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Halloween Safety Tips to Prepare Your Home for Trick-or-Treaters

Is your home ready for little ghosts and ghouls? Princesses and pop stars? Cowboys, pirates, ladybugs, and more? Halloween is a night like no other because not only are there children running door-to-door, but there is also an increased number of hazards around your home. It’s important to make sure Halloween is as safe as possible, and that doesn’t stop at teaching children to stay in groups and well-lit areas—you need to make sure your home is safe, too. That’s why we have these Halloween safety tips to help you get your house ready!

Turn on the lights – Having the porch light on is the general signal to trick-or-treaters and their watchful parents that you’re handing out candy. However, this does double service by also lighting up the pathway and making it easier for kids to see where they’re going—in fact, if you have any additional exterior lights, flip those on too!

Clear a path – Another really important Halloween safety tip is to clear the path from the street to your doorstep. There could be any number of things in the yard or on the driveway, such as the garden hose, someone’s bike, or yard decorations. On a normal day, these things might not pose any danger, but Halloween is another story altogether—kids are so wrapped up in getting candy and running door-to-door, they often forget to look where they’re going. So, put up any obstacles the trick-or-treaters might need to dodge and keep the path from the street to the candy clear.

Secure yard decorations – If you have some spooky decorations around your yard, make sure they’re securely tied down and noticeable enough that no one is going to trip over them. As previously mentioned, an important aspect of Halloween safety is making sure there are no unseen obstacles for trick-or-treaters.

Pumpkin maintenance – This is an important Halloween safety measure because it’s not only safer for trick-or-treaters but for your home as well—don’t forget to blow out the candles in your jack-o-lanterns at the end of the night! Or consider using fake candles to reduce the risk of fires.

Watch for ice – Anyone who lives in the Washington Metropolitan area knows the weather can be unpredictable. It can be a warm fall afternoon one day and a snow shower the next. If you think there’s a chance of snow or ice, be prepared by having gravel, sand, or salt on hand to put down on the pathway or porch because that girl dressed-up as a figure skater doesn’t want to have to show off her skills.

If you don’t have a home to decorate or you’re looking for a porch you can set your pumpkins on, contact Coakley Realty today! Our highly experienced team of real estate agents has helped people in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC find the home of their dreams. So, if you’re looking for homes for sale in Rockville, MD or the surrounding areas, give us a call!