Top Tips to Make Your Home Safe for Holiday Visitors

NAHB, 2015

To help prepare your home for holiday visitors, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers offers home maintenance tips that are designed to increase safety and accessibility for older family and friends who visit this holiday season.

“Welcoming loved ones to your home is a cherished holiday tradition,” said NAHB Remodelers Chair Robert Criner, GMR, GMB, CAPS, a remodeler from Newport News, Va. “By making some simple home modifications, you can ensure that family and friends will enjoy a comfortable visit and be able to maneuver around your house without trouble this year.”

These tips will help eliminate situations that could cause stress for visitors with age-related balance and vision issues, and at the same time create a safer, more comfortable environment for all your guests:

  • Secure rugs and carpets. Secure area rugs with non-slip pads or double-sided carpet tape so that they are snug to the floor. Temporarily remove throw rugs, including bathroom mats to prevent guests from tripping on the edges.
  • Test stair railings. Check that stair railings inside and out are tightly fastened. Make repairs where needed.
  • Turn up the lights. Put night lights in bathrooms, the guest bedroom, hallways and perhaps in the kitchen. Make sure there is a lamp or light switch within reach of the guest bed so that your visitor can keep a light on until safely tucked in. Well-lit outdoor walkways and entrances are also key for coming or going when it is dark.
  • Clear outdoor walkways. Rake leaves, salt for ice and shovel snow from sidewalks and driveways to prevent falls.
  • Add non-slip treads or a mat to the shower. Be sure the shower your guest will use has a non-slip floor. To enhance traction, apply non-slip strips or a suction-attached non-slip mat.
  • Offer the best seat. Choose the best seat for your guest’s comfort—not too high, not too low. A firm cushion can prevent them from sinking too low in to the seat, and arms can help a person easily get up and down.
  • Declutter. Move objects or even furniture that a person usually has to maneuver around. Secure cords to the wall or baseboards with hooks to prevent tripping. Clear stair steps of any objects—shoes, books, and other personal items that tend to collect on the lower treads.

If you are considering larger home renovation projects or want to do more to make your home safe and comfortable for all ages and abilities, consult a professional remodeler. Find a pro in your area at nahb.org/remodelerdirectory. More tips to keep your home safe and stylish are available at nahb.org/remodel.

Lions Gate

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Location: 198th & Harrison St

School District: Gretna

Amenities:

  • Close to easy access traffic ways, established neighborhood, close day care centers, and several places of worship.
  • Oversized lots – many 82’ wide lots.
  • Minutes to West Dodge traffic way, the 180th & Center shopping mile, the I-80 interstate system, and to grocery and other shopping services.

Liberty

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Location: 43rd & Capehart Rd

School District: Bellevue

Amenities:

  • Treed and nature reserve lots available
  • 11 minutes from Shadow Lake Towne Center
  • 15 minutes from Offutt Air Force Base

Sumtur Crossing

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Location: 114th & Schramm Rd

School District: Papillion La Vista

Amenities:

  • Close to Sumtur Amphitheater (concerts, movies and plays)
  • Adjacent to the 450 acre Walnut Creek Recreation area with its 105 acre lake (hiking, biking and fishing)

Granite Creek

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Location: 108th & Lincoln Rd

School District: Papillion La Vista

Amenities:

  • Adjacent to the proposed NRD lake area
  • Close to Sumtur Amphitheater (concerts, movies and plays)
  • Close to the 450 acre Walnut Creek Recreation area with its 105 acre lake (hiking, biking and fishing)
  • Close to Werner Ball Park – Home of the Omaha Storm Chasers

Founders Ridge

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Location: 126th & Hwy 370

School District: Papillion La Vista

Amenities:

  • Adjacent to Prairie Queen Lake and Recreation Area-hiking, biking and fishing
  • Adjacent to Werner Ball Park – Home of the Omaha Storm Chasers
  • Minutes to the I-80 Interstate system
  • Enjoy the Sumtur Amphitheater for concerts, movies and plays, the Shadow Lake Towne Center shopping, and the Walnut Creek Recreation and lake area for hiking, biking and fishing

Remington West

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Location: West of Remington Ridge (South of Harrison on 192nd St)

School District: Gretna

Amenities:

  • Trails and Nature reserve

Remington Ridge

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Location: South of 192nd & Harrison St

School District: Gretna

Amenities:

  • Trails and Nature reserve

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12021 Daniell Rd.

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Bridgeport

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Location: 180th St & Cornhusker Road

School District: Gretna

Amenities:

  • Coved, park-like streetscape
  • Extensive green space and trail network
  • Community Swimming Pool

Aspen Creek North

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Location: 1 mile N of 192nd & Hwy 370

School District: Gretna

Amenities:

  • Adjacent to the all-new Gretna school campus facility

Daybreak Springs

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Location: 192nd St & Fort St

School District: Elkhorn

Amenities:

  • Access to green space
  • Nearby Golfing
  • Adjacent to the Fort Street Improvement Project

Calarosa

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Location: 204th St and Fort St

School District: Elkhorn

Amenities:

  • 3 miles from Maple St Shopping Corridor

Indian Pointe

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Location: 198th & Harrison St

School District: Gretna

Amenities:

  • Close to easy access traffic ways, established neighborhood, close day care centers, and several places of worship.
  • Oversized lots – many 82’ wide lots.
  • Minutes to West Dodge traffic way, the 180th & Center shopping mile, the I-80 interstate system, and to grocery and other shopping services.

Newport Vista

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Location: North 168th Street and Bennington Road

School District: Bennington

Amenities:

  • View lots
  • Bennington school across the street
  • Adjacent to a nature reserve
  • View of Bennington Lake

Kempten Creek

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Location: 165th Street and Bennington Road

School District: Bennington

Amenities:

  • View lots
  • Adjacent to regional park

Anchor View

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Location: 3 blocks N of 168th Ida

School District: Elkhorn

Amenities:

  • Overlooks Flanagan Lake, a 220-acre lake with 730 acres of recreation
  • Public access Flanagan Lake as well as facilities for boat access
  • Blocks of walking & biking trails
  • Playgrounds and youth sport fields

Anchor Pointe

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Location: 198th & Harrison St

School District: Gretna

Amenities:

  • Close to easy access traffic ways, established neighborhood, close day care centers, and several places of worship.
  • Oversized lots – many 82’ wide lots.
  • Minutes to West Dodge traffic way, the 180th & Center shopping mile, the I-80 interstate system, and to grocery and other shopping services.

Falling Waters

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Location: 198th & Harrison St

School District: Gretna

Amenities:

  • Close to easy access traffic ways, established neighborhood, close day care centers, and several places of worship.
  • Oversized lots – many 82’ wide lots.
  • Minutes to West Dodge traffic way, the 180th & Center shopping mile, the I-80 interstate system, and to grocery and other shopping services.