Did you know that a burglary occurs every 30 seconds in the US? Home invasions are more common than people think. Stepping up your home’s security could provide peace of mind against threats by making your home less of a likely target. It could be particularly important if you live in a high crime area. Below are just a few ways in which you can seriously step up your home security.
Install exterior lighting
One of the simplest but most effective ways to ward off intruders is to install exterior lighting on your home. Most burglaries occur at night, because it’s easier for criminals to break into homes undetected. Adding lighting to the outside of your home makes it harder to go unseen and many thieves will simply move onto the next home. Motion-sensing lighting tends to be the best solution, but it only turns on when people are outside, saving you energy.
Set up surveillance cameras
Surveillance cameras won’t just catch an intruder in the act – they’re likely to act as a deterrent. From Ring doorbells to 16 channel 5MP IP camera systems, there are many different security camera solutions that you can look into. Try to cover the most likely entry points and consider cameras extra features like night vision and voice recording for extra security.
Explore burglar alarms
A burglar alarm can be triggered to make a loud sound if your door or window is broken into. This can help alert neighbors of a break in. Many modern smart burglar alarms will also send an alert to your phone and can be linked up with cameras so you can check what’s going on from any location and call the police if necessary.
Keep the front of your home open and visible
Some people think that hiding their home’s entrance with tall hedges or trees can make it more secure, but in fact it can make it a more attractive target for burglars. Tall hedges can make it easier for a burglar to break into your home without any neighbors catching sight of them. Trimming those hedges down is more likely to put off thieves.
Reinforce doors
Many intruders don’t break in by picking locks, but by kicking down doors with weak frames. Reinforcing the frame by installing a heavy duty strike plate and using large screws can help to make doors more impenetrable.
Use a smart spare key lockbox
A lot of burglars also break in simply by searching the surrounding area for a spare key. Never put a spare key under your doormat or above the door frame. Instead, consider buying a lockbox to put your spare key in. Better still, using a smart lockbox that can only be opened remotely with a smartphone app.
Strengthen your home’s wi-fi
Cyberattacks are an overlooked threat in many homes. However, it’s not just businesses that get hacked – cybercriminals are now targeting people’s homes, sometimes by simply sitting outside in a car and jumping on their wi-fi. Make sure that your home’s wi-fi has a strong password (consider changing it from the default password), and make sure the firewall is enabled. This should put off most hackers.
