Home Inspirations

Whether you live on your own or have a family under your roof, keeping your residence safe from outside intruders can be a challenge, especially in today’s high-tech age.

From burglars monitoring social media to see when people are away to identity theft criminals getting ahold of security information, keeping the outside world out is not always easy.

With that in mind, just how secure is your home residence?

Practice Safety in the Home

In order to improve the chances that your home and you/your family will not become crime statistics, review what you’re doing to keep intruders out, including using ADT for Texas homes if you reside in the Lone Star State.

While preventing an intruder from getting into your home can be tricky given how devious some criminals are, there are different methods you can deploy to lessen the chances of a break-in.

They include:

• Security – With the right security system in place, you put up one more barrier for a criminal to deal with. Always make sure you have the system working, whether you are out or in for the night. Some people can become a little lax and forget to turn the system on when they go to bed at night. While you may be getting some sleep, you can bet criminals are out and about, looking to prey on you when they think you and your home may be most vulnerable;

• Planning – Just about everyone likes to take a vacation now and then. While there is nothing wrong with getting away, don’t announce it to the entire world. Broadcasting ahead of time that you will be away or posting vacation pictures on Facebook or other social media while you’re away is like an open invitation to thieves. If you truly need to post the pictures and let the world know you are away, make sure you have a locked social media account (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.) that only friends, family and those you trust can view;

• Promoting – Yes, it is cool to have collections in your homes, but don’t tell the world about them, especially on social media. Posting photos on Instagram, Facebook or other social networks of your prize and expensive collections is again an invitation to trouble. This is once again where knowing who can view your posts and shares is critical;

• Upkeep – Another telltale sign for criminals that you are away is leaving the property not kept up to date while you travel. Simple things like mowing the grass, making sure the newspaper and/or mail do not pile up etc. are tasks that you should give to a family member or neighbor who lives nearby. If your lawn is out of control or you have stuff piling up at your doorstep or in the mailbox, you’ve basically handed out an open invitation to someone to come burglarize your home while gone.

Securing your home doesn’t have to be a challenging task, especially when you think ahead of time.

Nothing is worse than returning home from work, a day out or a vacation to find that your living space has been ransacked. Not only do you have to face the issues of replacing all of your stolen property, but you have to deal with the psychological impact that accompanies any burglary. It’s an unpleasant experience, so you should be doing everything you can to ensure it doesn’t happen to you and your family. Here are some very simple ideas that will help you protect your property from thieves.

Locks and windows

Let’s start with the very basics. Good habits can often bring about the best results when it comes to home security, so always make sure you are keeping your doors and windows locked whenever possible. Burglaries are usually spontaneous crimes, so the least encouragement a potential criminal has, the better. Open windows and doors will invite trouble eventually, so try and keep them shut as much as possible.

Tidy gardens

Another simple home security idea is to keep your garden tidy. If you leave tools or heavy objects lying all over the place, they are easy to pick up and put through a window. The same goes for bulky children’s toys. Make sure that you clear up your garden as soon as you have finished using it if you don’t want to encourage a break in. If you have a shed or garage, use them to store your equipment away out of sight, and also make sure you have an effective lock. Garden storage locations are particularly vulnerable. Many a thief has made a few hundred bucks from selling on expensive tools that kept in unlocked or poorly secured sheds.

Motion sensor lighting

Put yourself in a burglar’s shoes for just a second. It’s pitch black, and you think you have a lot of cover up a long driveway. You get closer and closer to the window that you intend to break in, and all of a sudden a motion sensor triggers off the lights. Do you carry on? No, of course, you don’t. Outside lighting increases the chances of being seen, and the sudden contrast between dark and light will be a shock. Sometimes, that shock is all you need to scare off all but the hardiest criminal.

Modern security technology

Most houses these days have some kind of alarm system installed. But modern technology is providing some amazing upgrades that are affordable for more people than ever before. You can pick up voice recognition locks for you apartment, for example, or completely wireless video systems. Not so long ago these kinds of security systems were only available for the very wealthy or corporate businesses, but now things are different. Your local electrician union should be able to talk you through some of your options. If you want peace of mind and a more secure home, then technology really is offering you the chance to make it so.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look at some very simple and affordable ways of making your home more secure. We’d love to hear from you if you have any other tips - so don’t be shy and let us know.

If there’s been a crime spike in your local area, you probably want to make sure your home is as safe as it can be. There are lots of things you can do to make your home more safe and secure, and you should definitely consider the following ideas.

Get the Basics Right

Before you go any further, you’ll need to get the simple things straight. Firstly, check that all your locks and doors are strong and secure. If your locks haven’t been changed for a long time, contact a locksmith in your area and have them changed. And if your doors and windows are old and weak, have them replaced.

You should also make sure that the overall exteriors of your house are secure. Check for any gaps and holes in your exteriors and on your roof. Those gaps could be exploited by burglars if they’re determined to gain access to your house.

Install Motion Sensors Lights

There are a lot of benefits associated with installing motion sensor lights. The main one is that it deters potential burglars as they will be scared off if a bright light starts shining in their face. It also alerts you to anything that is going on outside your home. If you notice the lights go on, you can go and check out what’s happening.

They’re also great to have for when you go away on vacation. Your neighbors will be alerted to any unusual activity going on outside the house if the lights come on. This means you won’t have to worry about security while you’re away. Another small benefit is that it keeps animals and pests off the lawn.

Find a Strong Alarm System

Every home needs a good alarm system, and when you find one, you have to look after it. There are lots of different security systems to choose from. The main two types are audible alarms and monitored alarms. Audible alarms just create a lot of noise when it’s triggered, and monitored alarms trigger a response from the authorities.

Which one of the two you choose will depend on how much you have to spend and how high a level of security you want. Once it’s installed, you should check it regularly to make sure it’s still working, and change your passcode every so often too.

Buy a Safe and Consider Surveillance

In the rare instance of a burglar getting into your home, you need to make sure that your valuables aren’t easy to find and steal. The only safe way to make sure of that is by getting a strong, high-quality safe. Store any spare keys, valuable items and irreplaceables in there.

You should also think about whether you need security camera placed on the exteriors of your home. If you live in an area with a high crime rate, you should consider it. But some people put up fake security cameras on the outside of their home that don’t actually work, this can serve as a deterrent.

Every homeowner wants to keep their home as safe as possible. These tips will help you do that!