Preparing your home for a quick sale can be a daunting task. But one of the most overlooked issues when it comes to doing this is home safety.

Safety in your home is often overlooked

When you are getting ready to put your home on the market, entertain potential buyers and have foot traffic moving in, our and around your property, you want to make sure that is it s a safe area for people to be.

Whether is be the outdoor structures such as the garage door, fencing, trees, gutters, swimming pool, telephone and television wires or your entire electrical “grid”, these are all things that need to be observed, evaluated and considered for repair or removal.

Many potential buyers will pass on a property that looks poorly maintained or has potential safety issues that need to be addressed. Oftentimes, these issues have been present for the homeowners and they simply do not see them as obvious concerns to a possible buyer. We get into our daily routines and the obvious becomes just a  part of the normal day to day life in our home.

For this reason, and the safety of all involved, we recommend proper home inspections by certified and experienced inspection companies who have a great reputation. As always we suggest doing your research and checking reviews of potential companies you may hire.

Every city has a company that provides home inspections and appraisals for people interested in selling their home. In the event that you are not selling your home and wish to have someone come in an assess possible dangerous issues that may arise, we recommend first starting with a pool inspector if you have one as pool are a leading cause of accidents and concerns among parents. There can be many issues lurking that you may not even be aware of.

A second point of concern should be the surfaces of your home including the garage, sidewalks, steps, flooring, stairs, etc. All the surfaces in which your family, visitors and potential buyers may walk can be area that need further attention in terms of safety. Some of these surfaces may need to be cleaned, replaced  or resurfaced due to normal wear and tear. A slip and fall by a guest can not only mean no sale for your home but a potential lawsuit. No, we’re not kidding.

In addition, a third area of concern is the electrical system of your home including inside and outside wiring. This is a potential silent killer as electrical issues can lead to electrocution, shock, and worst of all fires. For example, much of the wiring in older homes can be outdated and not up to code. This needs to be addressed and fixed as soon as possible.

For example, prior to selling a home we previously had, we noticed lights and outlets not working on a regular basis. Prior to selling we called an electrician in Fort Lauderdale to address this concern as well as do a complete safety check in our home. The end result was the replacement of much of the internal wiring, fixtures and outlets to meet the current safety standards by a local electrical contractor that you can visit here. The cost was well worth it as this could have killed the potential sale of the property.

We hope these tips help you prepare your home for sale as many of these issues can go without being repaired otherwise. One final note, when you are looking at a potential new home, take into account all these issues that could be present in your new home ad have them fixed prior to closing on a sale. Safety goes both ways as a selling and as a buyer.