The fact that there are roughly four burglaries every minute should be enough to tell you that people don’t take home security seriously. Closing your doors and windows is fine, but these are basic measures that are easily overcome by most low-rent criminals.
Suffering a home robbery can be a nightmare for your insurance, as well as a literal nightmare for you personally. The thought of a stranger creeping around your house is not a nice one, even if you weren’t harmed.
So, to keep your home more comfortable and ultimately, more secure, here are five things you can try to achieve those goals.
1. Stage a mock burglary
Yes, you read that right. Sometimes, the only way to know if your home is safe or not is to look at it from the robbers point of view. For this task, you’ll need to enlist the help of a trusted friend and ask them to roam your home in search of valuables.
This way, you know precisely what is too easy to find, and which doors/windows don’t lock correctly. In addition, you can see how easy it is to find your ‘hidden stashes,’ so you can move them to a more secure hiding spot if necessary.
2. Smart technology
Secure smart technology, like the stuff found at smart72.com/services/essential-security, is a relatively modern addition. If you aren’t familiar with the stuff, it’s quite easy for even the least tech-savvy of people to set up.
Smart technology consists of security cameras, locks and sensors that can be controlled by your smartphone. If there is any unusual activity in your house, you’ll receive a notification so you can act quickly.
3. Outdoor lighting
Outdoor lighting makes your home look like less of an easy target. If it’s too dark, there are more places for a criminal to shield themselves in the shadows. Lighting up your exterior like a Christmas tree effectively halts robbers at the first hurdle.
4. Use common fears to your advantage
Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to tell a little white lie. This is one of those situations where this mantra is applicable, and I fully encourage you to do so. For example, even if you don’t have a dog, put up a ‘beware the dog’ sign. Or if your dog isn’t particularly threatening, put one up anyway.
This makes burglars less likely to target your home. Another example of this deception is to place a ‘neighborhood watch’ sign on your front gate, even if you haven’t set one up.
5. Set up a neighborhood watch scheme
But set one up you should! A neighborhood watch scheme involves the residents of a street keeping an eye on each others homes when people go on holiday. You won’t have to do much work, or physically walk round the house. You’ll just have to keep one eye open.
This way, you have a little more protection when you’re out of town, or on vacation. If your neighbors notice something odd, they will either contact you or the authorities, so you can’t go wrong either way.
