Reading time: 6 minutes  When vipHome Podcast Host Caroline Brenneis brought home Zoey, her mini-Australian Labradoodle puppy, she wanted to make sure her new furbaby stayed safe. But whether you're getting your first – or fifth! – pet, it's important to know the tips and tricks to keeping your pet safe when you're home or at work. That's why ...

Reading time: 5 minutes Housewarming gifts help a new house feel like a home. This is especially important when it comes to a first home, but what do your friends or family actually need? Sure, a candle or a bottle wine is a great gift, but is it something that they'll use to maintain or improve the home? Check out this list of the best gifts for n...

Fire safety is always paramount, but now that you're spending a bit more time inside your home, it's imperative that you follow the proper fire safety procedures to make sure you and your family stay safe. Since we strive to "prevent the preventable" here at vipHomeLink, we reached out to Susan McKelvey of the National Fire Protection Associat...

Let's be honest. There's almost as many love songs about your home as your significant other. From the New Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen to country superstar Shaina Twain, people just love singing about where they hang their hat, but how much do they actually take care of it? This Valentine's Day, we have 14 ways that you can show love for y...

Reading time: 3 minutes Space heaters can keep your toes warm, but they can put your home in danger. In fact, the National Fire Protection Association found space heaters are the leading cause of home fires when heating equipment is the culprit. "When you start to get into the colder months, we always want to tell people to really be mindful a...

Nothing warms you up on a cold winter's night quite like a fireplace. Though gas fireplaces have become safer in the last 20 years with shut-off devices and oxygen depletion sensors, homeowners still need to practice safety procedures, but when they should be worried? We spoke with Paul Pirro from PSE&G's Appliance Service to learn the signs th...

Hot cocoa, falling snow, a crackling fire – that's the picture-perfect winter scene, isn't it? You can get it with a push of a button thanks to gas fireplaces, but any time you start a fire in your home, safety should be the highest priority. To learn how to reduce the risk of danger and prevent an unwanted house fire, we spoke with Paul Pirro...

Reading time: 3 minutes ​ It's not surprising that most home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving, followed closely by Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and the day before Thanksgiving. In fact, the National Fire Protection Association found that fire departments responded to an estimated 1,570 home cooking fires in 2016 alone. Over a 10-year perio...

Saving lives from house fires is as simple as a few batteries, a handful of alarms, and some metaphorical elbow grease. Here's what you need to know. Firefighters, Smokey the Bear, and Sparky the Fire Dog all tell you the same thing: Most house fires are preventable. Not to put you in the hot seat when it comes to the "only you can...." messag...

Reading time: 3 minutes You're burning daylight. With the usual suspects—Jack Frost, snow, and higher utility bills—arriving sooner rather than later, you need to prepare your home for those long, cold winter nights. We have a list of afforadable home heating systems maintenance that is so quick and easy, you might be able to complete it ...

We all know the importance of having smoke detectors, but who among us has not disconnected one due to that low battery chirping or because it went off while you were cooking? Temporarily disconnecting your smoke detector may not seem like a big deal at the time, but often those low batteries won't get replaced or reconnected after the smoke-filled...