Having your home broken into by an intruder can put you and your family at risk and disrupt your feeling of security. There are several changes you can make to your daily activities and your home's environment to increase your home's security, and some of them won't cost you any money to put in place. Here are three ways you can make your home safer.
Install Security System and Cameras
A home security system offers several ways to protect your home while you are at home and away. If someone breaks in, the alarm will sound to scare off the intruder. Then, the system will alert the police to come check your home. If you choose to install a security camera inside your home or outside your home's entrances, you can catch an intruder's face on camera, which can help to identify and catch the intruder. With today's technology, if you have a smartphone, you can watch your home surveillance anytime you want from your phone.
You can also use fake a security system to ward off intruders. Place a security sign in your front yard or a security sticker on several of your home's windows. Then, install fake cameras on the exterior of your home that look like real security cameras.
Don't Advertise when You're Away from Home
The way you use social media can alert potential intruders to when you are not home so they know when to break into your home. Don't ever post on social media when you are going to go on a vacation, or even while you are on vacation. Wait until you are back home to post your vacation pictures. Don't even post a social media update when you are out to lunch or with your kids at the park. A potential thief could use this information to know when it is the best time to break into your home.
When you are out of town, make sure to put your mail on hold or have a neighbor pick it up along with any newspapers delivered to your house. If you are going out of town during the winter, ask someone to shovel your driveway so it looks like you are home. And, during the summer have someone mow your lawn if you will be gone when it needs to be mowed.
Forty percent of burglaries happen between 7 and 10 in the morning after you have gone to work. So, it can be helpful to leave a radio or television on when you go to work so it appears as though someone is still home. Criminals will watch their target house to wait until everyone leaves for the day before they break in. If they hear activity in your home, it can deter them from breaking into your home.
Set Up Your Yard for Security
According to Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) you can create an outdoor environment in your yard to make it difficult for a break-in to occur. CPTED instructs you to cut back any shrubbery or trees that block the view to any of your home's entrances and windows, which could provide a place for an intruder to hide behind. You should plant thorny plants and shrubbery in front of your windows to make it hard for an intruder to break in to your house.
Dark shadows cast over the front of your home's doors and windows also can give an intruder somewhere to hide while they break into your home. You can add landscape lighting and install and use security lights to illuminate your yard and home's exterior.
Use these tips to help keep your home safe.
Share17 June 2015
My house has three fireplaces and a wood burning stove that we use to heat the home during the winter. Because we use fire to heat the home, I wanted to increase the fire protection that we had. I wanted to have a sprinkler system and enhanced fire alarms installed. I began researching the different features available to be sure that I was going to get the system that would protect my family and my home effectively. If you are looking into installing a fire protection system in your home, visit my blog. Hopefully, all of my research can help you find the system that will best protect your family.