Holiday Safety Tips For Your Home,

Holiday Safety Tips
Holiday Safety Tips

The holidays are a time for relaxing with family and friends. Make sure your home is safe this holiday season by keeping an eye out for common hazards.

Holiday Lighting

Be sure to take caution when it comes to decorative lighting. Carefully inspect cords, bulbs and connections for all your lighting. If anything is damaged, repair or replace it immediately.

Extension cords are the source of many fires, so be sure they aren’t damaged. Plugging multiple extension cords into each other increases the risk of a fire starting.

Don’t overload an outlet with too many plugs. This can cause an electrical overload and cause a fire. Outlet fires cause nearly $1.5 billion in damage annually. Stay safe by using separate outlets to evenly distribute the lighting throughout the house.

Christmas Trees

Choose a fresh tree that has been recently cut. Fresh trees are more resistant to ignition. Continue watering the tree daily to prevent it from drying out.

Make sure any lighting you use on the tree is designed for indoor use. Again, be sure the lighting isn’t damaged in any way.

Place the tree at least three feet away from any heat source. This includes fireplaces, candles and heating vents.

General Maintenance

Test your smoke alarms monthly and be sure to replace the batteries immediately if they are unresponsive. Make sure to have a smoke alarm in every sleeping area and on every level of your house.

Clean any clutter around the house. Don’t store combustible materials near outlets, heating vents or furnaces.

Replace heating and cooling filters as needed and be sure to have yearly cleaning and maintenance done on your heating and cooling systems.

Downsizing For Your Retirement.

Thinking of Retiring?
Thinking of Retiring?

Downsizing before or during retirement is a smart decision for seniors. It means less upkeep and maintenance with a potentially less expensive monthly payment. Make downsizing easy by following these tips from Mel Foster Co.

  1. Work with a Realtor®

Working with an experienced Realtor® is the best decision you can make when looking to downsize. The seller pays the commission so you have nothing to lose by utilizing professional resources. A Realtor® can help you determine financial qualification, size needed and available listings. Condo purchasing contracts also are very different from other types of residence. Even with out of town listings, Mel Foster Co. has relocation specialists to help you find your new home anywhere in the world.

  1. Determine what Property you Need

You should communicate with your real estate agent to let them know exactly what you’re expecting from your new home. Are you looking for a high-rise, a cozy one story house or a small home with a spacious garden? Have an idea of your needs before you talk with your real estate agent so they can find you a property to exceed expectations.

  1. Find Sufficient Storage Options

The smaller space is a huge plus for many retirees. It means less upkeep and maintenance, but also less storage. If you have furniture, photo albums or decorations, you may want to consider renting a storage locker. They’re inexpensive and can be climate controlled so you don’t need to worry about damage to your more fragile items. Talk with your real estate agent to see if there are any storage options near the properties you’re considering.

  1. Consider a Rental

If you’re concerned about a long-term commitment, consider renting. It’s a great way to see if you enjoy the location in a new area. You can decide later with your real estate agent if you want to find a more permanent home. It’s often more cost efficient to rent, and most maintenance is taken care of by the landlord. It can help you determine what size home you need, and the lifestyle changes that come with downsizing.

Find an agent with local or national experience to find a home where you can comfortably downsize.


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