Moving to a new place is always stressful, no matter how old you are and how much experience in this field you have. You have to take lots of things into consideration, think everything through in advance, constantly remind yourself not to forget something important, as well as do a detailed inspection of your new home – and these things can really mess with your head.

However, probably the worst-case scenario involves you moving into a home you’ve already carefully checked and finding out something’s still wrong. You haven’t noticed that the floor is slightly crooked, or the walls aren’t as stable as they should be, or the front door isn’t sturdy at all – and now what? In order to prevent such a situation, you have to pay close attention to every inch of your new home, whether you’ve rented or bought it, and here are five of the most important safety inspection tips that might help you do the trick.

Fire alarms and extinguishers

This is a thing most people don’t pay attention to until it’s too late and they have to put out a fire in their kitchen or living room. Making sure your smoke detectors, fire alarms and extinguishers are fully operating is essential if you want to feel safe and sound every single day. Purchasing new extinguishers shouldn’t be too expensive. All you need to do is learn how to use them, and you’ll instantly take your safety to a whole new level.

Escape routes

Speaking of fire, you have to be prepared to face one that’s more dangerous or frightening than you’ve expected, so you have to know how to save your family from such a life-threatening situation. The only way to do that is by using escape routes, but you first have to make sure your new home is equipped with these. Ideally, every property should have at least three or four routes – one for each member of the family. Therefore, educate your family on this and teach them how to identify and use emergency exits in every room.

Electrical inspection

If you’re in a position to conduct electrical inspection before deciding whether to purchase/rent a certain property or not, be sure to do it, because doing it afterwards may be too late. Nevertheless, you can always call an electrician even after moving in, and make sure all your installations are in the perfect condition. You can do some of these things on your own, but it’s always better to leave it to a professional, just in case, so contact an experienced emergency electrician who can check all your installations, outlets, wiring, service panels and other items, and you’ll certainly feel much safer in your new home.

Doors and windows

Again, this isn’t an issue we generally address unless we have to, but discovering the problem usually means it’s already too late to act on it. Checking the state of your windows and doors is a must, especially if you’re purchasing a home that was built a decade or two ago. Even though this is something you can always replace afterwards, if you notice your doors and windows are leaky or not working properly, be sure to act as soon as possible. New doors and windows will make your home safer, but also help you regulate your interior temperature more easily all year long, so it’s a win-win situation for every new homeowner.

Door locks

If you don’t want to replace the doors just yet, or can’t afford to do it at the moment, you should at least change the locks on your front door. No matter who lived at your new place before you, you can never know if they have kept an extra copy or two of the keys, and who might get an access to these copies, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Luckily, new door looks are easy to install – it’s going to take you just a couple of minutes, but you’ll feel much safer at your home after that. For this reason, that’s a job definitely worth your time and effort.

Some of the other things you should pay attention to after moving into a new home include checking the dryer vent, the water heater, the main water valve and potential plumbing leaks, as well as inspecting the lighting in every single room, including the basement and the attic. After doing that, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your new place more thoroughly, so do these things as soon as you can.

About the Author

Mike Johnston is a Sydney based blogger. Passionate about home improvement, decor, DIY and house maintenance topics. He also loves History, Architecture and Photography which compels him to go out there, explore and take lots of pretty pictures of old buildings in the process.