Moving house is a stressful experience – particularly when children are involved.

Barratt Homes North Thames has compiled a list of five top tips to help parents make their new home safe as soon as possible.

Glenn Copper, Sales Director at Barratt Homes North Thames, said: “With the popularity of Help to Buy, more and more newlyweds and young families are finding it easier to get onto the property ladder.

“In support of these younger homeowners we’ve decided to put together our five top tips to help homebuyers protect their babies from the most common causes of accidents in the home.”

1) Secure your stairs

Install safety gates on the stairs as soon as you can, even before your baby starts crawling. They will be up and about and looking to explore before you know it and preparation is always the best form of defence.

2) Keep electronics at bay

Make sure young children can safely explore around electronics by covering up plug sockets with caps or moving furniture in front. Use electrical tape or covers to ensure wires and cords aren’t available for your baby to grab or fall over.

3) Beware of strangulation

If you’ve got blinds on any of the windows, make sure you tie the cords or chains up well out of reach and never put a cot near a window with such a blind. Additionally, make sure all electrical wires and cords are kept tucked away and out of sight.

4) Keep poisons out of reach

Keep potentially harmful things, such as household cleaners, liquitabs and medication, out of reach and sight of young children. Just because these substances have child-safety caps, does not make them baby-proof. A locked cupboard high out of reach is the best and most secure place for them.

5) Decorate carefully

Make sure you stash breakable decorations out of reach and get rid of any harmful plants, no matter what they add to the character of the house. If you have decorations hanging on the wall, ensure they’re secured with heavy weight picture hooks and won’t fall off the wall.