Trick-or-treat is right around the corner. It won't be long before an endless stream of young kids are making their way onto your property. To ensure that those kids remain safe and to prevent any lawsuits from being filed against you, you must make sure that your property is properly maintained. 

Curious as to what type of home improvement projects this will require? Then read on. Here are 10 home improvement tips to prepare for trick or treaters this Halloween. 

1. Clear All Walkways

Kids aren't known for their coordination. In fact, they tend to make a hobby out of tripping, slipping, and falling. As such, when Halloween night comes 'round, you need to create as slip-free an environment as possible. 

The key way to do this is to clear all of your walkways. This includes everything from your patio, to your front porch, to the stone paths on your property, to the sidewalks in front of your property, and otherwise. 

Not only should your clear these walkways of any debris, but you should also consider giving them a deep scrub-down. Scrubbing residue from a walkway can help in allowing its natural traction to arise. The more traction your walkways have, the less risk there is of kids slipping and falling on them. 

If your walkways are especially deteriorated, you might even consider having them repaired professionally. A new layer of asphalt or cement will not only improve the functionality of your walkways but the aesthetic of your walkways as well. 

2. Secure Railing 

Another thing you'll want to do before trick or treaters grace your doorstep is to secure the railings on your front patio and walkways. This way, there's no risk of your railings collapsing as a result of kids hanging or leaning on them. 

See, railings become less secure over time. Either their screws loosen, or their foundation starts to crumble, or some other functional problem arises. The more deterioration they face, the greater chance they have of falling apart entirely. 

Generally, all you'll need to do to secure railings is to retighten loose screws. However, there's also a chance that you'll need to apply additional concrete. Fortunately, both of these projects are fairly quick fixes. 

3. Turn Off the Security System 

Do you have a security system on your property? If so, and if you want to avoid a catastrophe on Halloween night, you need to make sure that you turn it off before trick or treaters arrive. Failure to turn your security system off could result in a number of unintended consequences. 

While trick or treaters won't necessarily set off your security system, there's always a chance that one could open your door uninvited. This could very easily prompt your security system, triggering an alert to the police, and resulting in the cops showing up at your house. 

Fortunately, it's very easy to deactivate a home security system. The key is in remembering to do so. 

4. Optimize Light 

Yes, Halloween is traditionally known as a time for darkness and gloom. However, when it comes to preparing your property for trick or treaters, darkness is the last thing you want to utilize. After all, the darker your property is, the harder time kids are going to have of navigating it, and the higher risk there will be of someone getting injured. 

So, instead of darkness, you should be optimizing the light on your property. Not only should you turn on your porch lights, but you should also consider lining your walkways with LED lights as well.

You could even consider installing motion sensor floodlights. They'll be useful on Halloween night and beyond, not only by supplying ample light to guide your way but by alerting you when someone is on your property. 

5. Keep Pets Confined

Everyone loves their pets. Everyone would love to have their pets around them on Halloween. However, pets and trick or treaters don't often mix well. 

Why? Because kids have a tendency to be insensitive toward animals, and animals have a tendency to react in aggressive ways. As such, when Halloween comes around, you need to make sure that your pets are safely confined. 

There are a few ways to accomplish this. One option is to just keep them indoors, far away from any trick or treater who may pass by. Another option is to install a fence, allowing them to roam relatively free, but ultimately keeping them from biting or attacking young kids. 

Regardless of what you do, you need to keep your pets separated from trick or treaters, not only to keep both parties safe but to prevent any lawsuits from being filed against you. 

6. Break Out the Halloween Decor 

If you want the kids to have a good time on Halloween night, you have to get in on the act. No kid wants to show up to a picturesque but boring house while trick or treating. The kids want excitement and they want it in the way of Halloween decorations. 

So, if you want your house to be a hit, you should start decorating it for the occasion sooner rather than later. Hang those fake cobwebs, carve up those jack-o-lanterns, strategically position those skeletons, and do whatever else you feel compelled to do in order to bring a festive atmosphere to your property. 

The kids will appreciate the effort and will almost undoubtedly stop by your house for a treat or two. 

7. Avoid Terrifying Decorations

While decorating your house for the holiday is a good thing, you don't want to get too intense with it. Ultimately, trick or treat is an event for young kids. As such, you don't want to use decorations that are truly terrifying. 

Should a trick or treater become frightened by one of your decorations, he or she could run, leading to tripping, falling, and maybe even injury. Not only would this be unfortunate for the child, but it could also result in a lawsuit for you. 

So, avoid surprises. Avoid scary voices. Avoid anything that could send shivers down the spine of a young child. 

Opt for the basics: cartoonish ghosts, outlines of bats, witch hats, black cats, and the like. And pumpkins . . . always remember the pumpkins. 

8. Park Your Vehicles in the Garage  

Kids can be destructive. This is true whether they're 4 or 14. For this reason, you're advised to park your vehicles in the garage on Halloween night. 

Parking your vehicles in the garage could save them from many different forms of vandalism. This includes everything from egging to paint scratching to tire slashing and more. 

Don't have a garage? This would be the perfect time to build one. While it will certainly be expensive, it could ultimately transform the functionality of your property. 

Not to mention, if you ever decide to sell your home, a garage would up its value substantially. 

9. Refrain from Using Candles 

Nothing brings the candles out quite like Halloween. Not only are candles burnt on their own for dramatic and aesthetic effect, but they're also burnt inside of jack-o-lanterns in order to provide an unmistakable glow. 

However, while candles can go a long way in making your house stand out on Halloween day, you're advised to refrain from using them. Why? The answer is obvious: they're fire hazards. 

The more candles you have burning on your property, the greater the chance there is of a trick or treater knocking one over. This could lead to a full-out flame, thus leading to irreparable property damage . . . or maybe even injury. 

The solution? LED lights! LED lamps and LED jack-o-lantern lights are terrific and safe alternatives to natural flames. 

10. Install Friction Tape  

One last measure to take before allowing trick or treaters on your property is to install friction tape on your walkways. Friction tape is a textured tape that provides additional traction, reducing the risk of slips and falls. 

By placing friction tape on your walkways, your porch steps, and other such entities, you work to ensure that trick or treaters stay on their feet. By keeping trick or treaters on their feet, you stave off injury, thus staving off lawsuits as well. 

Make Life Easy for Your Trick or Treaters

Halloween is a great night for kids to dress up and have a little fun. You don't want to spoil that fun by failing to accommodate their arrival. Utilizing the above-reviewed home improvement tips will optimize safety and maximize fun, ensuring a fun and fulfilling night for trick or treaters. 

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