This time of year, the New Year’s resolutions are flying thick and fast. You’ve seen them all before. Lose weight, get your finances in order, and snag a better job. And while the resolutions are easy to make, they’re often much tougher to keep. So for 2017, why not switch gears and resolve to get your Murphy, NC house in better working order? If that grabs your attention, consider making resolutions that apply regardless of your home’s size or operating budget.

For starters, you certainly don’t want to live in a home filled with health and fire risks. To reduce your chances of a negative outcome, follow these five preventive strategies applicable to any home.

Detect the Carbon Monoxide: Your home’s smoke detectors can alert you to developing fire danger. To increase your protection factor, install a carbon monoxide detector on every floor that contains a bedroom. This affordable little device can alert you to a blocked or leaking furnace vent or chimney flue. Without this detector, either malfunction can cause carbon monoxide to collect in your house and kill you and your family.

Find the Radon: This odorless, colorless gas can trap radioactive particles in your lungs, potentially leading to the development of lung cancer. To learn if your home has elevated radon levels, buy an inexpensive test kit at your local hardware or home improvement store.

Reduce Potential Mold: If your bathroom and/or attic aren’t vented to the outdoors, you greatly increase your home’s chances of becoming a mold factory. If you can’t easily install the vent(s) yourself, hire a competent professional to do the job.

Dig Out All the Dryer Lint: Although you frequently clean the dryer lint trap, highly combustible lint can also collect in the ducts and vents behind the dryer. Clean these areas often to knock down the fire hazard.

Older Home Remodeling Reminder: If your home was built or remodeled before 1978, you could be living with asbestos flooring and/or lead paint. If that’s the case, and you have future remodeling plans, handle these harmful substances carefully when removing them. If you don’t feel comfortable doing the job yourself, hire a specialist who will bring the proper gear.

While some projects just require a one-time effort, plan to change your smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries on a regular basis. Develop a dryer lint removal schedule, too. By working to reduce your Murphy, NC home’s hazards, your house will be a healthier place for you and your family.

The Poltrock Team – REMAX Mountain Properties – Murphy NC – ilovemurphy.com – Call us Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496 – Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team