10 Tips For Improving The Safety Of Your Home

The safety of our homes is paramount to feeling secure and happy in our lives. We work hard. We absolutely need to have a safe haven to retreat to at the end of every day. Making sure our foundation’s are secure so rodents don’t make a highway into our basements is a good place to start besides checking windows and screens annually. Door knobs and locks do get old over time and can use tightening or total replacing etc.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)

Your home is your safe haven. It is somewhere you and your family should always feel secure at all times. Whether that be safe from intruders or keeping your young children safe, there are simple measures you can put into place to improve the safety of your home. 

Pest control

Having pests in your home is not ideal for your interior on your own health. They can eat through your floors, soft furnishings, and infest your food. Investing in pest control, such as mouse extermination will ensure your home is free of unwanted harmful animals. To avoid pests from coming back, the best thing to do is make your home unattractive to them. Just like us, pests need water, food, and shelter to survive, and if they can’t find these in your home, it’s likely they’ll go elsewhere.

Surveillance cameras

CCTV cameras will not only help you ward off intruders, but they will also help you keep an eye on your home at all times of the day. For instance, if your dog managed to escape, the footage would give you a clearer distinction as to what happened to them. You can manage cameras through mobile phone applications, which means you can keep an eye on your home even if you are at the office or away for the weekend.

Door and windows locks

It sounds like a simple and obvious tip, but not enough people have safety locks on their homes. Most people do not realize how crucial they are for warding off intruders, as well as making the home safer for small children. Installing security locks from your front and back garden into your home, via doors and windows, is essential and effective for heightening the safety of your home. Double locks will ensure children are safe inside as they will find it difficult to work them. To enhance security further, a double lock could consist of one lock being a key and the second being a digital code. 

Install smart locks

On the topic of locks, smart locks are often the best option for increasing the security of your home. The problem with having a hide-a-key is that you need to put it in a place that is relatively easy to find and remember — but this also makes it easy for an experienced burglar. Instead, opt for a smart door lock that can be unlocked with a key as well as a unique user code. This code can be shared with friends and family, allowing them access to your home without having to risk a spare key being found by a burglar.

Camera doorbells

When someone knocks at your home, do you often feel concerned or worried as to who it may be? Maybe your doorbell rings late in the evening and you are hesitant as to whether or not you should answer the door. As much as these thoughts should not come to mind, they often do. To put your mind at ease and know you are answering the door to someone safe, you can install cameras on your doorbells. This means when someone is at your door, you can view who it is through an app on your phone. You can usually speak through the device too, which means you do not even have to go to the door yourself. 

Get rid of high exterior features

Even with all these precautions, sometimes the best course of action is simply not offering a way in. Avoiding high hedges around doors and windows means burglars and robbers don’t have a covered way to sneak in. High privacy fences and other concealing features can also encourage burglars to target your house. Thus, keep your landscaping low and exposed. This will discourage intruders from attempting to enter your property as the likelihood that they will get seen or caught is high.

Outdoor lights 

A really easy way to instantly make your home more secure is by installing some outdoor lighting. Lighting which works on a sensor detecting movement can help prevent intruders and protect you should you arrive home late in the dark by illuminating any paths down the side of the house or dark areas. Test them regularly to ensure they’re still working and remember to replace bulbs when they’re out.

Avoid leaving expensive items out

Leaving expensive items out on display is bound to attract burglars. Similarly, showing that you own expensive things, such as cars on the drive and attractive landscapes, also signals to a burglar that your home is a target. Avoid showing off your expenses as it will attract the wrong kind of attention. If it doesn’t look like you have much to steal, it can be enough to encourage burglars to move on to the next house. If you have a nice car, keep it in the garage. If you have a big TV, keep the windows closed at night. If you just got something new and expensive, don’t leave the box by the street. 

Leave the lights on

If you do not think outdoor lighting is enough, or you do not currently have it, always leave lights on when you go out. Thieves want to avoid contact with owners. If it looks like someone is home they’ll target somewhere else. New technology makes it possible to program lights and home appliances to switch on and off at various times. If you are away for any length of time ask someone you trust to pick up your post regularly.

Check smoke alarms

An essential in any home, ensuring that you have smoke alarms fitted is vital, and testing them regularly is crucial. Smoke alarms can ultimately save the lives of you and your family by altering you to a fire, giving you time to get out of your home safely. As a general rule it’s recommended that you have heat alarms fitted in the kitchen and garage, ionization smoke alarms in the landing areas of your home, and optical ones in the bedrooms, hallways, and living room.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)