Do you feel totally secure in your home? If you have any doubts when answering this question, you may be vulnerable to burglaries and other security breaches. What can you do to improve personal safety as quickly as possible?
Here are 11 ways to make your home more secure within 72 hours.
The first thing you want to do is to look at weak points in your home environment that could make it easy for burglars to get in. Are there overgrown hedges, high walls or dark corners around your house? Are your doors and windows sturdy and fitted with proper locks? Is there a security system in place and is it working? These are some of the things you can review to start assessing your home security situation.
The reality is that unscrupulous people may be watching you and waiting for an opportunity to break in. You can lessen your chance of becoming a target by keeping your valuables out of plain sight. This means locking your car in the garage when not in use, keeping your windows and doors closed, keeping curtains and blinds drawn, ensuring jewellery and cash are locked away, etc.
If you moved into a house or apartment that was recently occupied by someone else, you may want to change the locks. The last thing you want is for someone with a spare key to just waltz in. Better yet, you can look into installing a smart lock.
Some of these devices require a pin or biometric password for entry. In addition, some can automatically lock doors when it is detected you are away and communicate with other devices in your home, including smart alarms.
Dark or shadowy areas around your home can create ideal situations for burglars and others with malicious intent to hide out or creep up. Prevent this by upgrading your outdoor lighting to ensure everywhere is well lit.
Worried about the energy cost? Use motion-sensitive lights that come on when movement is detected. You can also invest in lights that are powered by solar energy.
If you have expensive jewellery, ornaments, or important documents cash lying around, they can be snatched when you least expect it, even by someone visiting your home. It is best to buy and install a safe to store valuables in. A heavy, waterproof and fire-resistant safe that will not be easy to move is best.
The cost of home CCTV systems has declined dramatically, allowing almost any homeowner to acquire quality surveillance systems for their home. Installing one or more CCTV cameras as a home security measure is a no-brainer in today’s society. In fact, as studies show, homes that are fitted with home security systems are 300% less likely to be targeted.
When selecting a suitable home CCTV system, there are several features to look out for, including wide-angle view, night vision, person detection, two-way talk, and motion alerts.
You may also want to go for a smart CCTV camera system that can communicate with other smart security devices in your home. Need help choosing a good CCTV camera system for home security? Be sure to reach out to the Power Right team for assistance.
Automation helps to make your home a smart one. Full automation may take more than three days, but you can get started with the basics and add the rest as you go along. Do things like putting your lights on a scheduled timer, setting up your door camera to start recording when someone approaches, or making it so security alarm devices notify you about unusual activities. These are good areas to start.
Cyber threats can be just as devastating as physical threats. If you have a smart home, it is even more important to protect your W-Fi network because hackers can take control of your home via the internet.
You can prevent such occurrences by beefing up your firewall, renaming and hiding your SSID, changing the default IP address on your router, and creating strong passwords.
Children use the internet too and can make your home vulnerable to cyberattacks if they go on certain sites. Parental controls, whether in the form of a router, software, or app can help to prevent them from visiting restricted websites.
With doors and windows being the most common points of entry by burglars, you want to ensure they are not easily opened. While you can use burglar bars to increase security, you can also look into smart options, including glass breaking and door sensors.
As silly as it may seem, people who talk to each other in a neighbourhood are more empowered to ward off burglaries and other attacks. If you spend a little time introducing yourself, some neighbours may warm up to you and be willing to keep an eye out when you are not at home. This is an excellent strategy to have, even with an excellent home CCTV security system in place.
Home security is not all about looking for high-end gadgets to install. You can quickly create a world of difference in your home security by simply making a few changes as indicated above.