Every year I look forward to Thanksgiving and Mother’s day. Twice a year my family comes to our house to celebrate Mother’s day and Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is my favorite because my family and friends fill the rooms of our small house. The dinner table becomes exceptionally large as we bring in more tables and chairs to accommodate absolutely everyone including kids around the table. Holiday ornaments begin to decorate the house, making it festive and jovial. But as families gather to enjoy the holidays, risks around the home increase as well.
Every year we hear about more fires, injuries and accidents than any other time of the year. Whether you rent or own your home, here are some tips to keep your home and family safe during the holidays.
- Ensure that your free standing oven is equipped with an anti-tip bracket. This is a small part that secures the stove to the wall. Often people open the oven door and pull out the turkey setting it on the open door to check whether it is cooked not realizing the weight of the turkey and the pot it sits in can tip the stove over.
- Never put water on a grease fire. Have a fire extinguisher ready in the kitchen. It is better to have ruined food than to spread the fire all over the kitchen.
- If you are using a turkey fryer to prepare the bird, make sure it is thawed and dried as you insert it in oil. Again water and oil don’t mix well.
- Know where to drill when using power tools to put up holiday decorations especially if you don’t own the home. You never know what wires and pipes are in the walls. Always get your landlord’s permission in writing to do this. This is especially true if you are hanging lights outside the home.
- Don’t put your Christmas tree too close to the fireplace. Trees dry out much faster especially if they don’t get watered and can go up in flames.
- Consider replacing all of your lights if they are old and have a few burnt out light bulbs. Don’t just replace a light bulb assuming that is the only problem. There could be a short in the wire that can cause a fire.
- Don’t over load the circuit by plugging multiple lines together.
- Make sure all of your doors and windows are locked when going to bed or leaving the house. Burglaries tend to increase because criminals know you have gifts and valuables in your home.
From our New Bridge Management families to yours, we wish you a happy healthy safe holiday season and look forward to managing your real estate portfolio in the coming year. For more information and other helpful tips, please contact us at New Bridge Management.
