The last thing you want to worry about when you put your home up for sale is whether some thief is going to rip you off while you’re showing your home.
Although protecting your home and your valuables is something that you have to consider when you list your home for sale, there are some common-sense steps you can take to keep from being burglarized when you put it on the market.
Not too long ago, the only option you had for a home security system was one that was hard-wired to your telephone line. This means your alarm system would use the phone line to send out burglary, carbon monoxide and fire signals to your security company — but what do you do if something happens to your phone line?
A phone line can be easily disabled by heavy winds, flooding, winter storms or an earthquake — not to mention by a burglar cutting the outside line that goes into your home. A break-in could occur through the front door or a window and the alarm will sound, however neither your security company nor law enforcement will get the signal.
That’s why it’s critical for you to have backup alarm communications between you and your security company to protect your family as well as your property. Multiple communication channels will give you peace of mind that your security system will be up and running and able to send an alarm signal when you need help.
Your kitchen is likely much more than a place to have meals; it can be the best place to study, to sit and talk with family members or friends and to plan futures. It’s a place to make you feel safe and secure.
Maybe all that’s changed today — although we’d like to think not — but one thing hasn’t changed; if you’re not careful, the heart of your home can become a dangerous place for children.
One of the most important aspects of kitchen safety for both children and adults is the inclusion of carbon monoxide monitoring within your home alarm system. With recent heat and electricity outages in Brockton, Mass., one family tried to use their gas stove for warmth. This led to the hospitalization of three adults and two children, according to enterprisenews.com. Although all are expected to make a full recovery — a functional carbon monoxide alarm would have alerted these individuals of the danger before falling ill.
You’ve probably heard the stories about people who have fallen asleep with a lit cigarette in their hand and woken up to a house on fire — or who have been pulled out of the charred remains of their home by a fire crew. Those aren’t tall tales: each year, the U.S. Fire Administration documents close to 1,000 cases of individuals killed in home fires started by cigarettes.
Recently, a Westfield, Massachusetts woman was killed by cigarette smoking near a home oxygen system. The fire not only took her life, but caused significant damage to the downtown apartment complex. While smoking should NEVER take place near highly flammable materials such as oxygen systems, fires often still occur in homes without obvious risks.
Aside from quitting smoking, there are a few ways you can try to reduce the chances that you will ever have to deal with a home fire caused by a lit cigarette. Read more →
If you think your car is safe parked in your own driveway – think again.
Recently, a man in Waltham, Massachusetts was arrested for allegedly trying to steal another car and its contents, according to the Waltham Patch.
Police arrested the man after they caught him fiddling around under the dashboard of a car while it was parked in the driveway of a home — and this car was allegedly not his only target. Waltham Police Sgt. Joseph Guigno credits “good old fashioned police work” in apprehending this man — but what steps could have been taken to catch this criminal sooner?
Read more →
Cooking is one of the more dangerous activities that we regularly take part in inside our homes without ever really thinking about it from a risk perspective. Objectively, it seems obvious: anytime you deal with an open flame, or a hot surface, you are creating a situation where a fire or serious burns could occur.
Even if you think you’re careful in the kitchen, young children in your house often aren’t quite as safety-minded as you are when it comes to interacting with the various appliances and utensils used in the modern home.
Fortunately, it’s easy to stay safe while cooking. Let’s look at a few tips that can prevent injury while making dinner: Read more →
Spring vacation is just around the corner, and keeping your home safe and secure is a full-time job no matter how far away your travels might take you. Just because you are on vacation doesn’t mean that local thieves and burglars have also decided to take some time off — in fact, a significant number of houses are targeted because their owners are out of the area and they have been marked as an easy score.
Don’t worry — there are a number of ways you can make your home a less appealing choice for burglars even when you can’t be around. Let’s take a look at a few easy ways to keep thieves from ruining your relaxed state of mind after you’ve come home from vacation.
Below we outline our top 3 tips to keep your home safe while on vacation:
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” – Leo Tolstoy, “Anna Karenina”
Since spring is just around the corner, many people are planning to build new homes or renovate their current homes – projects that involve a lot of time, not to mention money, and maybe even a few tears.
However, “a home under construction or renovation is more vulnerable to damage or destruction than at any other time in a home’s history,” according to the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. “Improperly stored work rags may combust, newly installed plumbing can leak, and intruders might vandalize your vacant home” and that’s just for starters. Read more →
This winter it seems that Mother Nature is one unhappy mama, to paraphrase Sudbury, Mass. real estate agent Gabrielle Daniels.
With snowstorms on top of blizzards followed by days when the mercury hits spring-like temps, it’s no wonder she’s a bit cranky. Not to mention it’s only February.
Because we understand just how frustrating – albeit beautiful – winter in New England can be, we’d like to share some tips from Daniels and others to help you keep your home and your family cozy and warm, not to mention safe, from Mother Nature’s mood swings. Read more →
Now that we’re right in the middle of the winter heating season, you have to be sure you’re heating your home or business with safety in mind.
Each year the Massachusetts Office of Public Safety has a Keep Warm, Keep Safe This Winter campaign to remind people about the dangers of winter heating.
It’s no wonder the office considers this campaign a yearly necessity since heating has been the source of over 14,000 fires the last five years and it’s the number two reason for Massachusetts home fires, according to Mass.gov. Read more →
