Your home is your sanctuary, a place to relax, have fun, sleep, raise your children - pretty much everything in most people’s lives starts and ends at home. Of course, your home is also full of things that are valuable to you, both in terms of monetary value and sentimental value, so it is only natural that you would want to protect your home as best you can. Click here

People can begin to feel unsafe in their homes for a number of reasons, maybe you have recently been a victim of a burglary, or houses nearby have been targeted by burglars. Whatever your reason for feeling that your home is not secure, taking some action to resolve this will help you to get some peace of mind. Some extra security precautions may also help to lower the cost of your home insurance premiums too, so not only will you be left feeling safer in your home, but you may even save yourself some money in the long run also.

Here are some useful ways to step up your home security:

Lighting

Lighting is a really easy way to boost your home’s security measures. Of course, lighting doesn’t provide any security in itself, but having a bright light shine on them should deter any intruder from coming onto your property. There is a wide choice of exterior security lights on the market, so you should easily be able to find one that best suits your home’s needs.

Outdoor security lights with sensors are perfect as a deterrent, as they come on when they sense movement on your property, so anyone sneaking about should soon find themselves under a spotlight.

Locks

Getting your locks changed is a simple, but effective way to up your levels of home security. If your current lock is not as secure as it could be, or you are concerned that your home’s security may be compromised by a lost door key, changing the locks, or having a more robust lock fitted could be the perfect solution. Searching online for a locksmith in your local area, for example, locksmith hawthorn should provide you with a number of companies which you can contact to see if they can provide you with the type of lock that you require. Find out more at this page here.

Gates and Fencing

When upping your home security, it is essential to look for parts of your home where security is potentially weaker. Many properties have vulnerable areas that could be exploited by an intruder. If the border between the street and your property is completely open, you may want to consider getting some fencing put in, this will not only enable you to have increased privacy, but you will also have an added layer of security.

If your property has access at either the sides or the rear that are entirely open, then fitting a gate could be a good idea. Getting a gate will mean that people cannot easily wander around to the side of your property without physically opening a gate and letting themselves in, this should help prevent opportunistic intruders gaining easy access to your property from the back or sides.

Valuables

A common mistake made by many people is leaving their values on display, either in their home, their gardens, or their vehicles. Maybe you’re working from home and have left your laptop by the open window while you just pop to the store to get something, or maybe your kids have left their bikes unattended in the front yard because they have finished riding them for today; all of these scenarios offer potential opportunistic thieves the chance to strike.

It is easy to get lulled into a false sense of security and think that you will only be gone for ten minutes, or it will be fine just this once, but of course, ten minutes is all it takes for someone to make off with your stuff when it is left easily accessible to them.

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CCTV

Having a CCTV system installed is sure to be a huge deterrent for any would-be intruder or vandal. The mere sight of a CCTV system being in place should dissuade anyone from targeting your home, particularly if there are other properties on your street without it. In the unfortunate event that your home was broken into, having CCTV may help the police to track down the perpetrator and bring them to justice.

Before paying for a CCTV system or paying for an outside company to fit one for you, you will need to carefully examine the various rules surrounding having CCTV installed at your property. The laws relate to what can and cannot be covered by the range of your CCTV and other considerations relating to privacy.

Burglar Alarm

Just as CCTV provides a visible deterrent to criminals, as does having a burglar alarm system installed at your property. As with the CCTV, having an intruder alarm at your home makes it a much less tempting target for thieves when compared to your neighbours who may not have a burglar alarm installed.

Burglar alarm sensors can be fitted throughout your home to detect any movement once the alarm is programmed, rather than just someone entering through the front door. By investing in a Wireless alarm, you can be sure that your home is efficiently alarmed while you are away. Many modern alarm systems can alert you from any device you wish, so they are a smart investment. Find out more at this page here.

Common Security Mistakes

There are a number of common mistakes that many people make each day, which jeopardises their home’s security if you do any of these you could be making your home an easy target for burglars:

Leaving a key under a plant pot in the garden, or on the doorstep under a doormat.

Having your key attached to a string on the inside of the front door so people can reach through the letterbox and use the key.

Remember that if your doors are in a bad state of repair, e.g., the wood is rotting, the door is damaged, panes of glass are cracked, it is difficult to close properly you may want to address this as your door may be weakened making it much easier to break into.