Home Buyer's Safety and Convenience Checklist

Before making the major investment of buying a house, check the construction features for safety and convenience. This publication might help you correct those deficiencies that exist, or it might help you adapt your living habits to reduce the severity of possible hazards.

These pointers are meant only as guidelines and are not meant to override or replace local building codes for your area.

Fire and Emergency Considerations

• Each room on the ground floor or in a habitable basement needs at least one door to the outside or a window low enough and large enough to be used as an emergency exit.
• Each upper-floor room has a roof or deck outside for refuge in case of fire. If such features are not present, you can quickly lower a rope or chain ladder out a window.
• All bedroom and stairway doors are solid (without louvers).
• You can open all interior doors from either side.
• Basements, especially if you use them for recreation or other activities, are constructed of fire-resistant materials.
• Lights in closets are located where you cannot place combustibles against them.

Space and Water Heating Equipment

• Water heating equipment is provided with a temperature and/or pressure relief valve you can readily test.
• Discharges for pressure and temperature relief valves are piped near the floor.
• Fuel-consuming heating devices are vented to the outside, directly or through a chimney, and have draft hoods or dampers appropriate to the fuel being used.
• Heating equipment is in good condition and securely mounted in place with no rusted parts.
• Vent pipes are securely connected to chimneys and free of rust.
• Prefabricated or factory-assembled chimneys and vents bear the label of a nationally recognized testing laboratory (for example, Underwriters' Laboratories).
• Fuel lines do not extend into areas where they may be easily damaged or ruptured.
• Fueld shut-offs are legibly identified as such.
• Liquid-fuel containers are labeled by a nationally recognized testing agency.
• All fireplaces have operable dampers.

Electrical

• Overload protection is provided by circuit breakers or fuses.
• Outlets are of the three-hole, grounding type.
• Sufficient outlets are in every room.
• All electrical equipment bears the label of a nationally recognized testing agency.
• House is adequately wired with do-it-yourself wiring.
• Electrical service is of sufficient capacity to accommodate the expected equipment load.

Stairway and Halls

• Riser heights are uniform on each stairway.
• At least one, preferably two, handrails are provided for each stairway; rails are at a comfortable, convenient height.
• Stairs have good lighting without glare.
• Hallways are at least 3 feet wide with adequate lighting.
• Bannister spindles are placed close enough that a small child's head could not slip between them.
• Bannisters are designed to discourage climbing by youngsters.
• Controls for artificial light are located at the top and bottom of main stairs and at both ends of long hallways.
• Doors do not swing out over stairs.
• Clearance above stairways provides adequate headroom.

Kitchen

• Gas ovens, broilers, and rotisseries are equipped with automatic cut-off features in the event of flame failure.
• Sufficient grounded outlets are provided at counter and baseboard heights.
• Adequate lighting is provided for all work surfaces.
• Range is not located near a window.
• Exhaust hood of range is provided with filters that may be easily removed for cleaning.
• Built-in oven is easily accessible.
• Adequate storage is provided for potentially dangerous household substances.
• Exhaust fans discharge through ducts or directly to the outside and not into attic or other unused spaces.
• Traffic does not flow through kitchen work areas.

Bathrooms

• Bath and shower doors are glazed with safety glass or plastic.
• Bathtubs have flat, nonslip, or textured bottoms.
• Firm, unbreakable grab bars are installed in tub and shower enclosures.
• Towel bars and soap dishes are of durable materials, firmly installed.
• Shower is equipped with a temperature regulating valve.
• Bathroom floor has nonslip finish.
• Electric fixtures and switches are out of reach of the tub or shower enclosure.
• Ground fault circuit interrupters are near water sources.
• Faucet and valve handles are unbreakable.

Outside the House

• Porches, balconies, terraces, copings, window wells, and other elevations or depressions are protected by railings and bannisters.
• Hedges, trees, or shrubs are not placed so as to obscure view of the street from driveway or to hide presence of a child moving toward the driveway.
• Garage doors are of a type that are easy to operate.
• Wide-roof overhang or porches are at entrances for protection from rain.
• Sidewalks and driveway have rough finish to prevent slipping when wet and are graded to a slight slope to eliminate puddles of water or spots of ice.
• Adequate ventilation is provided for the garage.
• Site is generally well drained to prevent puddling, and finished grade slopes are away from house to avoid leakage around foundation.
• Swing-out (awning and casement) windows do not project over walks or other traffic areas.
• No steep drops in grade and sidewalks with no single steps.

Miscellaneous

• Patio or sliding glass doors and other large glass areas in hazardous locations are glazed with safety glass.
• Doors open against walls and do not interfere with floor traffic or other doors.
• Inside doors have no thresholds unless needed to maintain a level walking surface.

Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.

Publication 1204
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director