Studies show that homeowners who live in coastal areas are willing to pay more for hurricane protection and peace of mind. In addition to providing buyers with a hurricane-resistant home, give them information about what to do after a hurricane strikes to ensure their health and safety.

Make sure homeowners are aware of what needs to be inspected and what precautions they should take before entering their home. Here are some good rules of thumb.

• HVAC: They should have the heating and cooling system checked by a service technician before running it. If water has entered the system, mold can be blown through the home if the system is turned on.
• Electricity: If the electricity is off, homeowners should have a portable generator on hand to power equipment and remove standing water.
• Water removal: In the basement or crawlspace, you can remove standing water by using a wet-dry shop vacuum, an electric-powered water transfer pump, or a sump pump.
• Drying out and freshening the air: To aid drying, open windows and doors, and use fans and dehumidifiers. Fans should be placed at windows and doors to blow air out of the home.

For more information on protecting your homes and homeowners from hurricanes, visit FEMA's website or read our related article, “Riding out the Storm: Protecting homes from hurricane damage.”

Have other concerns about water intrusion? Sign your team up for BuildIQ University’s new Water Management Suite of online courses.