Whether you’re going away on holiday and want to make sure that everything is locked up properly, or you just like to have that peace of mind everytime you leave your home – having a home that you know is safe and secure is always much needed.
It doesn’t matter the kind of area you live in, or the people that you live with. The day you have your own place, you become protective – which is totally normal. You want to make sure that no one is going to enter your home unwanted. And there are plenty of ways you can prevent that from happening.
Homes are the place that we feel safe inside – or at least they should be. You come back from work after a long day, take your shoes off, and flop onto the sofa to relax in front of your favourite tv show. It’s where you raise your children, and watch them take their first steps. It’s the place you invite your friends back to listen to some music, eat good food, and have a glass of wine. And because of all of this, you should never feel as though you or your things are at risk. It’s supposed to be your safe haven. But it can’t be that if you don’t put things in place to make it that way.
Here are all the ways to ensure your home is safe and secure for when you’re there, and when you aren’t.
Remove leaflets from your mailbox –
A lot of people get leaflets and flyers through their mailbox, and most of the time no one bothers to look at them, they just go straight through to the recycling. But never let there be a build up of them – especially if you’re going away. If you don’t remove them, it will appear as though nobody is home, because otherwise surely someone would stop them from blocking up the mailbox. Burglars have certain things that they pick up on, one of them being this. They assume that no one has been home for a while, so it’s the perfect house to break into. If you are away, ask your friendly neighbour or someone you trust to get rid of them for you.
Update your windows –
If you have noticed that your windows are looking pretty old and could do with renewing – this is a good call. A lot of people overlook the quality of their windows because they assume that they have been fitted to stand the test of time, but actually, there is an expiry date, and maybe that time has come for you. Have a look at installing some aluminium windows to your home. These not only look beautiful, modern, and come in all different styles, giving your house an instant makeover. They also do a great job at protecting your windows because they’re a lot stronger.
Get a better lock –
Everyone will have a lock on their doors, but how strong is yours? The front door is usually substantial enough because it is the main door for entry into your home. But if you’re still a little bit worried, get a deadbolt lock. These are great because if you get a knock at the door, you don’t have to make yourself totally vulnerable by opening it. You can still crack the door enough to see who is there, without opening it fully. Another area you need to focus on is the back door – the lock on these aren’t usually as secure as others, so it’s worth replacing it for a better one. If you’re not sure what you need, have a look online for some ideas. Don’t neglect your windows either, make sure there is a lock on the inside when they’re not open.
Secure your garden –
A lot of people spend so much time worrying about their house that they don’t think about their garden, but a garden is the most common form of entry is someone is trying to break in. They may not even want to get into your house – they may be more interested in what goodies you have in your backyard. Make sure that you have a very difficult fence to climb over – the higher, the better – especially one with points. It doesn’t have to be made out of wood either, so bear this in mind if you’re looking for one that is more secure. If you have a garage or shed, you should make sure that they are all locked up properly too, and don’t leave anything out that is of value. This means tools, and machinery, not only are these expensive and will be taken, but a burglar may then use these to break into your house.
Set the lighting –
When you’re at home in the evening, it’s normal to have various lights going on and off from when you leave and enter a room. But what about if you’re away? No lights will be on because no one is home – and burglars will pick up on this. If they have a house in mind that they want to break into, they will most likely have been walking past it for a few days now, so if they see no activity inside – that’s gold to them. What you can do is get a timer for your lights so they can go on and off at certain times. So for example, set that to turn on around 7 pm, and then off at 11 pm. You can even have multiple lights turn on in different rooms to make this look even more believable.
Leave your car parked outside –
If you’re going away, try and leave your car there if you aren’t planning on driving, and if you are, ask a close friend or family member to leave their second car outside of your drive. If someone has been watching your home for a while, and know that you drive a car – if they see that the drive is now empty and has been for a while – they will assume that no one is home. So by getting someone else to park on your drive, or just outside of it, will prevent anyone from thinking nobody is home.
Fake the friend –
If you live alone and are worried each time you leave the house, whether it just be to go to work in the mornings, or if you’re leaving for a few days – fake it. Fake your living arrangements. Remember that an experienced burglar will be watching as much as they can before they decide to go through with their plan. And if they see that you’re all alone, and then you leave – this is the perfect time to make a move. So here come your acting skills. Every time you leave the house, open the door, and loudly have a conversation with the imaginary person at home. “Love you too, see you later! Don’t eat all the crisps because I need them for my lunch tomorrow! Have a nice day! Bye!” And then close the door.
Install an alarm system –
This is one of the most obvious things to do to ensure that your home is safe. Technology is so much more advanced nowadays, so the features that an alarm system have are even more secure. You can set your phone up with the alarm so you can have access to it, regardless of where you are. You don’t need to be at home to modify anything. If you decide to have a camera too, you can watch a live stream whenever you’re worried about things, straight from your phone. Giving you instant peace of mind. And if (god forbid) anything were happening that seemed suspicious, you can alert the emergency services immediately.
Friends and family –
If you have friends and family that live close to you, and you know you’re going away on holiday for a while, give them a spare key. Ask them to pop in once in a while, not only to give the appearance of someone being there and checking in, but also so they can make sure everything is how it should be. Ask them to go into the garden and make sure all is as it were. Tell them to stay for a while if they want to, watch tv, have dinner there. The more normal the routine seems to an outsider watching in, the more chance they will realise this is the wrong place to break in to, because there are too many risks, and in that case, they’ll change their plan, and take your home off the list.
As you can see, there are plenty of different things that you can do to ensure that your home is kept safe and secure. So there is no more need to worry because you know that you have done everything that you possibly can. You have made all the preventions, so it’s just down to how stupid a person may be into thinking they stand a chance against your fortress.
Love,
*This is a collaborative post