Many of us whether we rent or own our own homes don’t really think about security. I myself was burgled twice last year and deemed it necessary to install some kind of security in my home. You don’t really need to fork out thousands, by following these simple steps you can protect yourself and the home from the criminals quite easily.
1. Make your home look occupied – By putting on a radio, TV or even having timers on your lights for when you are out, you are making your house look occupied and therefore deterring any would be burglar from breaking and entering.
2. Never leave mail – If you are taking a vacation have your neighbour pick up your newspapers and mail, because if it piles high it would be a great sign for criminals that nobody has been home for a good few days and won’t be likely to return anytime soon.
3. An alarm system – Installing a home alarm system is another method of deterring the burglar from entering, there are many different types so you may need to do some research and look into a one that would be best suited to you. The bell alarm system for example rings out over the neighbourhood and warns others there is an unwanted presence in the property.
4. Use CCTV – Sometimes just an alarm system is not enough and the thief may get away with no trace. Using CCTV will amplify the chances of catching the burglar red handed, which may lead to an arrest and your stolen property being returned.
5. Motion floodlights – Install motion floodlights on the sides of your property, many burglars like to work under the cover of darkness. Take the darkness away from them with powerful motion lights, the only downside to these is anything lets them off, even cats!
6. Don’t hide spare keys – Many people I know seem to hide spare keys outside under plant pots, doormats and other strange places. Burglars are not stupid and will actually look and do their research for the easiest ways in, what better than the actual front door key!
7. Landscaping – As with the darkness, some thieves also like to take their time. Overgrown bushes and hedges provide the perfect cover for gaining entry in silence with nobody else able to see them. Trim all overgrown hedges and put your doors in plain view, this is the same when using motion sensors on your lights, they may not go off as the sensors view will be obstructed.
8. Identification – Many authorities use special paint to spray a green, purple or blue invisible paint onto property that will only show up under UV light. These spray cans are now available on the open market. Using these will help in returning any stolen good that may have been taken, so for example you could spray your telephone number on or even your home address.
9. Advanced systems – There are advanced systems for security now available as technology has come a long way and continues to grow. These technological systems not only have the basic bell system; they also come with CCTV and even fire sprinklers and warning systems. A few of them even have panic buttons for the elderly to use if they fall and slip, they can just push it and help will arrive. Many of these systems are now hooked up to a local watch centre where they can either call police or fire fighters to the scene, depending on what the emergency is. These can be quite pricey though but then again; can you put a price on your home and possessions?
10. Window locks – These can be bough at a local hardware store and are very cheap. Though they may not provide solid protection it will still be another obstacle the thief will have to overcome, with each hurdle they have to overcome the longer it will take them and the more exposed they will be.
Emily works with a company called Direct Response Security, in her spare time she loves writing for home improvement blogs and other security wesites.