If you’re a homeowner with a beautiful backyard, you likely have some trees gracing your lawn. If your tree causes damage to your home, garage, or car, you’ll need to have it removed. However, there are also signs you might get from your trees that signal the need for a tree to be removed.

If your tree is causing a neighborly dispute, you may be able to keep the tree. Most tree removal services can quickly detect whether you need tree and limb removal. According to Take a Yard, if a tree is less than 20 feet away from your home, you will need to remove or substantially trim it. Most tree removal services will be aware of safe methods for removing large trees near a house.

According to Bob Vila, signs that a tree needs to be cut down include visible rotten areas. Tree rot results in a difference in texture and color. If your tree has stopped growing branches, or its branches are falling off, this is another sign it should be removed. Before your tree service begins its job, be sure they will be responsible for tree cleanup after the job is finished.

One of the most important things you can do as a homeowner, especially if you have a family, is to ensure that you are safe while you’re in your home. A home should be a safe space for everyone living there and if basic home safety tips haven’t been taken into consideration, it could be dangerous and unhealthy for everyone involved. Here are some of the most important basic home safety tips you should put into practice to make sure your home is as safe as it can be for both you and your family.

Windows And Doors

One of the simplest and most important ways to keep your home safe is to make sure both the window and doors are secure. Believe it or not, 34% of burglars walk right in the front door and 22% get in from the back door. If you haven’t taken the time to ensure that your doors have proper locks and security, then you’re making it that much easier for a burglar to enter your home. If your home has older doors, now may be the time to replace them with a sturdier, safer option. You should also have a deadbolt installed on your front door. If you have a sliding glass door for your back door, you can install a lock bar or even put a piece of wood in the groove to keep it from being able to open all the way.

While doors are the most common entry point for burglars, windows come in a close second. Older windows may have locks that are broken or don’t work as effectively as they should. As you are applying basic home safety tips to secure your home, you may want to consider new window installations. Look for windows that have strong locks, tougher glass that can hold up against an impact, or even an option that has window sensors built-in that link up with your security system.

As you are fixing or replacing your windows and doors, you will also want to consider which options will allow you the safest and quickest exit in case of fire or need to evacuate your home. While it’s important to have options that lock well to keep burglars out, you don’t want to get stuck inside. Find windows that open enough to allow you to crawl out. When your children get old enough, teach them how to unlock and open the windows and doors. Taking the time now to ensure that all safety aspects are considered will save you from a costly mishap in the future.

Fencing

After you have applied basic home safety tips to the access points of your home, it’s time to branch out to the property around your home. It’s generally a good idea to have a fence installed around the perimeter of your property, both to deter people from trespassing and to keep your children or pets away from the surrounding roads. If you already have a fence around your property, check it often to make sure it isn’t damaged and is still successfully serving its purpose. You may consider adding a gate that has better locking abilities to keep burglars off your property. If you’re adding a gate after the fence has already been made and installed, you may need to look into custom designs gates to make one that fits your preexisting fence.

A simple white picket fence may not be enough for some people depending on where they live. If you have children or pets and live near a busy road, you may need to install something more secure to keep them in and protected. If you have big tools or valuable items that are visible from the sidewalk around your house, you may consider installing privacy fencing to keep the view away from those who might want to steal your property.

Landscaping

While you’re working on securing the fencing around your property, you may also want to take a look at how the landscaping affects the safety of your home and family. If you have large trees and bushes around your property, take a look at how they could create a place for someone to hide from your view as they approach your home. Consider if a heavy windstorm could knock any trees or large branches onto your home, endangering you and your family while you’re inside. While you will likely want to keep trees and greenery for aesthetic reasons, don’t let it get to a point where they can pose a safety hazard for you and your family.

Security System

If you don’t already have an electronic security system installed in your home, now is the time. Having a security system is one of the most basic home safety tips you can apply. Unfortunately, the world is not becoming a safer place. Each day more and more homes and burgled, even while families are inside. Installing a security system can give you multiple things, including peace of mind that you’ll know when someone comes into your home, and an immediate connection with first responders in the event there is a burglary. There are quite a few different security systems out there, some that can hook up with your phone and allow you to look at and even talk with someone at your front door. As of 2020, there are about 45 million smart devices in homes across the U.S., and smart security systems make up quite a few of those 45 million. Do some research to figure out which option is right for your home and family.

One recommendation some homeowners have is to get a dog as an outside security system. You can even take your dog to a training class that will teach them basic commands and rules for home protection and safety. A burglar will be seriously deterred if a large dog is walking around the property of a home. Some homeowners have reported that they will put beware of dog signs on their fence even if they don’t have a dog. Most burglars aren’t going to risk the chance of finding out whether there really is a dog on the other side of the fence.

Exterior Lighting

Exterior lighting can have a big impact on your peace of mind and safety while you’re in your home. Another great item to add to your basic home safety tips list is installing exterior lighting, especially motion sensor lighting, around the outside of your home. Specifically, in areas where streetlights or light from windows may not reach, motion sensor lighting will deter burglars, even pesky raccoons from coming onto your property. The minute anyone or anything enters that area, you’ll be able to see it and the bright light will hopefully chase it away.

Take Privacy Seriously

Many people are unfortunate enough to have experienced someone breaking into their car and stealing their possessions. While there is no way to completely prevent a burglar from trying to rob you, there are some important tips you can put into place to cut down on the risk. The number one option is to take privacy seriously. Many burglars break into homes or cars because they can see the item they want to steal, whether it’s a large TV in your living room or a purse or wallet on the seat of your car. If you take the time to lock up and put away your valuable items, or even to simply close your curtains when you’re not home, you will be taking big steps towards protecting your possessions and your home.

Smoke And Carbon Monoxide

One of the most important basic home safety tips for the interior of your home is to ensure that you have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors. Many homeowners make the mistake of not replacing the batteries in these detectors often enough. Have you ever had a smoke detector that starts beeping and you simply remove the battery to make it stop but don’t replace it? You’re not alone, but this is also a huge safety risk. The best advice is to keep letting the beeping happen until you can replace the battery. If you move into a new home, make sure to check that there are smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors strategically placed around the home, and if not, look into carbon monoxide and smoke detector installations. It’s a simple process that every homeowner can easily, and should, do.

Inspections

Most of the items on this list of basic home safety tips involve your physical safety from outside threats, but there are quite a few tips you should apply to your home to ensure your health safety as well. The number one safety tip you need to practice when moving into a new home is having a professional inspector go through and check for any issues. This could include a mold of asbestos inspection, or checking to make sure you won’t have issues with the HVAC system or plumbing. Mold and asbestos are not something you can easily find unless you’re a trained professional, so without having a proper inspection before you move in, you could be exposing yourself and your family to these dangerous substances without knowing it. Don’t skimp on this important safety tip.

Pests

Another important safety tip that impacts your health safety is having an inspector check for pests before you move into a home and periodically during your time living there. Pests like rodents and bats carry dangerous diseases that can pass on to your family if they ever came in contact, diseases such as rabies that can be deadly for humans. Other pests, such as insects, can leave droppings that will also negatively affect the health of your family.

Some pests can also damage your home and put your family in physical danger as well. For example, termites, if left unchecked, can wreak serious damage to your home. They chew through wood making it much less stable and prone to collapsing. Once you have discovered the damage, you’ll also have to shell out large sums of money to have the areas fixed, which could also mean your family would have to move out during the repairs. It’s better to have an exterminator come check your home every so often for pests to prevent them or target them before they’ve caused too much damage.

Stairways And Ledges

If you have smaller children in your home, you know well the dangers that stairs and ledges can pose. Even to adults, they can be dangerous without proper security. Put into place some safety precautions such as ensuring that any stairways or ledges have strong railings that won’t give way if someone leans up against them. You may also want to use a baby gate to keep young children from falling down a stairwell or off a ledge.

Lockup Dangerous Items

Many homeowners purchase firearms or self-defense options to give them a little more peace of mind. If you have these kinds of weapons in your home and also have young children, one of the most important basic home safety tips you need to apply is having a designated place to secure these items so no one but you has access to them. That could mean purchasing a safe or adding a strong lock to a pre-existing cabinet. Make sure to work with a locksmith on a project like this to get the best quality and safest lock option for both easy access in case of emergency, but protection against young people or children getting access to them.

In Conclusion

This list of basic home safety tips is not exhaustive. There are quite a few more things you can and should do to keep your home and family safe. If you put these basic home safety tips into practice in your home, you will create a much safer place for your family where you can have the peace of mind to know you have protection and options for any emergency situation.