We’re often told that certain things are essential for our home. Whether it’s the latest style of a light fixture or a quirky coffee table, the list seems to grow every year. But what about the true essentials, the ones that your home really can’t do without?
Proper maintenance
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So many of us forget to prioritize maintenance. It can be expensive to hire a professional to maintain our property, and it can be a dirty or grueling job to do ourselves. But keeping your home well maintained is vital. A damaged roof, for example, could cause structural damage to your whole property. This is complex and expensive in the long run. It might not be appealing, but taking time for preventative care on your property can save you a lot of trouble in the future. The same goes for appliances within the home, particularly gas and electrics, which can be dangerous if not inspected and maintained.
Insurance
You need home insurance to cover all kinds of things. There are human considerations, like burglary, damage by reckless tradespeople, or intentional damage, like graffiti. Then there are natural threats like extreme winter weather, flooding, or storm damage. Make sure you’ve got the insurance that covers the structure and content of your home. You should also check the fine print to see if you are covered for events in which you might be liable. One example of this is if you fail to maintain your property, and then a neighbor is imaged in a storm due to a roof tile flying off your home. Some policies will cover you for this, while others won’t. Many policies in the USA don’t cover homes for flood damage, so you may need to take out a separate policy for this.
Alarms
There are many ways to keep you and your family safe at home – alarms are one of the most significant. You should regularly check your fire alarm to make sure that it works. Most alarms have a button you can press to test it. But what about a carbon monoxide alarm? Many homes still don’t have these fitted, but carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that doesn’t have any smell. It’s vital that you have a carbon monoxide alarm that’s installed correctly and that you check it works regularly.
If you don’t already have a burglar alarm, this is an absolute must, too! You might want to invest in the kind of alarm that alerts a designated person when it has been activated. You could also have a wireless home security system installed which will allow you to see CCTV footage of your home in the event of activation.
A lawyer
Hopefully, you never need legal support when it comes to your home. But sometimes the worst happens, so it’s best to be prepared. What if your home was to be repossessed? Or, more unusually, it could be subject to eminent domain. This is when the government or other authorized company possess your home for public use. One example of this is if an oil pipeline is to be built and your home is in the way. If this happens, you’ll want an eminent domain lawyer on your case to ensure you get proper compensation and other rights.