as well as costly. Be sure to winterize your home by draining outside pipes, pool lines and sprinkler hoses. Unheated outside buildings such as tool sheds should also have proper insulation on all water pipes. You can read more helpful information about frozen pipes.
Don’t put those beautiful wrapped gifts in highly exposed areas: Nothing is more helpful for an opportunist thief than to advertise your beautiful large wrapped packages. Keep gifts away from windows and away from doorways where they can easily be noticed.
Don’t toss large gift boxes on the side of you recycling bin (This is probably one of the best tips you will read): After all the gifts have been opened, take the extra time and be sure to destroy or break-down any large boxes from electronics, especially large ones like from a new flat screen tv and dispose of them inside of your garbage can. Nothing is easier for a potential burglar than to drive around your neighborhood simply to spot recycle bins with a large sign announcing that you just got a “brand new 60 inch television, so come one in.”
Some of these tips may take you a little extra time, however the payoff is immeasurable compared to the aggravation and money you may save yourself during this holiday season.