Are you willing to do everything you can to ensure that your home is safe?
While most homeowners take at least some measures to protect their homes, there’s no guaranteed method to prevent a home invasion. In fact, there are over 2.2 million burglaries each year in the United States alone. When we consider such a number, it’s simple to see how easily your home could fall victim to invasion.
So, how can you ensure that you’re making every effort to protect your home? Read on to discover eleven simple tips and tricks that nearly any homeowner can take to improve their home security. While some of these methods do involve spending money, the majority are affordable and simple ways to heighten your home security.
Remember, your home is your safe haven. You want to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to keep it that way.
1. Know Your Hood
Just how well do you know your neighborhood?
If you really want to take your home security seriously, it’s time to get to know the inner workings of your neighborhood. This includes anything from the residents and workers that comprise the neighborhood to the usual vehicles and traffic that are present on a daily basis.
The goal is to know your neighborhood well enough to be able to locate when something is out of place or irregular. For example, you might notice a strange car circulating the neighborhood late at night. In knowing that this is a peculiar occurrence, you know to exert extra caution at that time.
If you notice strange patterns, don’t hesitate to inform your neighbors or even speak to the police. While it may feel paranoid at first, you’ll be happy to know that you’re doing your part to protect your neighborhood.
2. Install Security Cameras
Of course, one of the best ways to deter invaders from entering your home in the first place is to install security cameras. These cameras can be placed on both the interior and the exterior of your home. Nowadays, technology has progressed enough to allow these cameras to be as sharp and non-invasive as possible.
A security camera will provide around-the-clock protection for your home. In addition to videotaping any motion, the alarm will sound and connect to professionals when something irregular occurs. Of course, there are countless different types of security cameras to choose from.
When an invader can physically see a security camera, they’re going to feel all the more inclined to avoid your home. Remember, the last thing an invader wants is to have evidence of their attempt and their photo posted around your neighborhood.
As an additional bonus, a security camera will also help to minimize your home insurance payments. By taking effective measures to protect your home from invasion, your home insurance company will be willing to reward you financially. With this, you can look forward to paying lower home insurance premiums.
3. Operate Responsibly With Your Smart Lock
Nowadays, many residents choose to implement smart locks into their doors. This allows for keyless entry and provides unparalleled convenience to homeowners and their guests.
So, how does it work?
This lock will display a number pad on the exterior of the door. When the correct code is entered into the lock pad, the door will automatically unlock. This also gives the homeowner the ability to lock and unlock their doors remotely.
At the end of the day, it’s easy to see just how convenient this locking method can be. However, with such convenience, there also comes an additional responsibility to operate carefully. Ensuring that you manage your smart lock responsibly means that you can enjoy the perks without having to stress about the risks.
First and foremost, it’s important to limit the exposure of your password and to ensure that it’s not documented on the interior or exterior of your home. You want to make certain that you are not communicating this password to anyone electronically. It’s also crucial to ensure that you’re frequently changing the password and avoiding the creation of a password that is obvious.
4. Install Motion Sensor Lights
Have you ever considered installing a motion sensor?
A motion sensor light works by illuminating the area when any form of motion is detected. These lights are active in the dark and have proven to be effective in deterring nighttime invaders.
Remember, the last thing an invader wants is attention. Their goal is to enter a home as cautiously and seamlessly as possible. Motion lights are incredibly effective because they don’t just alert the homeowner, but they also alert neighbors.
5. Change Your Locks When Appropriate
It’s also important to change the locks on your home in the event that your keys are stolen or lost. This is especially the case if you have reason to believe that someone would be able to connect your keys to your specific home.
If you’ve never changed the locks in your home, rest assured that it’s not as complicated or time-consuming as you might think. First, you can begin by calling a residential locksmith. From here, they will guide you through the process of changing your locks and how to best proceed.
Remember, it’s important to hire a reputable locksmith that you trust. With this, you’ll want to ensure that they work for a trustworthy company and that they have many years of experience in the trade. When it comes to replacing locks, you want to ensure that you’re doing it right the first time.
6. Lock Your Windows
Do you keep track of the open and unlocked windows in your home?
The truth is, windows are almost as popular and doors when it comes to entry points of invaders. In fact, windows are often seen as a better point of entry since many homeowners forget to or don’t have the ability to lock their windows.
In addition to locking your doors, be sure to always lock the windows in your home. If your window is unable to lock, it might be worth paying for new and upgraded windows. This is especially the case for windows that are large enough for a person to enter through or located on the first floor of the home.
7. Install Cylinder Locks
It’s safe to that that traditional locks are nowhere near as secure as cylinder locks.
This type of lock is manufactured from a heavy metal that has proven to be incredibly durable. That being said, these locks are significantly more challenging for thieves to pick than a traditional lock.
While these are popular with retail stores and commercial buildings, they’re becoming increasingly popular with residential homes that are interested in heightened security.
If you’re looking to take things a step further, you can consider even more additional lock service options. For example, you could install a deadbolt lock on the front and back doors of your home.
8. Have Your Neighbors Collect Packages
In today’s day and age, we spent a lot of time and money online shopping.
When we consider that 69% of Americans report shopping online, it’s easy to see just how popular this method of shopping has become. Whether it’s home goods and apparel or groceries and prescription drugs, it’s safe to say that nearly anything can be purchased online and shipped to your front door.
While there’s no denying just how convenient this method of shopping is, it also comes with a set of precautions. For example, a large and unwrapped package at your front door is a sure sign that you’re not currently home. From the perspective of an intruder, this couldn’t be a more convenient means of choosing their next target.
When away on vacation, kindly ask your neighbors to remove your packages from your doorstep. Upon your return, you can collect said packages from your neighbor and rest assured that your home was kept safe.
9. Lock All Doors
Are you in a routine habit of locking your doors behind you?
Of course, locking your doors to prevent invaders sounds just a little too obvious. After all, we’re taught from a young age to lock our doors when leaving home for the day and before going to sleep. At one point or another, it becomes a habit to simply lock the door behind us in these scenarios.
But, what about those moments where we step outside only for a small grocery run? Or, how about to take our dog on a quick walk-around-the-block? It’s these moments that we often forgo locking the door.
More often than not, these moments take place during the day and open our homes up to daytime invaders. In a study with convicted burglars, the majority stated that they would strive to enter homes between the hours of 12:30 and 2:30. During this time period, the majority of homeowners were either at work, school or running errands.
While nearly 58% of all burglaries involve forcible entry, many invaders simply walk through the front or back door. It might sound simple, but ensuring that you always lock the door behind you is one of the best precautions you can take.
10. Install Smart Lights
One of the oldest tricks in the book to prevent a home invasion is to have the lights on. This includes either the exterior or the interior lights of your home. Whilst away on vacation, some homeowners even choose to leave both lights on.
We see residents employing this trick with anything from commercial buildings and storefronts to cottages and residential homes. With this, the goal is to encourage potential invaders to believe that at least one resident is home at that moment. While this has proven to be relatively successful for some, it’s certainly not a foolproof method.
This is where smart lights come into play and employ an elevated lighting strategy. Unlike regular lightbulbs, a smart lightbulb will allow you to control the light remotely from your smartphone. With this, you have the ability to turn the light on and off without the need to be home.
From an outside perspective, the variance in lighting will encourage invaders to believe that someone is home. When an invader is of the impression that someone is home, they’re far less likely to enter the home.
11. Invest in a Doorbell Camera
Not every homeowner has the opportunity to peak at who their visitor might be when the doorbell rings.
If you have a windowless front door or you’re lacking nearby windows, a doorbell camera is a wise investment into the security of your home. This camera will allow you to preview who is at your front door at all times.
Fortunately, this video can connect to the smartphone of any and all residents. This means that you can view your doorstep from wherever you are at that moment. It’s easy to see how this has become a popular tool for families with young children and a busy schedule.
How to Prevent a Home Invasion
What measures are you taking to prevent a home invasion?
Whether we like it or not, home invasions do happen from time-to-time. While there are certain precautions we can take to prevent home invasions, there’s no one way to rule them out entirely.
Fortunately, there are steps that every resident can take in making their home more secure. This could be anything from installing security cameras and changing your locks to ensuring that your windows are locked and installing smart lights. In taking these steps, you can rest assured that the chances of your home falling victim to invasion are less likely.
Are you looking to ensure that your home is as secure and safe as possible? If so, be sure to connect with us today to learn more about how we can help you feel safe in your home.
