Making your home attractive and comely is certainly one of your major goals as a homeowner. Several people need to consider basic security measures before they go the extra mile in planning the aesthetics and design of the house. This blog will show you simple security measures to keep your home safe.
Basic Ways to Keep Your Home Secure
The safety of your home is your responsibility. Sometimes, people lose their properties and peace of mind because they are ignorantly exposing their apartments and properties to the easy reach of criminals. This segment will guide you through simple tips to keep your home secure.
1. Secure the Doors
Having weak entrance doors or hinges can be likened to aiding the entrance of burglars into your home. Regularly examine the strength of your doors and door hinges. At intervals, you could get professionals to ascertain the strength of such doors.
While several people pay attention to the main doors, it is easier for others to overlook the rear doors. Unfortunately, the rear door is more prone to attack than the main entrance. Most burglars prefer to use the rear door because they know most people don't pay attention to it. Some even go as far as leaving the rear open when travelling or going to bed. If safety is top on your mind, you should avoid this mistake.
Similarly, ensure that the locks are changed when moving into a house that another tenant previously occupied. That way, you will be certain strangers do not have a key to your apartment. When changing locks, you need to opt for the best locks in the market so dubious entities won't easily compromise your new lock.
2. Light up the Front Drive and Garden
As simple as this sounds, lighting up your surroundings could be a great way to save yourself from theft. Crimes, theft and other vices thrive in darkness. Turning on the lights gives no hiding spaces and makes it difficult for your house to be an easy target. Ensure all entry and exit routes, windows, and doors are well-lit. If you desire to save power, you can consider motion lights. Motion lights automatically flicker on when they detect motion and go off once no movement is in sight. Aside from saving power, motion lights could alert you about unwarranted or expected loitering on your premises.
3. Reinforce Glass Doors and Windows
Glass doors and windows could be a classy way to beautify your house. However, they could be an easy access route for burglars, too. With a few hard pushes, glass doors and windows will get shattered, and the apartment's interior will be bare. At this point, all your valuables are at their mercy.
You can get ahead of burglars by making your apartment burglary-proof. You could install several strong and classy metal reinforcements on the interior of glass windows and door frames. Furthermore, you can use the technology of glass break sensors, which will alert you when the glass doors and windows are tampered with.
4. Lock your Windows and Doors
If they are left open, there is no point in having reinforced doors and windows. As unserious as this point sounds, several burglars access apartments through unlocked windows and doors. Make a practice of shutting your doors consciously when you are in and when you are out. If the door will be left open for any reason, ensure it is actively monitored so you can spot movements through that door. Additionally, you can add routine door and window checkups to your to-do till it becomes a habit.
5. Eliminate Hiding Spaces
Trees and shrubs add a natural comely feeling to houses. If not checked, they could be a handy hideout for burglars. Trim down nearby trees and shrubs that could serve as covers for thieves. If these trees are close to the windows of your apartment, ensure you reinforce such windows with extra security. Put away stools and ladders from windows and fences as an extra security measure. Such equipment could be an escape tool if burglars enter your building.
6. Keep the Spare Keys Safe
How you keep your spare keys is very important. Improper handling of spares could land these keys in the hands of criminals. As a rule, do not keep your spare keys in obvious places. Avoid locations like window sills, beneath the foot mat, or under a stone or flower vase. Sometimes, you need to keep the key for someone. Consider creative, "hard to think" places in such scenarios.
7. Keep Valuables out of Sight
Keeping your valuables out of sight is a priceless way to keep your homes safe. Items like expensive jewelry, gadgets and fanciful things should not be visible from the windows and doors. They should be safely tucked in closets and safes.
8. Know Your Neighbours
Having cordial relationships with your neighbours helps you save your home in many ways. For starters, it makes it easier to spot strange faces when they are loitering around. Most times, burglars conduct on-ground surveys before launching an attack. As one familiar with the people in the neighbourhood, you can probe and mark unfamiliar faces.
Additionally, having cordial relationships with your neighbours gives them access to you. During an attack, they will be prompted to alert you or the police before your properties are carted away.
9. Be Vigilant at Night
Several people mistakenly advertise their homes to burglars and thieves. For example, opening blinds while the light is on at night is dangerous. Any random person walking outside the window can easily see what is happening in the apartment. Consequently, an intruder can easily note the items in the apartment and the people there.
Your choice of window curtains should block intruders from seeing the interior of your home. If you use a transparent curtain for aesthetics, pair it with a window treatment that protects your privacy. As a rule of thumb, always remember that the curtains are present to protect your property and the people in your house.
10. Do Not Overshare on Social Media
A lot of people are guilty of oversharing on social media. Constantly oversharing can put you in the purview of burglars who use social media. As much as possible, ensure to blur out the plaque bearing your home address when sharing online. Additionally, make it a habit to refrain from displaying the valuables in your house when posting online.
While some people are not guilty of the above examples, they mistakenly share their addresses when posting online events. The internet always remembers things. Hence, when you put your address out, it may be difficult to make it private.
Lastly, keep information about an extended vacation private. Doing that alerts the public that you are not home, which could set you up for a home invasion.
11. Always Make it Look as if Someone is Home
Burglars are more confident in robbing houses when the owners are not indoors. If you will be out of town for an extended period, you should employ tactics that give off the impression that somebody is at home. Leave a light on or have a friend come over at intervals to tune in to the TV or radio. Better still, use timed lighting that flickers on at alternate intervals to give the impression that someone is at home.
12. Don’t Advertise your Purchases
Burglars read meaning into things that might seem insignificant to you. For a random person, large thrash boxes are waste. For a burglar, large thrash boxes indicate the presence of valuables that need carting in the apartment.
Before putting out large thrash boxes, break and fold them so that the product names are not feasible. Sometimes, you may need to use extra disposal bags to cover them. The safety of your apartment and properties is worth the extra effort.
13. Always Check Who is at the Door
Confirm the visitor's identity before flinging open your doors at the sound of a knock or doorbell. Be wary of opening the door at night if you are not expecting anyone. Though inexpensive, this will go a long way in keeping your house safe.
Conclusion
The safety of your home is a primary responsibility that cannot be delegated. Watch your habits and actions so you don't expose yourself to burglars. You don't have to go through the hassles first-time property owners and real estate investors experience.
Land Republic is committed to giving you a hitch-free real estate investment. We have several resources you should use to your advantage. You can start with the benefits of investing in real estate and the ABCs of Real Estate Investment. For further enquiries and questions, contact us today via +2348122222283 and support@landrepublic.co.
