Make Your Halloween Night Safe These
10 Safety Tips for Homeowners This Halloween
Some Halloween tricks can really cost you.
Plenty of people love a good Halloween scare — as long no one gets hurt. And that includes your house.
Hot lights and large crowds present some real risks to homeowners. Follow these 10 tips for trick-or-treat safety:
#1 Make Your Outdoor Lights as Bright as Possible
This is going to solve 2 problems. The first is it eliminates places where tricksters or other shady characters can hide. It makes your home less enticing to people with bad intentions.
The second is it provides clear paths for all those kids to walk and make it from the street to your door without tripping and falling. The last thing you want is an angry parent sending you a letter from their civil lawyer in the month of November.
#2 Disarm your home security system
It’s always smart to practice regular warming and disarming your alarm, but for Halloween, with all the traffic, the last thing you want to do is deal with false alarms. Even more than you, the local police would probably appreciate it as well.
#3 Put Your Pets in a Closed Room
Your pets are your pride and joy and I know this is not going to be a popular piece of advice but even if your pet’s behavior is predictable, you can’t predict the behavior of 100’s of kids hyped up on candy. And who knows what that type of confusing energy will do to your four-legged child. If it makes you feel better, give them a chew toy, turn on animal planet, and find a date if you only have one pet.
#4 Use Motion Lights After the Trick-or-Treaters Have Left
When the trick-or-treaters go home, the vandals often come out. Motion sensor lights that illuminate the whole house can help scare away mischief-makers out to egg your house or do more serious damage.
#5 Tighten Railings
Fixing wobbly or broken porch railings is a trick-or-treat safety must, as they can cause severe injuries if anyone leans on them a little too hard. Hire a contractor or handyman to fix the problem before your guests arrive.
#6 Sweep Your Walkways and Driveway
Fall means cooler weather, and cooler weather means extra leaves on the ground. Prevent even more scraped knees and other accidents by sweeping away any dirt, leaves or branches from your driveway or sidewalk.
Clear your walk, steps, and stoop of any obstructions like potted plants – and even jack-o'-lanterns. Move them where no one can accidentally stumble on them.
#7 Clear the Curb — It's the Most Important Trick-or-Treat Safety Tip
Here's a scary statistic: Four times as many child pedestrians are killed on Halloween night than a normal night. Of all the trick-or-treat safety guidelines, this one could be the most important.
Reduce risks to little pedestrians by clearing parked cars from the curb for better visibility and placing a reflective “Watch for Children" sign at the edge of the road. On busy streets, consider having adults take turns maintaining safety in the street with a hand-held traffic control light.
#8 Park Your Car in the Garage
Avoid the dents, scratches, eggs, and flour – remember….it’s TRICK or treat. Some kids don’t give you a choice.
#9 Watch Your Front Door
Keep your eye on the front door. Stay close to it and it’s probably a good idea to lock the storm door between visitors. Most people are good-hearted, and some people take an invitation to get candy as an invitation inside. I’ve had kids just walk into my house before and this was before I started putting my dogs up. Imagine a mother’s face when an 80-pound red nose pitbull gallops toward their only child dressed like a doggy snack.
#10 Remember to Arm Your Security
The nights over, you’ve eaten about as much candy as you passed out, and all the horror movies have your blood hot. You and your Twiddle-Dee want to get out of your costumes and play Dracula Gone Wild in the bedroom. Before you race up the stairs though, remember to arm your security system. Having an armed and monitored home can give you the comfort needed to rest after an active evening.
Have a safe, fun Halloween. Practice my tips and enjoy the holiday. If you have any questions regarding your home, contact me today. If you’d like to see what the best neighborhoods to go trick or treating in Knoxville are, click here.
If you’re ready to move into those neighborhoods or if you’re just curious to learn more about the market and if now is the right time for you, call me. I’d love to talk to you more about it. Also, fill out the form and create a free account on my website to search homes and join my monthly video newsletter and I'll send you a PDF from Safe Kids Worldwide with tips to keep your little ones safe while they're out trick or treating.