When purchasing a home, it is difficult to ignore very visible factors such as paints and appliances, but it is easy to overlook factors that can affect your own safety. So there is a home inspection to check your plumbing and wiring before you buy. But there is one thing that even many inspectors usually overlook – disaster resilience. With climate change, disasters of all kinds are more common, so considering disaster preparation before buying a home, it’s not just a good idea.
Flash is the federal alliance of Safe Homes, a consumer advocacy group for home buyers. In 2021, they released their first one HomeBuyer’s A guide to resilience to natural disasters. At 20th It seems that this kind of guide is not much needed in the century. If you lived in California, there were stricter building standards to protect you from earthquakes. If you lived in Tornado alleys, you knew you would look for route cellars and other underground shelters at future facilities. But for most people, natural disasters were far too rare to plan.
However, climate change has increased both the frequency and severity of natural disasters. the It’s hotter than everand Heat waves kill more people More than any other form of extreme weather. Almost everything Hurricane season Record-breaking and flood risk has increased, and now the Wildfire season is most of the year. This means that no matter where you live, it matters prepare To withstand and recover from various natural disasters. Perhaps the most important time to focus on resilience is when you are buying a home.
Location and home resilience
Home buyers already know that location is the most important factor in the value of a home. But it is also a key component of home safety. Every community has some risk from the most common hazards, including wind, water, fires, and earthquakes. In fact, it’s not a problem if any of these risks occur, but in some places it can usually be slower.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t necessarily do that job in Texas. However, you should be aware of the local risks and choose your home accordingly. A few feet of elevation can make world difference in flood zones. The underlying soil type is susceptible to liquefaction during an earthquake while shaking a mile away. Look for signs of community resilience, like recruitment and updated emergency response plans. Adoption and enforcement of the current model building code. Participation in Community Assessment System (The FEMA mapping project is currently being tailored to comply with guidelines issued by the Trump administration in January 2025); and designation as a NOAA STORMREADY Community.
Sturdy construction for disaster resilience
Since no location is immune to disasters, a robust construction complements your site selection. Of course, you want a solid home, as it will be cheaper and more comfortable to live in. So despite the cost and frustration of allowing the process, building codes are a very important protection for homeowners.
Not all code is written equally (and some locations are more risky than others), so it’s a standard that goes beyond the code, etc. Fortified Home™ The program offers additional protection that can dry out your home in a hurricane. Different construction solutions will help depending on the most likely disaster where your home is located. Tested and approved to meet the International Code Council 500 Standard, safe rooms can withstand winds of up to 250 mph and could add 3.5% to the value of your Oklahoma home. But it’s better to spend your money on snowy Maine roofs.
precte2protect The website provides information on current building standards across the country. Using the zip code and construction date of your home you are considering, you can use this website to discover a list of disaster history in your area, the construction standards that the home may have been built, and the most relevant resilience upgrades of homes of that age at that age.
Buyers should be careful
Don’t assume that your real estate agent doesn’t share or even know important disaster resilience factors when showing you home. Many states are weak Disclosure Actor not at all, so ask questions about the resilience of real estate agents, home inspectors, mortgage brokers and insurance agents. And be prepared to continue asking until you get the answer. Requests that the inspector should use it Specific disaster checklist That’s the risk of a community with a home.
BuildingResilient.com offers a 10 Step Plan For resilient homeowners:
- Build a knowledgeable team
- Choose a resilient community
- Choose the perfect home for you
- Create budgets and safe funding that allow for resilient upgrades
- Enter offers with resilience contingencies
- Get a home inspection and rating
- Find the right insurance
- Go home
- Keep the house
- Plan and save future upgrades
Read part 2 of this two-part series: Make your home more resilient to disasters
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on October 26th, 2021 and updated in April 2025.
If you live in an area where there are frequent natural disaster events and are interested in making your home more resilient to blackouts, consider adding solar and battery storage systems. Check it out to find a reliable, reliable solar installer nearby that offers competitive pricing EnergyA free service that allows you to easily get to solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers to compete for your business, so you can get a high quality solution and save 20-30% compared to going alone. Additionally, you can use it freely and will not receive sales calls until you select the installer and share your phone number. Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and access unbiased energy advisors to help you with every step of the way. Let’s get started here.
