Did you know that 88% of all burglaries are residential in nature? Furthermore, within the next 20 years, 3 out of 4 homes will be broken into at some point. Your home should be your sanctuary. It is a place where your memories are made and relaxing evenings by the fire quench the day’s stresses. Yet, if your home is not safe, can you really be relaxed after a long day at work? Likely not.
If your home is not properly protected against burglars, your sense of security will be compromised. Yet, all you need to do is follow a few simple home security tips and tricks to ensure your belongings and, most of all, well being, are protected. Prevention begins outside your home from the moment someone lays eyes on it.
Have you ever walked around your property with a critical eye to evaluate changes that need to be made? If not, we want to provide you with an essential checklist to ensure your home, belongings, and well being stay safe no matter the day of the month or time of day.
How to Secure Your Home
First, as you look around your property, ask yourself: “Do thieves have places to hide?” If you have overgrown trees or bushes, thieves can easily conceal themselves as they wait to strike. Be especially mindful of trees, bushes, or hedges that are high enough to block a window. All a thief needs is a high bush to lurk in as they work on breaking into your window.
You may also want to evaluate the lighting around your property. Are there dark spots that might allow a thief to break into your home under the cover of night? And are your entrances well-lit? Motion detection spotlights are a fantastic deterrent. The last thing a thief wants is for a bright light to suddenly activate as they are lurking in the darkness.
Securing your home is about more than lights and bushes; it is also about what you do. The last thing you ever want to do is let a thief know you are not home. Are you planning a big vacation? If so, don’t shout it from the rooftops. This is especially true if your social media accounts are not set to private. If you post from the airport that you are leaving town on a public profile, you are just asking for trouble.
You also want to make sure that your mail doesn’t stack up in your mailbox. Have a trusted friend or family member come over and pick up the mail for you because thieves look for those kinds of cues. Conversely, the best way to tell a thief to stay away is with a lit interior. Do you have your lights set to a timer? Because having lights on keeps thieves guessing.
Home Security Systems to the Rescue
While a home security system may not necessarily keep a burglar from getting inside your home, it will deter them rather quickly and bring police or a security officer to the scene. This will limit what a thief can get away with in a short amount of time. Furthermore, you want to make sure your home security system is engaged whether you are away from home or at home. Do not discount a thief’s ability to break into one part of your home while you are busy in another.
Installing a home security system also provides tangible financial benefits. Why? Because many insurance companies will provide a discount on home insurance premiums when a security system is installed. Preventing theft is important, but so is saving money on the front end.
Effective locks are critical to your home’s security. When was the last time you changed your locks? Because if you are a new home owner, your first order of business should be to change the locks. Simply put, you have no idea who is out there with a key just waiting to break in to your nice, new home.
In the end, your home’e security is entirely up to you. The question is, do you have it at the front of your mind?