A house is a lot more than just a place to live in. Not only does it provide a sense of belonging, control, identity, comfort, and privacy to its residents; one’s house provides them a matchless feeling of security.
While some would consider a house as a collection of walls and a roof, the lives of billions of people revolve around improving their homes and lifestyles. Other than being a constant source of shelter, houses also play a vital role in one’s life as they can greatly impact your health and wellbeing.
The Risks of Not Taking Precautionary Measures for Your House
Millions of burglaries occur across the world, round the year. Even if you live in the safest of countries, your house would still always be prone to getting broken-in.
When someone breaks into your house, not only can they steal your valuables or damage your property, the event can be extremely distressful for most people as well.
A burglary makes you feel violated and can be a traumatizing experience for you and your loved ones. Therefore, the sooner you learn how to secure your home, the better it will be.
Securing Your House
No matter how young or old you are, everyone wants to feel safe, especially in their own space. It is in every living being’s innate nature to guard and protect their home. They would do everything within their power to make their house the most ideal place for themselves and their families. Lets if you travel a lot and you do not want to leave your home unattended, home automation will ease things for you. You will be able to monitor your home from anywhere in the world.
Most home invasions occur during daylight hours when people are either at work or school. However, it does not imply that a thief would not consider breaking-in your house at night. Therefore, it is extremely important to keep your house protected at all times.
Ways to Protect Your House From a Break-In
While it is impossible to perfectly secure your house, following some of the best practices mentioned below will get your house security covered in most areas.
- Keep Those Doors Locked
- Keep Expensive Items Out of Sight
- Update Your Locks
- Verify Before Opening the Door
- Dress The Windows
- Run Background Checks Before Hiring Househelp
- Make Your House Free of Hiding Spots
- Keep It Lit
- Fences Are A Must
- Make Your House Look Occupied
- Keep an Eye on the Garage
- Install Security Cameras & Alarms
- Maintain The Lawn
- Get To Know Your Neighbors
- Don’t Share Your Vacation Details on Social Media
- Ask a Trusted Neighbor to Keep a Check
- Keep Your Trip Short
Protect Your House On The Inside
When it comes to taking care of your house security, the first thing you need to do is to implement precautionary measures on the internal part of your house.
1. Keep Those Doors Locked
The most commonly known concept known to humankind is home door security. An unmonitored door is an open invitation to burglars as it would make their jobs way more convenient. To avoid that, all you have to do is make sure that you never leave your front or any other door unlocked and you’re done!
2. Keep Expensive Items Out of Sight
It is only wise to keep your belongings especially the high-priced ones protected. Make it a practice to always keep expensive items such as jewelry, cash, gadgets, watches, and wallets properly placed in a safe place as soon as you get home.
Do not keep such things on display as that would greatly increase the chances of them being stolen. To do so, you might also consider investing in a household safe that will help in this process.
3. Update Your Locks
When moving into a new house, it is suggested that you replace old locks with new ones. It is considered one of the best ways to secure your home as you can never be sure if the previous residents still have any of the keys. Some people also tend to share their house keys with their relatives and friends so it’s only safe to have new locks installed in your house.
4. Verify Before Opening the Door
Always be extremely careful while answering the door. Many home invasion investigations have revealed that burglars often go straight for the doorbell. A peephole would add up greatly to your home door security. Just make sure you use it every time you’re about to open the front door of your house. Needless to say, opening up the door for a stranger is not worth the risk anyway.
5. Dress The Windows
Windows are a significant part of every house. They serve multiple purposes such as adds natural light to your home, add beauty to the architecture of your house, and providing ventilation but most importantly, they connect you with the outside world.
Besides all the pros of windows, we often ignore the fact that they can allow thieves and burglars to step into your house. Therefore, you should always be extremely careful about not only keeping the windows locked but also keep them covered with curtains and drapes as that would let you keep your privacy intact and any burglar won’t be able to peep inside your house; let alone commit a break-in.
6. Run Background Checks Before Hiring Househelp
Hiring people to help you out with household tasks is a very common practice, especially in Pakistan. According to statistics, every fourth house in Pakistan has at some point employed a domestic helper in the form of a maid, a cook, a guard, or a driver.
Over the years, it has been observed that more often than not, domestic helpers have been involved in various burglaries across the country. You can never fully tell whether they are actually serious about the job or if they’re just disguising themselves as helpers to gain access to your house so they may commit a burglary later.
The only way to save yourself the trouble is to verify the information a potential helper provides you before you hire them. You can ask them for a copy of their CNIC and run it by the police for a criminal record check.
7. Make Your House Free of Hiding Spots
If you have certain areas of your house that you don’t really use or go to that much, just keep in mind that they can be used by thieves as a hiding spot. Storerooms, attics, and basements are key examples of these hiding spots where people can sneak into and be active when there is no one at home. Even small spaces such as vents and air conditioning units can be utilized by unwanted visitors as places to hide in and enter later.
Protect Your House From the Outside
Securing your house from the inside doesn’t guarantee a safe house. Even with the locks and protection, if the outside is left alone, burglars can find new ways to enter the house. Whether it’s through the garage, hiding in the bushes, or sneaking in the dark of the night, homeowners must focus on some methods to keep it safe from the outside as well. If you keep wondering about ‘how to secure your house’, here are a few great tips on what you can do without breaking the bank on expensive security tech.
8. Keep It Lit
Outdoor lighting can be more than just a fancy touch to spruce up the house. People trying to break-in, love the dark since they can do the business without drawing too much attention to themselves. Lights here and there around the house especially on the entrances will make it difficult for them to go unnoticed. Get to know tips on amplifying light in your house without effecting much to your electricity bills. Thanks to science, you can now check your bills online without any hustle.
Lighting outside can also make it look like the homeowners inside are active, hence minimizing the risk of forced entry. It is a pretty useful way to secure the property.
9. Fences Are A Must
One of the most common themes you see in houses these days are fences and that is for a very good reason. Homes that are open without any sort of fence or barrier are a free invitation to people to come from any direction.
Installing fences not only gives your home that distinguished look from the outside but will also double as a home protection system. Also if you are thinking of installing a house security fence, we would definitely recommend the ones that are hard to climb over. Thieves and burglars sometimes do have adequate climbing skills so make sure to get that fence unclimbable.
10. Make Your House Look Occupied
If you are wondering what makes a house an easy target for burglars, it’s usually those that look abandoned without anyone inside. It can be when hosts go on vacation or property on rent that no one has visited in weeks. The common theme for these easy targets is that they look empty. Clean the place up so it looks good from the outside and leaves a light on from the inside at night. Small things like taking your mail every day can also make a big difference.
Homes with cars on the driveways will definitely make it look like there is someone in the house. If it’s for a short period of time, then keep the driveway clean, even leave the TV or radio inside turned on to have that noise scaring off unwanted people. Sometimes, even these methods can be as effective as home security products. You should have automated car locks for your vehicle protection. If you own a car get your driving license.
11. Keep an Eye on the Garage
One of the more common entry points for thieves is the garage. Since most garages are not linked to the inside and are usually unprotected, it can double as a great hiding place for some evildoers. If your garage is linked to the inside of the house, then that does not ensure you a 100% secure house. Just make sure that you put home door security on the inside as well to prevent any mishaps.
It is a no brainer to keep nothing valuable in the garage. At least nothing that can be carried away easily. If the garage is visible from the outside, make sure to keep all personal belongings inside. The landscaping next to the garage should definitely be catered to ensure that no burglars can use it to sneak in.
If you are looking for the best way to secure your home, investing in a security camera or alarm for your garage door might be a great investment in the long run. People mostly think the apartment is safer than the house. If you are confused about choosing a house or apartment to live in, read house vs apartment where you should live.
12. Install Security Cameras & Alarms
If you have seen the CCTV cameras on the TV or the internet, then you would already be aware of their usefulness. With the technology we have these days, you can even have cameras installed on your smartphone giving you the ability to see what’s going on at your house no matter where you are.
Fingerprint enabled doors and eye detectors aside, basic alarms and CCTV cameras are a great form of home security system that everyone should consider. Putting them in a clear view will also give the impression that the house is fully protected and that whoever is inside is aware of anyone trying to break-in.
13. Maintain The Lawn
Anyone trying to hide while entering your house will find trees and bushes as a blessing since they would provide an excellent cover. Therefore, you should always get them trimmed and in proper shape. While this proper gardening is going to make your front or back yards look cleaner and more organized, it will also help you get rid of any hiding spots that a thief might use.
Trees next to a house window might also serve as a ladder for a burglar. Make sure to be extra vigilant about any such windows in your house.
14. Get To Know Your Neighbors
Neighbors can be a huge asset if they are good people but even if they are not, forming a good relationship with them can go a long way in securing your home. Neighbors can be your extra set of eyes and ears keeping a close watch on the house while you are away.
Asking your neighbors on ways they secure their homes can also be a good practice to get extra information. It is only fair to warn you that some neighbors won’t be the nicest people and they can be a wolf in sheep’s clothing pretending to be friends with you just to have you drop your guard. Make sure you are extra careful in connecting with them.
Keep Your House Safe While You’re Away
We all know that it is convenient to follow home security measures while you’re there; but what about the times when you’ve to go away? To keep things in order while you’re away, just follow the simple precautions we’ve mentioned below and you’re good to go!
15. Don’t Share Your Vacation Details on Social Media
Probably the easiest and best way to protect your home is by not advertising on Social Media your personal lives. Many people keep sharing photos, videos, and other details about their homes on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat without realizing how easy it makes the job for your potential stalkers.
When it comes to vacations and the time you spend away from home for work or visiting vacation spots or whatever reasons, the risks of such stalkers robbing your house drastically increase. This is the reason why it is highly recommended to keep the details about your vacations and other trips as private as possible.
16. Ask a Trusted Neighbor to Keep a Check
Ever been concerned about the best way to secure your home? Just get rid of the idea of ever neglecting your house even when you’re away for a couple of days. You can always ask somebody you trust such as a friend, a relative, or a neighbor you’ve known for a long time.
When your house is vigilantly under check, any thief or burglar would find it really unsafe to commit any sort of crime over there hence increasing the security of your house while you have fun on your time away from home.
17. Keep Your Trip Short
Understand the importance of your house and the value it brings to your life. While spending time on a ‘vacay’ is as tempting as it gets, know that a neglected house is somewhat an open invitation for any burglar.
A smart move under such a circumstance would be to return as soon as you can in order to maintain the security of your home-sweet-home.
So these were some of the tips that we thought were worth mentioning to keep your house security intact. Let us know if you’ve more ideas on how to secure your home. Feel free to comment your thoughts below.
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Until next time, stay home, stay safe!
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