What kind of protection would you want for your house when the recognizable world suddenly becomes surreal and terrifying? That’s the question that is asked in every end-of-the-world scenario movie and TV show, and this week, Californians have one more reason to think about it. The hit AMC apocalyptic zombie show The Walking Dead debuted its first spinoff last weekend. Fear The Walking Dead brings us to the beginning of the end and places its characters down in sunny Los Angeles, unaware of the nightmare that is about to consume their lives.
It’s a terrifying scenario, to be sure, but Californians don’t really have to stretch their imaginations or conjure up supernatural brain-eating ghouls in order to picture an emergency scenario. We know that between earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, crime, and other potential disasters, there is enough to keep us up at night. Homeowners want to know that they have a solid level of safety. This is why a real estate investor working on a residential rehab project should know how to use their hard money loan from Socotra to make a home a little more secure. There are a few ways you can do that without breaking the bank, and without turning someone’s potential home into a fortress.
Scenario One: Tripping The Alarms
One of the worst parts of any zombie invasion is not being able to get a good night’s sleep. Even if you are in your house, you always have to be half-awake so that you can tell if the undead are trying to break in. Luckily, these days, knowing what is going on outside the house is easier than ever. When preparing a house for the market, setting up a series of smart cameras that can be accessed by a phone or a laptop is extremely easy and affordable. These are convenient and non-intrusive, and can be linked up with a smart alert system that let’s you know when something untoward is happening. You don’t need a team of security guards staring at fuzzy TV screens monitoring what is happening—you can get a notification on your smartphone when someone is approaching or if a window breaks. Additionally, a home with a security system can get anywhere from 5-20% knocked off their homeowner’s insurance, depending on the insurer and type of system. This is a great incentive for a potential buyer.
Scenario Two: A Sturdy House For Any Occasion
If you’re new to such a thing, you might think that the apocalypse is pretty easy. You can handle a zombie, and if there are just a couple, it isn’t like they can knock your house down. But what happens when there are thousands, pushing on your house and threatening to bring it to the ground? It’s almost like facing an earthquake! At that point, a homeowner will be glad if the house they bought underwent a seismic retrofit, which can involve procedures as relatively simple as foundation bolting, installing foundation brackets, and cripple wall bracing. Potential homeowners will be very grateful to know that their house is protected against some of California’s most dangerous and unpredictable disasters, and that no matter what, they won’t get knocked down.
Scenario Three: Fire Safety First
As of this writing, wildfires are affecting 28,979 acres in California alone. California’s dry climate and minimal rainfall mean that extra precautions must be taken by homeowners to ensure the safety of their homes from the danger of a blaze. A home sprinkler system is a moderately inexpensive way to provide protection for your home in case of a fire. The National Fire Protections Association estimated the cost of home fire sprinkler systems at $1.61 per square foot, but potentially as low as 38 cents. That is a pretty good cost when selling peace of mind. Installing these shows a homeowner that you are thinking ahead, and protecting them in ways they may not have already considered.
Scenario Four: Taking Cover Underground
Of course, no matter what the emergency, it’s always good to have a fully equipped basement to retreat to. Basements are great shelters during storms, and contrary to popular myths, are surprisingly safe during earthquakes: basement walls tend to be well-reinforced and not as likely to collapse, and provide a stronger foundation to the house as a whole. An up-to-code basement can actually elevate a house to the highest level of earthquake protection, and a finished basement is a great way to add even more value to your property. Even something as simple as installing new flooring and a bathroom, as well as insulation in the walls, gives a buyer a better chance of imagining a basement as a livable, fully-functioning part of a safer, more sturdy home, which makes them more likely to buy.
We don’t want to make light of disasters. The problem is that we never think about them until it is too late, or unless we are watching TV. There’s a pretty small chance of zombies coming around and messing up your day, but we know there are a lot of other scenarios that could alter our lives. It’s important to be prepared for them, and preparing your residential rehab for anything makes it much more valuable on the market. It’s a great use of your equity-based hard-money loan from Socotra, California’s leading lender. So you don’t need to fear the walking dead. But preparing your residential rehab for danger can be the difference between making a sale or having it sit on the listings for months: the undead property that won’t go away.