Knowing your home is safe and secure provides peace of mind and improves your overall quality of life. The house where you and your family (if applicable) live is most likely your highest valued asset. Doing everything possible to protect it makes sense but do expensive home surveillance systems alone provide enough protection? What are some simple ways to beef up security in your home?
Your priority is to protect the people you love and the possessions you value. Engaging in DIY safety practices in tandem with purchasing a high-quality affordable home security system helps make better protection for your home and family a reality. What devices and safety practices help improve the security of your home? What are the best tips and tricks to keep your home safe inside & out? Read ahead for helpful information on simple ways to beef up your home security today.
Defining What Home Security Means to You
The general concept of security includes peace-of-mind and the comfortable feeling no harm, danger or loss is imminent. What does home security mean specifically to you, however? Many potential threats to your home exist and not all involve break-ins or other human actions. Do you live in a natural flood zone? Do you heat your home or cook with gas? Natural gas leaks potentially lead to explosions and fires. Carbon monoxide leaks are toxic and potentially fatal. All of these situations are detectible by basic home alarm and monitoring systems, which alert you to the threats and provide enough time to take protective action.
Attempted home burglaries or invasions also happen every thirteen seconds across the U.S. today. Houses without some type of surveillance or security system have a three hundred percent increased risk of experiencing some type of invasion and/or forced entry. Simply put, purchasing a high-quality affordable home security system combined with DIY safety practices helps secure your home from multiple types of daily threats.
Home Security Statistics
Understanding the facts about home alarm & surveillance systems helps you come to terms with the necessity of adapting to DIY safety practices. One school of thought is the visibility of a home surveillance system alerts criminals casing homes to the presence of high-value items inside. While this might be true, statistics about home security systems deterring crimes paint a much more comforting picture. For example, sixty percent of burglars casing homes will choose a different home to enter than one having visible signs of alarm or surveillance systems present. Fifty percent of burglaries in process are aborted when a criminal discovers a home security system (inside or out). Sixteen percent of criminals committing home invasions are deterred when outdoor lighting is triggered. Finally, the majority of criminals completely abort a break-in when any audible home alarm is triggered.
Home Security Tips
Taking precautions to protect your home involves research, outside assistance and daily hands-on practices. Knowing what your home needs to make it as safe as possible is the first place to start. Knowing your surroundings, neighbors and neighborhood is also important, as is installing simple security/sensor devices and using common sense safety methods.
Tip #1 – The Home Security Audit
The first tip for beefing up your overall home security is to hire a professional security installation service to perform a home security audit. A home security audit reveals weak and vulnerable locations in and around your home. This tells you where alarms, sensors and surveillance will be most useful. Many companies offer free estimates although some do charge separately for comprehensive auditing services. What if paying for a third-party home security audit is not in your budget? Your local police department might also offer similar security audit services at no charge. Learning valuable DIY home safety practices is also free and recommended.
Tip #2 – Purchase a Home Security/Surveillance System
After learning where your home is weakest, purchase a home security/surveillance system to bolster its overall safety and security. The Brinks Smart Security Essentials is priced at $199 (up front) plus a monthly $39.99/month monitoring service fee. The Ring 2nd Gen 5-Piece Alarm Security Kit has an MSRP of $159.99 and protects one main door or window, while also providing motion sensor capabilities in other areas of your residence.
Tip #3 – Protect/Hide Keys & Door Openers
Do not leave hidden keys outside under mats, rocks or other unsecured devices. Use a keychain remote for your garage door instead of one visibly attached to a visor in your car. Most people keep vehicle registration/insurance information in glove boxes, both of which contain a home address. A visible garage door opener is an invitation for burglars to find and enter your home.
Tip #4 – Know Your Neighborhood (and your neighbors)
Knowing your neighborhood helps you understand what to expect when you are away from home or sleeping. Reading daily police blotters gives you valuable information about the types & locations of crimes committed near your home. Getting to know your neighbors adds an extra layer of general security because friends watch out for friends when potential threats appear to be nearby.
Additional Home Safety Practices Tips & Tricks
- Install motion sensor activated outdoor lighting.
- Install timers so lights are on at random times while you are away.
- Keep valuables away from windows, doors & other entry points.
- Replace weak locks with modern ones made with reinforced steel plates.
- Install motion sensors on all windows.
- Add a reinforced padlock at the top of your garage door.
- Get a dog.
- Establish & practice a family home safety routine.
- Bring your mail inside every day.
- Purchase a locked mailbox/mail slot.
- Place a home security system sign in your yard & stickers on your windows.
- Install wired or wireless cameras.
- Install deadbolt protection devices.
- Place metal or wooden bars at the bottom of sliding doors.
- Place high-dollar valuables and important paperwork in a safe.
- Reinforce/secure door hinges.
- Install tamper-proof screws requiring special tools for removal.
- Protect your Wi-Fi network with multiple firewalls.