When purchasing a home, it’s easy to focus on the visible factors like paint and appliances, but it’s important to also consider elements that could impact your safety. Home inspections typically cover plumbing and wiring, but disaster resilience is often overlooked. With the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters due to climate change, it’s crucial to consider disaster preparedness when buying a home.
FLASH, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, released the first homebuyer’s guide to resilience against natural disasters in 2021. The guide addresses the shift in climate patterns and the need for preparedness. It’s important to understand the risks in your location and choose a home that is resilient to potential disasters.
Location and Home Resilience
Location is a key factor in a home’s value and safety. Every community faces risks from common hazards like wind, water, fire, and earthquakes. It’s essential to choose a home that is resilient to the specific hazards in your area. Factors like elevation and soil type can impact a home’s vulnerability to disasters.
Sturdy Construction for Disaster Resilience
Sturdy construction is essential for disaster resilience. Building codes and beyond-code standards like the FORTIFIED Home™ program provide additional protection against disasters. Understanding the construction standards in your area and the potential upgrades for disaster resilience is crucial when purchasing a home.
Buyer Beware
Real estate agents may not always provide information about disaster resilience, so it’s important for buyers to ask questions and seek out this information. FLASH provides a 10-step plan for resilient homeownership, which includes assembling a knowledgeable team, selecting a resilient community, choosing the right home, and securing financing for resilient upgrades.
