If you have lived in your home for many years, or just purchased an older home, chances are there will be some remodeling in your future. Some home improvements you can tackle on your own or over a week-end with a few friends. Others require contractors and weeks or months to complete.
Whether you are doing it yourself or have hired people to help you, here are some tips to keep your home and family safe and secure.
1. Make sure any contractors coming into your home are certified and insured.
An insured contractor is likely to have more experience and know their crew well. They won’t want to risk their certifications or have to pay higher premiums by employing workers who are problematic.
2. Ask how many workers will be in your home.
Contractors may not be able to give you a set number of workers, but depending on the scope of your project they may be able to tell you that they will have 3-4, 6-8, etc. workers assigned to your project.
3. If possible, ask the workers to use a separate door.
This may not work well if you are re-doing the second floor of your home. But if you are doing a kitchen remodel, asking workers to enter the house through the kitchen door is a great way to keep track of who is in the house and where. Plus, it helps young children to understand that the kitchen is off limits for a little while.
4. Make sure holes are secured.
Whether it is a hole in the yard to access plumbing, a hole in the dry wall to access electrical, or a hole in the siding to install a new door or window, make sure that when work is done for the day those holes are properly closed. Not only will this prevent accidents, it will deter critters and even people from entering the premises.
5. Make sure all windows and doors are locked.
Once the crew has gone for the day, take a quick walk around the area and make sure all doors and windows are closed and secured. This will keep the elements out as well as unwelcome visitors.
6. Keep the area well lit.
Flood lights are a great way deter criminals from snooping on your property. They will see that not only are the doors and windows secure; if they try to open them, they will be seen.
7. Let your alarm company know!
If your renovation involves adding a new threshold door, another wing, or finishing previously unused space you will want to notify your alarm company to make sure those areas are included in your system. If you’re redoing an existing space like a kitchen or bathroom, let them know anyway. You may be able to set up a special alarm access code for your contractors which will let your alarm company know if an alert was triggered when you aren’t home, but the contractor is at your home.
