October is finally here! You may already be participating in the fun, seasonal activities that we all love, such as decorating or pumpkin carving, visiting local corn mazes, or building a scarecrow! As an independent insurance agency, here at Paradiso Insurance, we put together a list of a few Halloween home safety tips.
Homeowners Policy
As we are moving into the beautiful season of fall, and going out with our kids to purchase the coolest and spookiest costumes, we don’t really think about our homeowners policy. We here at Paradiso Insurance encourage you to contact your insurance agency to make sure you are covered for any incidents that may occur, such as someone tripping and injuring themselves on your property, especially during Halloween and trick-or-treating fun. Stop into our office or give us a call and our independent insurance agents will be happy to ensure you are properly covered.
Lights, Camera, Action!
One thing that nobody likes during this season is falling and scraping their knees! As the sun starts to set and the kids are getting excited, putting on their costumes and maybe applying some face paint for those cool effects, there’s always something that we forget to do before we leave our house. While it may not seem very important, making sure that your walkway is properly lit can help prevent unwanted accidents from occurring. Make sure that your outside lights are turned on, not only to help alert trick-or-treaters that you are accepting visitors, but also to help illuminate those tricky stairs. Kids always tend to have long, bulky costumes that are tripping hazards waiting to happen! Provide adequate lighting and help to prevent these accidents from occurring.
Vandalism
Halloween can actually be very challenging for some homeowners due to teenage pranks. While the age-old tradition of egging or TPing homes might not have any significant impact on homeowners other than causing a mess for someone to clean up, pranks like graffiti, broken windows, or car vandalism can ruin your home and cause costly repairs that should always be reported to your insurance agent as quickly as possible. Installing a home security system or camera directed at your front door can help deter these unwanted teenage visitors and can help the police identify the perpetrators should something actually happen to your home or vehicle.
Furry Friends
Don’t forget about your furry friends on Halloween! When our pets meet new people that they have never seen before, they will usually lick them and smell to see if they are “okay” to be in their home. However, we all know that dogs can be very unpredictable and having an influx of trick-or-treaters can be highly stressful for our furry friends. We suggest putting your dog in a separate room away from the door that you are using to hand out candy; that way the trick-or-treaters are not intimidated and your dog doesn’t have the unnecessary stress of seeing new people in your home—and no chance for an escape from the fear of all the noise and visitors. This same concept can be applied for those who leave their home to take the kids trick-or-treating. Leaving your dog home alone while a constant stream of unknown children come and go from your front porch, ringing the bell or knocking on the door, can be highly stressful for your dog. It is best to secure them in an upstairs bedroom or crate where they feel safe.
Wearing Bright Colors
With the cool weather approaching and the days growing shorter, darkness falls earlier and cars can sometimes have a hard time seeing pedestrians on the side of the road. While it may not go with your Halloween costume, it is important to wear reflective strips or bright colors while trick-or-treating, so that oncoming vehicles can see where you are. We also recommend carrying flashlights or other light-up items to aid in your visibility.
Be sure to share in the comments below some other Halloween home safety tips that we may have forgotten—together we can all remain safe and enjoy the Halloween holiday!