These days, a residential complex stay is quite a trend that’s catching up. With the scarcity of space and life on the run, buyers prefer investing in residential complexes for ease of time and hassle-free affair. Now, before one goes ahead with their purchase decision, it is utmost necessary that one runs some amount of due diligence. Gauging the area of the flat in square feet, the number of rooms, bathrooms, along with a host of other amenities to ensure you and your family stay happy all the time. But what about safety? Have you done enough to check if the safety features are strong? Here’s a look at six such features which are absolutely necessary before you take a purchase decision.
Windows & Doors
There’s no denying that windows and doors are the primary points of access for one and all criminals. If you are investing in purchasing an old apartment, with windows that are double hung, you should unlock and open all windows to check if they function well. While you are at it, you should also check the locks on them. Are they stable and secure? Do you feel an outsider can jimmy open the lock quickly and gain access with a simple tool like a screwdriver? If you are confused, let your smartphone camera help you. Take a close shot for the window locks and take them to a good and trusted locksmith to have it checked. If the apartment has tinted windows, you might need to invest for a little extra security for lock handles and add-on bars. If the windows are in terrible shape, you should factor the cost of each window modification and adjust the same against the purchase price.
For doors, one should start by checking whether it has a one-inch deadbolt at least, fixed right against a steel or wooden doorframe. Exterior doors should always be made of steel or wood and shouldn’t be one that bears a hollow core. For doors with glass panes, it is necessary to have a key-in deadbolt to help stop criminals from breaking and entering.
Rise and Staircases
Staircases, one step or two step transitions connect one area to another within your apartment. Hence, durability is of paramount concern for firm gripping. While checking for the stairs, start with the width of the tread. The safest and most comfortable tread for any average individual measures somewhere around ten to eleven inches. Next, one should check for the rise (when vertically measured from one stair width to other). For a short-height person, higher rise in stairs could be a problem and could lead to accidents when climbing the stairs.
Brick, Stones, and Marbles
It’s easy to be bewitched by a stunning piece of marble or stones that go into making the design of your house. However, there are certain things that you need to be sure of. Are they strong enough? Can they withstand heavy or unpleasant weather? Is there strong support that can counterbalance your body weight if you were to fall? As such, most stones tend to become slippery when they get wet. With time, the durability lessens, and it becomes difficult to walk on them. On the other hand, bricks especially that lie in the shady areas, demands extra care to keep the growth of mosses and algae. If you are planning to invest in the residential complex where your family comprises of older people or even kids for that matter, this is a vital checkpoint to mull over.
The Lighting
Contrary to what many believe, lighting is not just to add definition to inner and outer space or to help see things in the dark. They are an integral part of safety features within a residential complex which can help manage any slip or fall, especially when the dwellers are senior citizens or kids. Certain areas in a residential apartment should have lights pre-installed or provision been made right from the start. Such areas include the hallways and the room corner. A good way to check for the amount of natural light present is to visit your property at night and check for a few things:
• Is there enough light to have a sketchy view of things around?
• Are you able to see your way through the entrance, or is it too poorly lit?
• Is there enough light to help find the lock in the dark and put your keys?
These are interesting questions and would help you to gauge on the security issues where lighting plays a significant role.
Landscaping
Landscaping of a residential complex has a lot to do from the security standpoint. Sure, everyone loves a good view but the presence of bushes as well as trees all around help hide your apartment from being a target to burglars and other criminals. However, double check on the distance of the tall trees from the apartment as they might be a threat to you during bad weather. Ensure, the residential complex has a professional landscaping maintenance team in place to take care of trimming and check on the general health of the trees present on the property. It is for all-around good as the presence of a tree closer to your apartment might not be a significant issue to you but can trouble your nearby apartment as well.
Electricity
A majority of us take the availability of power for granted. The general notion is if there’s power available, then it must have been working fine. Sure, your home provider will ensure you have everything in place, but you have to ensure that you run a check across each room and count the number of electrical outlets that have been provided. Tally the same with the number of electrical appliances that you might need to plug in. Ask yourself. Are they enough? Or do you need even more outlets? If you do need more than ’what’s provided, reach out to your builder contact person immediately. Also, do not accept any work that has undone wires hanging out of the electrical box, as they might be a source of hazard at any point in time.
Once you have checked on all security features satisfactorily, only then you should make up your mind to invest in the property. Don’t rush things. Think about it. This is the property that you might have been saving for, and hence, every single step is crucial before your purchase decision.