If you want to ensure your home is as secure as possible, follow these important steps to protect your home and family. Following these six crucial steps to protect your home may save you from theft and break-ins.
Secure Doors and Windows
One of the most vital factors in keeping your home safe is having sturdy and reliable doors and windows. It may surprise you how easily burglars pick locks and kick-in doors, so consider having heavy-duty doors and locks.
For a secure door, consider getting a custom metal door that will be practically impenetrable to the common thief. These doors are secure without sacrificing aesthetics, so you can have a beautiful front door that also keeps you and your family safe.
In addition, choose the most difficult style of window to open from the outside. Secure windows include designs like the casement style. There are also polycarbonate safety shields that you can install over your windows for added protection.
Install Video Surveillance
Today, there are small and affordable security cameras to position outside and around your property. Home security systems come in a range of sizes, quality, and effectiveness.
There is some must-know information on home security systems. The information will help you determine the best setup for your property.
Video surveillance systems are no longer a high-tech tool for banks and malls. They are now available to the public, and if you’re concerned about the security of your home, buying one will give you some peace of mind.
The At-Home Illusion
The at-home illusion means you leave a light on or the TV playing, so it appears that someone is home.
Almost nothing is more attractive to a home invader than a pitch-black house with no cars in the driveway. Leaving electronics on deters break-ins as thieves often don’t want to risk a run-in with a home resident.
You may feel this is a waste of energy, but leaving one or two lights on can save you from a world of stress. Suffering from a home break-in will leave you riddled with paranoia and discomfort.
Use Lights Outside
Another effective method for deterring home invaders is to install bright lights outside your property. The best place for these is on your front porch or by your front door, but if you’re willing to buy more lights, you can surround your property with them.
Automatic lights that detect motion and turn on are excellent because they startle people and create the illusion that someone saw them. If a thief feels caught or seen, they’ll likely move away from your home.
For intense lighting, buy floodlights, They are powerful and jarring, but you may get some complaints from your neighbors.
Habitually Lock Everything
You may be thinking that you already do this, but there are many locks to consider that you may forget.
Always lock all your doors and windows around your house. You should lock second-floor windows if they aren’t in use because you never know the lengths a thief will go to enter your home.
Some places you may forget to lock are your garage, your car, any sheds on the property, your mailbox if possible, and a safe if you have one.
Hide Valuables and Keys Well
It’s best not to have valuable items lying around your house, especially where they are visible from outside your home. Expensive jewelry, paperwork, and other valuables should be stored away and out of sight.
If you have particularly expensive or meaningful items, consider buying a security safe to store those items.
Another item to hide well is a hide-a-key if you have one. Do not put your hide-a-key above door frames, under rocks, or other common places. Do your best to choose a very unique and inconspicuous location. If a hide-a-key isn’t necessary, it’s ideal not to have one outside at all.
Forbes reported that in the next 20 years, 75% of homes will be broken into and 75% of homeowners currently have no security system.
If you don’t want to be one of the million Americans victims of a home burglary, don’t wait to take the steps to protect your home and family.
