From the children all the way up to us adults, we pretty much have one thing on our minds during the holiday season – having fun! However, taking just a little time to think about safety around the home can go a long way in preventing a whole host of unwanted circumstances. Here are our “Holiday Home Safety Tips” that will hopefully put you at ease during this time of year.

Weather

Shoveling snow

If you live in New England then you know that one day, it can be 60 degrees out and the next day you can have snow on the ground. You wake up, look out the window and it’s off to start the snow blower. Weather can cause many safety concerns. First, you need to make sure that all walkways are clear from snow and ice. By doing so, you keep your family, visitors and others such as the mailman safe. Use sand or other products to melt the ice on walkways and keep any exhaust systems such as those for your furnace free and clear of snow.

Ice Dams

Icicles hanging off gutter

Speaking of weather, ice dams cause millions of dollars in damage to homes every year. And Humboldt Storage and Moving has been called on many occasions to help homeowners in emergencies such as removing and storing household items after ice dams. Why do we bring this up? Because ice dams can ruin your holiday gatherings and cause substantial safety issues in your home. We have seen entire kitchens destroyed because of ice dams. The best way to prevent ice dams is having proper insulation. But if you can’t afford that, having a professional such as a licensed roofer remove icicles when they get too large, can go a long way in preventing damages to the interior of your home.

Home Safety

Santa going down chimney

Many of us travel during the holidays, leaving our homes for days to see family and friends. If you are traveling, we have some advice. First, don’t publicize to the world on social media that your home is empty for days on end. And especially, don’t have a “countdown” to when you will be leaving on vacation. That only tells the world the exact time your house will be empty. If you have an alarm system, use it. And if you have neighbors you can trust, let the know you’ll be away. Leave a few lights on and even place them on a timer.

Your Life on Display

Presents around Christmas tree

We all love those piles of gifts but make sure they are out of sight as best as you can. Leaving your windows open at all hours of the day with a clear view of all your gifts will only attract those trying to enter your home. Either keep the gifts in another area of your home or makes sure you close curtains while you are at work during the day.

There are so many topics about holiday home safety that we could cover and we’ve only scratched the surface here. We want to know what you think. Do you have any great tips? Email them to info@humboldt.com . And have a safe and relaxing holiday season!

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