LOS ANGELES, CA – You bought the house and moved in congratulations. Before settling in you should make some serious home improvement that will help you keep you and your family safe. Most of the home improvements are for beginners but vary from beginners to advanced. The professionals at the Local Records Office created a list of the top security home improvements you need to do as soon as you step in your new home.
#1 – Change the Locks
Changing the locks should be a no brainer, replacing the locks to the front and backdoor should be the first thing anyone does before moving into a house or apartment. It’s not that you don’t trust the previous owner; it’s all about safety and the people that had contact with those keys over the years. Any one person could have made a copy of the keys and try to use it for malicious reasons.
“Moving into a new place and not replacing the locks is something you should never neglect. This is a serious safety problem” says, David Kingston from Local Records Office located in Los Angeles, California.
#2 – Change the Batteries to All Fire Alarms
House fires are more common than you may think, making sure you have good juice on all the smoke detectors will help you prevent a fire in the middle of the night. We all know batteries are not as common as they used and are not sold in a lot of places but that’s not an excuse not to check and replace the batteries.
Also, if the smoke detectors look too old have been painted over make sure to replace it. The paint will make it harder for the alarm to do its job.
“After replacing the locks the second important thing to do is to replace the batteries of all the smoke detectors and Carbone monoxide alarms,” says, Ana Barana in Hollywood, California.
#3 – Caulk Cracks and Spaces
Repairing things with caulk is only a temporary fix, think of it like a Band-Aid. But sometimes the repair will last a few months and probably even years. The best places to use caulk are to seal window leaks, stop leaks in the shower and tub.
Caulk will prevent water damage, rotting, and mold from a lot of places. If you are not able to repair a sink or broken tile in the bathroom using caulk sealer will come along way.
“Caulk is an amazing invention that prevents many things from becoming water damage, it’s used across all construction when building a house and repairs but unfortunately it’s not a permanent repair,” says, Samantha Jackson from San Diego, California.
#4 – Deep-Clean the Carpet
Deep-cleaning the carpet will help with allergies and other health-related problems. The previous owner might have had pets with ticks and or fleas that need to be removed especially when kids are around. Many times homeowners will neglect the carpet so much that it will have to be removed completely.
“Carpets contain so many germs that I will personally toss it away and put a new one down. With my allergies I need to be careful where I go and who I’m around. My pets also have bad allergies,” says, Kennedy Thompson from San Francisco, California.
#5 – Hardwood Floors
If you are lucky enough to have hardwood floors instead of carpet you are on to a head start. You need to clean the hardwood floors without damaging the finish. “Hardwood floors are expensive to repair so you need to be very careful when deep cleaning,” says, Anthony J. Stevenson from Los Angeles, California.
