Household disasters – in the form of infestation, fire, flooding or other damage – can be completely crippling for homeowners and families across the land. While some damage, such as that sustained in hurricanes, is unavoidable, there are myriad ways in which to prepare for the worst so that you’re not left virtually homeless and with a huge amount of money required to reequip your home. This article takes you through some of these cautionary measures, providing tips for property owners who appreciate the peace of mind that comes from making adequate partitions for household catastrophes.
Insurance
The first and foremost tip is to get household insurance, which may be an expensive addition to your monthly budget but it’s an absolute godsend for those rare people who do experience some catastrophic damage to their home. Experiencing damage to your home is traumatic in itself and is something that is compounded many times over when the financial implications are considered without adequate insurance. In this sense, household insurance can make all the difference between an inconvenience and a disaster.
There are various tiers to the packages offered by insurance providers, so be clear when you purchase your insurance of what exactly you’re buying into – for instance some cheaper packages won’t include household items lost through theft. A comprehensive deal will be the most expensive while also granting the deepest peace of mind. You’ll be able to shop around on comparison websites for the perfect level of insurance to help you feel comfortable in your home.
Regular Checks
Damage sustained inside a home is often a case of failing utilities in an older home, and as such it’s smart to make frequent checks of piping that may be on the point of rupturing, or electrical wiring that may be fraying or aged to the point of risking household fires. Inspect all the wires and pipes in your home for damage or signs of disrepair; if you spot anything that looks a little suspect, take a look online at whether it’s something to be worried about and, if you are concerned, call in a tradesman who’ll be able to replace parts with ease.
Even if you don’t live in a home that’s installed with antiquated systems, you may still have cause to check certain areas of your home, the principal being the water pipes that link to rattling utilities such as washing machines that can sometimes dislodge from their connections, spilling water out into your home. Elsewhere, overloaded plug sockets are another source of fire hazard; you may have had multiple plugs in use from a socket for some time, convincing you that your electrical system can handle the load, but nevertheless, you should swap out some plugs to avoid short-circuiting issues.
When the Home is Vacant
For certain periods of our lives, for instance during vacations, we leave our homes vacant for some time. There are enough horror stories out there that tell of unfortunate families who’ve returned from a period away to find their home gutted by fire, partially flooded, or robbed due to thieves monitoring the fact that no one seems to be in. You can prevent against all of these grim eventualities by taking sensible steps to fortify your home against intruders and internal damage, ensuring that when you lock up you’re leaving a home vacant but as safe as it can be.
The safest way to go about this is to turn off all electrical appliances in the home. Your fridge and freezer, remember, should be empty to avoid rotting food being your welcome home present following some time away, and by ensuring that the gas supply to your home is off, or else triple-checking that there is no gas seeping out through your oven or hobs. Install a prominent and effective burglar alarm system to deter any potential thieves from breaking and entering, and close all faucets leading through your home.
Financial Back-ups
While this article has thus far dealt with the more serious types of household disasters, there are a number of less disastrous issues that nonetheless can cause a good deal of disruption to one’s life, not least in picking up the financial pieces when renovation is required. A partial flood of a home, for instance, may not look devastating on the surface but may require a level of rebuilding work that for a month or two displaces you from your home: in this case, you’ll want to have the financial flexibility to pay for alternative living spaces while your house undergoes the requisite maintenance.
For individuals or families with savings, the financial worries following a major household issue may be lessened, but if you don’t have such funds to dip into in worst-case scenarios, know that there are websites and micro-banks that help with short-term loans to get you out of a sticky situation and back into your repaired home as soon as possible. This useful site, for instance, offers short-term loans on a flexible, sliding-scale basis to make your short-term cash-flow problems disappear. Being aware of services such as this should be of service if you find yourself strapped for cash and in an unenviable situation concerning your home.
Avoiding Common Causes
By simply being aware of the common causes of household ruin, you’ll be far better placed to eliminate any risks that you may put your house under in your day-to-day life. The majority of household fires, unfortunately, are kindled through entirely unavoidable errors of judgment.
Cigarettes in bed, candles next to flammable curtains, and hobs left on the boil while you pop out to chat to a neighbor are all the sort of potentially innocuous risks that you might not lend a second thought to ordinarily, though in actual fact they pose a real danger to you and your home. Think smart and never be blasé when it comes to these small risks that can quickly become extremely large problems.
Households occasionally suffer from disaster, but it’s those home-owners that are prepared before and after such situations that experience the least amount of emotional and financial stress in the process. Arm yourself with these tips so that you are prepared for any unthinkable worst-case scenarios.
