You’re finally settled in your new home just before the holidays and you are ready to decorate. You start hanging the stockings on the fireplace and putting up lights. Before you light everything up, you need to make sure you follow the tips in this holiday safety tips presentation to ensure you have a safe Christmas. You might also be looking for that perfect house, and are hoping to be in it before the holidays. However, buying a house takes time. Depending on your lender, you may not be in your house until after the holidays.
Fireplace Safety for Babies and the Rest of the Household
If the home you are planning on buying or the home you just bought has a fireplace, you will need a fireplace safety gate and a fireplace safety screen. The screen keeps the embers in the fireplace so they won’t start a fire. The gate keeps children and pets away from the hot area. If a baby or toddler were to climb up on the hearth and touch the screen, he or could be burned.
Additionally, you’ll need an ash bucket and a poker. When cleaning out the ashes, make sure they are cold before you dump them outside, especially if there are dry leaves and grass in the area you are dumping them. Hot coals could be hidden in the ashes. Even hot ashes could spark a fire if the ground is dry enough.
Be sure to hang stockings away from the front of the fireplace opening. A spark could fly out and land on the stocking and start a fire. Also, because of the heat in the area, candy will melt and other items will get very hot. Consider filling the stockings just before the kids get up and having them ‘open’ the stockings right away – or move them away from the fireplace.
Christmas Holiday Safety Tips
You just when through the stressful process of applying for a mortgage and buying a house, so the last thing you want to happen is a fire accident. The biggest concern is Christmas light safety. When you set up the tree, be sure to keep it away from any heat sources including the fireplace, space heaters and other heaters. Keep the tree watered.
A dry tree will burn much faster than one that has plenty of water.
Before you hang last year’s lights, go through them with a fine-tooth comb to make sure that none of the wiring is exposed, that all lights work and that the sockets are not loose or otherwise exposed. The heat from the wires or exposed sockets could start a fire in the tree. It can become uncontrollable in a matter of seconds.
Holiday Personal Safety Tips
Many people go about their business every day and don’t think about the things that could happen. This is the time when people are shopping. Many often take a day and go to several stores, which means that packages are left in the vehicle. Be sure to hide the packages – put them in the trunk or in a place in the vehicle where they are difficult to see. People will break into the vehicle to steal the packages – not only do you lose the money you just spent, but you also have to repair your vehicle.
If you are saving a down payment for your dream home and have budgeted your Christmas spending, you’ll be left with no gifts or a dent in that down payment stash. At this time, interest rates are rising, so having to take that extra time to save could mean a difference in your mortgage payments. Always stay aware of your surroundings while you are out shopping.
If you order gifts online, be sure you are home when they are delivered as the porch pirates are out in full swing. If you can’t be home, have the gifts delivered to your work or have a neighbor watch for the delivery truck and hold the packages until you get home.
Have a safe and happy holiday season from On Point Carolinas Realty!
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