Home security should be a top priority for any homeowner or tenant. Everyone wants and needs to feel safe in their own home, so it is important to take the necessary steps.
Even if you live in a safe place in the city, your home can be the target of burglary or intrusion. This is why everyone should take some precautions and make their homes as safe as possible.
Here are some common risks, as well as some tips for managing them. Make your home a less attractive target for burglary, catch potential intruders, and install a security system. There are many things you can do, so let’s see what and how.
Meet your neighbors
Let’s start with some simple and obvious things you can do to protect your home. First of all, it can be valuable to know who your neighbors are and to have a good relationship with them. There will always be a neighbor at home while you are at work, or away for any other reason and chances are they will notice if something unusual is happening, if strangers are spying on your house or trying to break into it. Neighbors can call you or the police and report the incident in a timely manner.
If you have a good relationship with them, you can even ask them to check on your home when you are not home. The usual reward is to do the same for them.
Secure your doors and windows
It may seem very simple or obvious, but it should be mentioned. Always lock your doors and windows and always check them when you leave the house.
Many people sometimes forget to do it and it makes things very easy for potential intruders. Lock whether you are at home or away, as well as when entering or leaving, or before going to bed.
Another thing to check is the frames and hinges on the doors, if they are strong enough and stable. Check for vulnerabilities or damage to the doors, as well as for various notches through which the breach can be achieved.
Never leave your key hidden outside your home. Hiding places are usually obvious and chances are burglars will have no problem locating it.
As for the windows, you can lock them and the best solution is the key frames.
Also secure the window glass itself, especially the one near a door where burglars could break it and reach the lock. Use hard and unbreakable safety glass to make it more durable.
Reduce potential hiding places
If you have a lot of shrubs or trees it is easier for someone to slip in and hide around the house. Clear the landscape as much as you can, prune your plants and get a nice clear view of the area around your house.
Install outdoor lighting
Installing an outdoor lighting system will help you feel safer at night. The best solution is to have traffic lights that turn on when someone is moving around your home, warning you of potential dangers. Burglars are less likely to continue their designs if the lights come on and become more easily visible.
Install a security system
Finally, a proper security system provides very good protection and every home should have one. Evaluate your home and security needs, as well as the area or neighborhood in which you live, and decide which is the best option for you.
The more features your system has, the more secure you will feel. You can select simple alarms on your doors and windows, which will be activated when a shutdown is detected. The alarm can frighten burglars, or it can give you time to call the police if you are at home, or if you are away, to worry neighbors so they can call the police.
Another option is a controlled system. With this system, there is a remote monitoring center that communicates with you when the alarm goes off to make sure everything is OK. If they are unable to contact you, they will call the police or if they talk to you and suspect that you are in some kind of danger they will call the police immediately.
There are more options, some simpler, some more complex and sophisticated, but which one to choose depends on you and your specific needs.
Manned guarding
Security guards are a human presence that adds a significant complication to the plans of would-be burglars. Unlike home security equipment, which is sometimes predictable, security guards can change their routes and routines so that burglars cannot predict where they will be at any given time. Uniformed security guards are often seen as police officers from a distance, which increases their ability to act as deterrents.
Properly trained guards are able to recognize potential security risks, allowing them to be addressed before they can evolve. They also have the ability to immobilize anyone who breaks into your property, and the they call the police to arrest them.
The security guards also help to ensure that your security equipment remains in working order and report any malfunction, so that the necessary repair actions can be taken immediately.
