Providing candy for trick-or-treaters is a fun way to feel a part of your neighborhood and provide local kids with a fun experience. Keep the kids safe and happy by ensuring your home is ready for them with these tips from our real estate agents.

• Light up the exterior of your home.
  Aside from preventing break-ins and vandalism, ensuring that your home is well-lit on the outside will help keep kids safe. Check all your exterior lights and consider replacing them with higher-watt bulbs for the holiday. If you have path lights, be sure to turn them on. If you won't be home or aren't offering candy, keep your motion sensor lights on but turn off the porch light and keep your front windows dark so trick-or-treaters know to skip your house.
  
  
• Keep your walkways clear.
  It's especially important for the path from the sidewalk to your door to be clear of any potential hazards. Clear any decor that could be a trip hazard. If you're expecting a freeze, keep the path shoveled and put down some de-icer.
  
  
• Catch up on any repairs.
  Before the big night, check for any missed repairs you've been putting off. Tighten railings and ensure there aren't any paving stones sticking up that could cause someone to trip. If you have stairs up to your porch, ensure the lights illuminating them are in working order.
  
  
• Use LED candles.
  Candlelight creates a delightfully spooky decoration in jack-o-lanterns and other decorations but can be a serious fire hazard, especially if placed where low-hanging costumes could catch the flame. Instead, use LED candles to light jack-o-lanterns and other spooky decor. LED candles in paper lunch sacks lining the walkway offer a great way to keep kids on the right path.
  
  
• Keep pets inside.
  With so many kids and their parents roaming around the neighborhood, it's best to keep pets inside, where you can keep them quiet and safe. Pets are often spooked by seeing so many strangers, especially in strange costumes, and can also react badly to people coming to the door all night long.
  
  
• Test your smoke alarms.
  Plymouth homes for sale typically have smoke alarms installed in all the important places, but after buying the home, many homeowners forget to test the smoke alarms regularly. It's a good idea to test them all before a holiday like Halloween, which can carry with it a fire hazard if you or neighbors are using real candles in the decor. Change out batteries if they're older than a year or if you can't remember when you last changed them.
  
  
• Set your home security system if you're leaving the house.
  Some people prefer to leave on Halloween, and that's understandable. You may have other plans or just not like the doorbell ringing all evening long. If you choose to leave, make sure you set your alarm. Halloween is a fun holiday for children, but it can also be an opportunity for mischief-makers.

Are you hoping to celebrate Halloween in a new home? There's still time! Contact us today to get your search started before spooky season gets underway.