With homeownership comes responsibility. This is the stuff of adulthood. If you live alone, the burden falls solely on you. But, even if you share with a partner, or have a family, there are things you need to tackle. In fact, having kids can only increase that sense of responsibility. After all, it’s down to you to keep the roof over their heads.
The most obvious things you’ll need to consider are the bills and mortgage payments. After all, without sorting those each month, you won’t have a home to protect. But, once those essentials are dealt with, there are plenty of other things to think about.
You will, of course, need to ensure the house is in top condition. This includes repairs and maintenance which every homeowner should take time for. Failure to do so could cause issues down the line. You need to think, too, about locking the house for safety. There’s no one behind you now, checking that you remembered to do it. So, most homeowners get into the habit of double checking the doors before they leave.
But, all our efforts to keep our homes safe don’t always work out the way we would like. Some things are out of our control and, as the head of the household, you’ll likely be the one who has to deal with such issues. Often, these things come to the fore during the night, or in the morning when you wake up. These are times, after all, when you can’t keep an eye on everything that’s happening.
Anyone who’s had a home on their shoulders will know the feeling of waking up and finding something’s wrong. It’s a sure way to shake off the sleep, that’s for sure. And, while you can never prepare for such eventualities, you can at least make yourself aware of what you might wake up to. Read on to find out some of the most common issues.
Bumps in the night
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This is top of the list because it’s probably the most common nightmare fear for the majority of homeowners. If you live alone, it’s likely you worry about this fairly often. But, even when you have a family around you, this can be a concern. You can ease that in a significant way by installing burglar alarms which connect straight to the police. But, even with these in place, you may have to wait for a response.
It’s important to note that every house has its bumps and creeks. It could be the heating kicking in, or the door frames contracting in the heat. In fact, the majority of the bumps you will hear in the night are likely to have innocent causes. Get to know the sounds of your home so that you’re not jumping up each time something happens. Sometimes, though, that much-dreaded bump does happen. And, when it does, it can be hard to know the best plan of action.
Your first thought may be to investigate, and that makes sense. After all, you don’t want to call the police because a pan fell off the draining board. But, rushing downstairs could put you at risk. Instead, listen further. If there are no more sounds, it probably wasn’t anything serious. If you hear more, try to get closer, but remain a safe distance away. Standing at the top of the stairs, for example, will ensure you can hear an intruder. It’s also worth keeping a phone next to your bed. This is added security and ensures you can call for help if you do hear a much-dreaded break-in.
Fire
Many of us also dread waking up to fire. Yet, whenever you hear about bad house fires on the news, they always tend to happen at night. It’s enough to send shivers down your spine. But, there are safety measures you can take to ensure that no fire gets out of control before you wake. By installing fire alarms, and replacing the batteries often, you’ll be alerted as soon as a fire breaks out. If you aren’t convinced, bear in mind that three out of five home fire deaths happen in houses without adequate alarm systems.
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Of course, the alarm doesn’t put the fire out for you. Hence, it’s also worth stocking up on fire blankets and keeping them close to hand near problem areas. Kitchens are an obvious hotspot, but it’s also worth keeping at least one of these in your other rooms.
A knock on the door
Nighttime knocks on the door are rarely a good thing. Anyone who has experienced them will know the heart-pounding fear of being woken in this way. But, before you open the door to anyone at nighttime, it’s essential you know who they are. Speak to them through the letterbox. Ask for identification before you even think about letting them into your home. If you live alone, it may also be worth letting a loved one know you’ve got unexpected company. Strange as it seems, this communication could help you if these people aren’t who they say they are.
Wind damage in the garden
Of course, it isn’t all about the things which wake you up in the night. Waking up in the morning can have its surprises, too. If the weather was extreme during the night, you might come downstairs to some destruction. Fallen fences, trees, and even roof tiles can cause significant stress. This is especially true if any of them have damaged your neighbor’s property. If your fence has fallen on their side, it’s essential you go round straight away and come to an agreement. Otherwise, you open yourself to legal issues. Once that’s sorted, it’s vital you clear the mess as soon as possible. Even finding a temporary way to support your fence is better than leaving it down. After all, leaving it down is a safety risk more than anything.
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If your roof is damaged, you should also tackle this issue as soon as you can. Leaving areas exposed could do real damage, and cause problems such as damp in the home. To make sure it doesn’t happen, phone companies like Wildwood Roofing as soon as you can. They’ll be able to make any necessary repairs, and ensure those missing tiles don’t leave your house lacking. Think, too, about clearing fallen trees, or putting them out of the way until you can get to the root of the problem.
A cold house
No one likes to wake up to a cold house. Leaving the warmth of your bed for a cold dash to the bathroom is never a pleasant experience. But, it’s even worse if there’s a problem with your heating. Perhaps you have it set to come on, but it didn’t kick in. Instantly, you think the worst. But, the best thing to do in this situation is to stay calm. There is all manner of reasons why this could happen, including a sudden drop in boiler pressure. Of course, you need to remember that gas is a risky thing to play with. Take a look, and see if there’s an obvious solution to the issue. If not, don’t hesitate to contact a professional who can take a look for you. And, don’t panic; it’s unlikely you need a whole new boiler.
Drips and drops
And, of course; let’s not forget the feeling of waking up to an unfamiliar dripping. As mentioned above, every house has its noises, and you become accustomed to your own. Which is why it can become very obvious reasonably fast when a new sound joins the orchestra. In truth, leaking pipes can become a problem at any time of day. But, we often don’t realize the issue until the silence of the morning. Plus, overnight, a fair amount of water has time to collect. So, as well as dealing with the drip itself, you’ll likely have to cope with the mess it’s made.
The first thing to do is find the source of the dripping. Once you’ve determined the severity, you could turn off the water valve and fix it yourself, or get a professional to do it for you. The good news is, many leaking pipes are easy enough to fix. Do some research online and consider whether this is an option. If you have any doubts, though, get someone who knows what they’re doing. There is a multitude of emergency plumbers out there, and they can ensure you don’t turn a drip into a splurge of water.
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In conclusion
As you can see, there are a fair few things which could give you an early morning shock. And, this is by no means an exhaustive list. But, knowing about these possibilities shouldn’t keep you awake at night. Most homeowners never experience such issues. Even if you do, we’re incredibly skilled in coping with emergencies. As mentioned above, you can also prepare by installing alarm systems and emergency procedures. With these in place, you should still be able to sleep like a baby.
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