How safe is your home? The safety of your home starts with the measures you undertake to enhance it. Living in a populated area can feel unsafe if you depend on a mere gatekeeper. According to statistics, more than 1000 inhabitants were raided in 2015. The numbers keep on rising every day as the rate of unemployment worsens. What should you do to ascertain that your home is not the next target? Find out more!
Maintain locks on your external doors
Most people assume that since the main gate of an apartment remains locked, their homes are safe. Most causes of home invasions are inside jobs. Therefore, lock all your doors even if you need to go to the shop. You never know who is watching. You balcony doors, as well as garage doors, should also remain locked.
Take care of external windows
It is easy for a burglar to get in through a sliding door or an external window. A thief may move to windows after realizing that your door is locked. You can supplement a sliding door that does not hold in position with a metal rod to keep it tight enough.
Put some lights outside
Place a bright light on the entrance of your home. Your backyard should also have some flood lights to keep off thieves. A timer can create an impression of occupancy within the home. Any burglar would be intimidated by flashing lights since you can monitor visible movements around your compound.
Avoid sticky notes on your door
A sticky pad on your door can fall into the wrong hands. You may be intending to pass a message to your husband using the sign but end up giving information to a nosy stranger. They can tell for how long you will be gone and take advantage of it. If you need to give an urgent message to someone you live with, reach them via phone instead.
Close your curtains while on the move
Snoopers start planning on invading by peeping through the curtains to determine the worth of your items. Close your blinds even if you will be away for one day to avoid such incidences.
Avoid dropping a spare key outside your house
This is another mistake that most of us make. We fear to lose our keys, therefore, use doormats and plants around the house to hide a spare. This trick is well known to intruders, and they will probably check for such areas. You can alternatively pass your spare key to a friend or a family member whom you can reach easily instead of making it obvious. You can always make duplicate keys using key machines from companies such as CLK Supplies.
Play music as you maintain the lights while out
Leave your electronics playing music when you are out. Any intruder will think twice about invading. It gives them the impression that there are people at home thus they can keep off.
Make use of your friend
Let your friend stay at your house if you have to travel for a while. They can continue with your routine such as checking the mailbox or removing your garbage. It keeps off thieves since your house does not appear empty. In case your friend is busy, house sitters are available to watch your home.
Take care of your overgrown hedges
Trimming your hedges and cutting down grass will make you not to be a target for thieves. They believe that your house is occupied due to such activities. A tidy home that has a presentable surrounding is a no-go-zone for thieves.
Let your home warranty take care of doorbells
Enhance your security by installing or repairing doorbells through your home warranty. According to American home shield reviews, you can get a new doorbell form the company at low prices. The service providers can also install security alarms for you so that your home feel safe. Such a signal can scare off burglars since it can inform the authorities even if you are on vacation.
Get a dog
This pet can be both your best companion as well as your security guard. Dogs have a high intelligence to detect robbers and can alert you of any suspicious activities at night. Sometimes, the sign of “beware of dogs” can scare away thieves. Dog bowls around the entrance of your house can also make a thief turn back.
Get rid of things that reveal your worth
Do not make it visible for anyone to know the expensive items you buy through the boxes in your trash. Burn all electronic boxes in your trash to avoid drawing unnecessary attention from people with ill motives. You can also break down these boxes and seal them in garbage bag awaiting collection.
Replace your locks
Losing a key can be frustrating, but the situation can get worse if you don’t replace your locks in this case. You never know where your key landed and if someone may use it to access your home. As you get another key, adjust your locks. Replacing the bolts once you change apartments will prevent you from burglary. The previous tenant might have handed over spare keys to other people who are strangers to you.
Adjust your screws
Some thieves use the kicking in mechanisms to get in a home. Replacing short screws with long ones makes it hard for them to use this method. Check out for long screws in your nearby shop and double the security.
Install a camera
Place a camera outside your home so that you can monitor what is happening around your compound. Thieves always try to escape from cameras since someone might be watching. You can have one at the entrance and another one inside the house.
Avoid advertising
In as much as technology is useful, posting pictures while you are on vacation can make your home a target for thieves. Keep calm and post the pictures after you are back home.
Final thoughts
The security of your home depends on you. Before you can blame the police for not doing their job, ask yourself if you have tried the measures above. They are useful tips that will make you feel safe at all times.
