When you purchase a property for yourself or to rent out to tenants, you will want to make sure that you keep it in a good condition. To do this effectively, you need to understand the risks that you face as a homeowner and learn how to keep your home safe in light of these risks. One potential risk to any property is a house fire and these can destroy a property from top to bottom relatively quickly.
Preventing a house fire is easier than you think, you just need to have the right measures in place. Below, we are going to give you some of our tips to help achieve this.
Check Your Cords
Over time, cords that are attached to electrical items can become frayed and damaged. While it can be tempting to leave them like this until they eventually stop working, you could find that you are putting your home at risk. Cords can catch fire if they are not maintained so it is always worth replacing or repairing any that have become damaged in your home.
Do A Risk Assessment
One of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of a house fire is to identify any potential risks or causes of fire in your home. A fire risk assessment will look at the different risks and measure their need to be addressed. This is something which is actually required by law if you are renting out a property. You can easily find a fire risk assessment Manchester or UK-based company who can identify these problems right away.
Test Your Smoke Alarms
When was the last time that you tested your smoke alarm? No one likes doing this, but it is a necessary part of looking after your property and making sure that you are prepared for a fire. Your smoke alarm could save your life by alerting you to a fire in the middle of the night or when you are in another room. You should test your smoke alarms regularly to avoid any issues developing.
Be Careful with Open Flames
It might sound obvious, but it is important that you are being as careful as possible when dealing with open flames in your property. This can include anything from a gas hob to a fireplace or even candles. Candles can easily be knocked over by young children or pets and if you aren’t in the room, things could go up in flames relatively quickly. Practice caution and you’ll thank yourself later.
Get Prepared
If you take the right precautions, you can protect your property from a house fire. You need to make sure that you have a plan in place should a fire break out in your property and a regular risk assessment can help you to fix anything that could cause a fire. This is something which is especially important if you are renting a property to tenants so don’t neglect this!
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