7 Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips that Every Homeowner Should Know

Some Halloween tricks can really cost you.

Plenty of people love a good Halloween scare — as long no one gets hurt. And that includes your house.

Hot lights and large crowds present some real risks to homeowners. Follow these seven tips for trick-or-treat safety:

#1 Make Your Outdoor Lights as Bright as Possible

John Pettibone, curator of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester, Mass., suggests checking the label on your outdoor light fixtures and using the highest wattage bulbs they can safely handle. You can always switch them back after the holiday for a softer glow.

Related: Outdoor Lighting for Curb Appeal and Safety

#2 Prop Open the Storm Door for Trick-or-Treaters

Pettibone suggests propping open the screen or storm door so it doesn't get in the way when there's a big group of kids congregated on your stoop. Yellow caution tape can do the trick while keeping with your Halloween theme. A 1,000-ft. roll of 3-inch-wide tape is about $8.

#3 Use LEDs Instead of Real Candles

Pettibone warns against lighting real candles in carved pumpkins or paper lanterns; they're a fire waiting to happen. LED-bulb faux candles are much safer, and the light looks a lot like the real thing. Before you purchase Halloween decorative lights, be sure to look for safety certifications such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories).

#4 Use Motion Lights After the Trick-or-Treaters Have Left

When the trick-or-treaters go home, the vandals often come out. Motion sensor lights that illuminate the whole house can help scare away mischief makers out to egg your house or do more serious damage.

#5 Tighten Railings

Fixing wobbly or broken porch railings is a trick-or-treat safety must, as they can cause severe injuries if anyone leans on them a little too hard. Hire a contractor or handyman to fix the problem before your guests arrive.

Related: Halloween Lighting Decoration Ideas

#6 Use Friction Tape on Steps

Steps can get slippery in damp weather. Prepare by applying friction tape ($16 for a 60-foot roll of 1-inch-wide tape) to steps.

If your neighborhood is at risk for an early freeze, stock up on ice melt, too ($20 for a 50-lb. bag).

A related Halloween trick-or-treat safety tip: Clear your walk, steps, and stoop of any obstructions like potted plants – and even jack-o'-lanterns. Move them where no one can accidentally stumble on them.

#7 Clear the Curb — It's the Most Important Trick-or-Treat Safety Tip

Here's a scary statistic: Four times as many child pedestrians are killed on Halloween night than a normal night. Of all the trick-or-treat safety guidelines, this one could be the most important.

Reduce risks to little pedestrians by clearing parked cars from the curb for better visibility and placing a reflective “Watch for Children" sign at the edge of the road. On busy streets, consider having adults take turns maintaining safety in the street with a hand-held traffic control light.

Provided by National Association of Realtors House Logic

Small Home Storage: Maximize Your Storage Space

Your small home has more storage space than you think. For relatively little money but a lot of common sense and ingenuity, there’s space to be found.

Finding storage space in a small home doesn’t require remodeling or room additions. Start by getting rid of accumulated stuff. Take a hard look at room space, and buy furniture and storage items that can do double duty.

Here are six tips to maximize storage that won’t empty your savings account:

1. Declutter

It’s the first thing architect Sarah Susanka of “Not So Big House” tells clients who talk of expanding their homes. Haven’t used something for a couple of years? Pitch it, she says. You’ll be amazed at how much space opens up when you do.

Cost: $0

2. Platform and Bunk Beds

Add space and eliminate a dresser in a small bedroom with a three-drawer or six-drawer platform bed. Find one at a furniture or big department store, and online.

Cost: $225 to $600 and up, queen size

Bunk beds won’t have drawers, but you'll save space by stacking beds. And kids love ‘em. They come in a variety of styles and configurations. Some will convert to two twin beds.

Cost: $180 to $400 and up

3. Shoe Organizers

They’re for so much more than just shoes. Hang one in a kitchen closet or pantry, and use it as your small home catch-all for remotes, keys, notepads, cell phones, and chargers, and other household essentials. It’ll free up a kitchen drawer or two for other uses.

Cost: Less than $20

4. Toe-Kick Storage

The space under your kitchen cabinets is a treasure trove of storage possibilities. Put placemats, napkins, cookie sheets, and how-to manuals there. Hire a cabinet-maker to install them, or request them as a custom feature in a new cabinet order.

Cost: About $300 per drawer

5. Floor-to-Ceiling Storage

Furniture-style 6-foot-tall bookcases don’t use all available wall space. But extend shelving that extra two feet to the ceiling, and you’ve got room for a lot more books, knickknacks, or art objects. Home improvement stores have brackets and shelves in a variety of colors and sizes to match your décor.

Cost: Under $200, depending on the space size