As a homeowner, you and your family should be able to feel safe within the walls of your own home. However, it’s difficult to do this when you hear so much on the news about the decline of the economy and the rise of crime allegedly associated with it.
How much is peace of mind worth to you?
Believe it or not, the price for peace of mind is not something exclusionary and there are lots of ways you can make the home safer while minimizing the chances of a break-in.
These include:
- Indoor and Outdoor Improvements
- Fortification of Major Entry Points
- Possible Investment in Home Security
Those are just a few ways to make the home safer.
Let’s explore them in more detail.
Indoor and Outdoor Improvements
We’ll start with the outside of the home since the things you do out there could serve as your first line of defense. One thing to take into account when figuring out what to improve upon out here is how the criminal element operates.
Even the most ambitious intruder will pass over a home if there is the potential for a confrontation. They don’t want to get at you they want to get at your things. Criminals will spend days observing a home to get an idea for the “lay of the land” and when you are less likely to be home. Minimizing their ability to deduce these things minimizes the chances of success and the possibility that a break-in will even occur.
For outside of the home, you can start with your gate. You can turn your existing gate into a smart gate and access it through a cellular access control. This could cost you a little extra, but going the extra mile to secure your property might be a better option than not doing anything. Secondly, if you do not have a gate, you can try eliminating the cover first. Bushes surrounding windows and poor lighting are the allies to the criminal element. By trimming back the bushes and putting in some motion-sensing lights, you are significantly deterring any criminal activity.
As for the inside, curtains and drapes do a remarkable job of limiting the criminal’s ability to “window shop.” There are also specialty items you can purchase that simulate the light given off from a television set to further convey the illusion that someone is home.
Fortification of Major Entry Points
Skilled criminals, given enough time and information, will find a way in and, usually, it’s through the front door. Backdoors, especially the kind with sliding glass, are a close second. So how do you fortify these locations?
It’s simple, really, and not incredibly expensive.
For the front door, you could shop around and see about a stronger, slab model. They sell these in major hardware stores and they are much harder to break through. Most also come with peepholes allowing you to observe what’s happening outside. However, if one isn’t present, you could always install one yourself and the overall cost usually comes in at something under twenty bucks. Make sure to visit Industrial Door Company website so that you get an idea of how to go about it.
Replacing the locks is also something you might want to consider if you have had the same ones for a number of years now. Not surprisingly, even the most stubborn locks can weaken with wear and tear over time.
Looking into your locks is something that you should do as soon as possible if you are worried about the security of your home.
Those sliding glass doors most people have leading out to porches and decks are a little more challenging but still manageable. The locking mechanisms on these are comparatively weaker than the kind for regular doors so don’t depend on them entirely. Instead, try to obstruct the sliding track with a lead pipe or a piece of two-by-four cut to length.
There are also shatter guards and seals you can buy to put over the glass.
Possible Investment in Home Security
If all else fails, you could shop around for a home security system. Prices are not as daunting as you might believe, and there are plenty of providers and sites like http://www.totalalarmsystems.com/ all over the internet. Because the market is saturated with so many providers, there are many out there offering competitive prices that can work within most budgets – it’s something to consider.
And just remember that peace of mind doesn’t necessarily have to cost you an arm and a leg. But, at the end of the day, if a security measure helps keep your family safe and secure in the home then, really, it’s worth every penny.