The home security industry is expected to reach three times its current size by 2025, said the International Data Corporation, with people seeking systems that can be integrated more effectively and proactively into the home. Asking Amazon Alexa to turn on the security system once you leave your home is not the only thing.
Therefore should you be in search of a home security system but at the same time looking for something controllable, then you are not alone. However, there is more to home security than having a good burglar system as much as it might make you feel so.
For instance, the carbon monoxide detector is one of the gadgets that must be installed in a house. You also require strong firewalls to your internet because an intruder can hack ip address. However, it’s not a fill in for careful maintenance and care of your fuel burning appliances. Home security systems are limited in their ability to cover mindful, healthy practices around your home.
To guide you, here are the list of 15 measures you may take to enhance the security of your home. So, take a read!
15 Efficient Ways to Secure Your Home
Here are some reliable ways you can secure your home.
1. Consider Your Assumptions About Security
According to the FBI report in 2017, approximately 18 percent of all reported residence crimes make up burglary after beating larceny theft. In the first half of 2018, the percentage of the person, property, and business crimes as compared to the similar period in 2017 has been reduced.
That’s why home security, in most cases, is unique. So, what does work for other people may not necessarily work for you. But while protecting your home, you need to pretend that you are a burglar, so you can adequately describe the steps.
Burglars and thieves are likely to leave with their plans if they see a home with home alarm systems, a study made by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte shows. Out of all the imprisoned burglars, 60 percent of the participants stated an alarm would make them reconsider the crime.
That means they look for homes that offer the lowest levels of protection. Therefore, if you are using a window decal or a yard sign telling people that they are on camera and they could activate or trigger a security alarm it would perhaps benefit the household if placed at a conspicuous location.
However, if a burglar intends to gain entrance in your premises, they are very sure to search for another way. Therefore, a home security system would definitely be helpful.
2. Close Any Entryways
It is without a doubt that placing a security camera in the façade of your house is effective in helping you notice danger. Plus, it offers films for support. Perhaps install two security cameras on your driveway.
It is even possible that security cameras do not deter a burglary. However, it can aid in helping you identify the suspects. Furthermore, it is advisable to install both security camera, a floodlight, and window sensors for the back door which is one of the entry points for the criminal.
Additionally, maintain security of your property at daytime. Criminals do not want any kinds of troubles or fight. Thus, they may not find you much of a threat if they see you belong to any of the mentioned categories, especially if you are at home. In other words it becomes highly important that you lock your doors any time you are going out in the morning like the way you do when going to bed. You should always ensure that their alarm system is activated in the evening when everyone goes to work.
However, if you are the type that always forget to lock the door, then the smart locks are for you. You are able to open it, close it, or send an individual number to a friend or family member for them to check your house from your mobile device.
3. Get A Good Security System
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The very moment people do things they should not do, they do not want anyone observing them, much less staying nearby. Hence if your compound has bright lights around the compound, then thieves and other bad intentioned people will be … both when inside and outside the compound.
Other things to be considered considerably when selecting the outdoor lamps involve; whether they require motion sensing, energy conservation, and lamping that function through a schedule. This will make it possible for you to save on energy without compromising your homes security.
Turn on the pathway, including fences, front as well as back yards and any other spot where you believe a person might lurk.
5. Carefully Secure the Garage
As for the garage it is not an aspect that most individuals care about when it comes to home protection. Indeed, one usually does not store treasures in a garage, do they? So it may not make much sense to you to continue to try and build it up.
However, this a secure home also imply that one needs to have a secure garage as well. Guarantee good locks for your garage door and get a smart opener for your garage door if you can.
6. Burglar-Proof Your Windows
Watch any movie, and you will notice how simple it is to break into someone’s house through the window. For this reason, the act of covering your windows is a necessity more so if you reside in a usually burgled area.
The methods you can use to protect your windows include using window sensors, using high window glass, buying after-market window locks, using some window bars and planting them prickly bushes beneath your windows to discourage intruders from attempting to open them.
7. Secure Your Doors
You’d be be amazed at how many burglars walk in through the main gate. It might not be the front door, but most people do not care whether all the other doors to their houses are locked or not at any one time.
There is something that a new home owner should do, and that is to change the locks or hire a professional to come and change them before one moves in. You just don’t know what kind of people lived there before you and anything can happen you it’s just safe to have its own alarm system.
Of course, if your house is equipped with sliding glass doors, knowing how to secure each door is necessary.
There are some steps you can still take to enhance the security of that door: Installing a video doorbell for the front door; installing a deadbolt; securing your mail slot. No one should be able to put their hands into the mail niche and reverse the door to inside from the outside.
8. Reduce Possible Hiding Places
Some of the areas that burglars can easily conceal themselves include; Bushes around ones compound, behind trees, behind tools left outside, among others.
Thus, by removing these features, an intruder cannot hide and take a chance with your home. Prune the trees and shrubs in your compound and adopt flowers beds and few bushes instead.
Also, ensure that you are adequately illuminating the compound as we mentioned above those bad intending to steal will never think of getting into your compound. Other things that you can do are ensure that any other buildings within your compound are locked correctly and that all equipment is removed from the compound properly, trim down trees around the compound.
9. Automate Your Home
Home automation is just perfect for giving you all those comforts and more that you richly deserve. You can schedule and even remotely control a number of functions that are in your home when you embrace smart home solutions. You will easily be able to manage the lights, the smoke alarms, door locks, and security cameras irrespective of your location.
However, with home automation there comes security factors for example if an outsider gets hold of your home network. So, before you start creating a smart home, make sure that your home network is protected. We will discuss about protecting your WiFi connection on the next point.
You can implement home automation to secure your home for instance by setting your lights and appliances to shut off as you go on vacation, disarming the false alarms using your mobile application, getting immediately a video feed of your driveway and many others.
The other benefit which arises from home automation is that it sends you an alert if there is any suspicious activity a move that you can counter.
10. Protect Your Wi-Fi Network
This mostly comes in handy when you realize that you have combined your WiFi with your security system and other smart devices in your home.
If someone manages to hack your Wi-Fi network they would also gain entry to your home plus control over all the solutions within your network be it a device or an appliance. Therefore, consider adding extra protection to your Wi-Fi network with these tips:
- Create a difficult-to-guess password
- Use a firewall
- Hide your home network
- Secure your Wi-Fi router
- Use a wireless private network (VPN)
11. Purchase A Safe
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A safe will provide you with the security you need especially when there are certain items in the house that you feel should be in a safe. It is yet an ergonomic piece that you can fix it in your master bedroom or anywhere; behind the painting or at the far end of your wardrobe or drawer.
It is one of the best places where you can secure your passports, and other documents, jewelries, your extra money, or any other personal effects that you don’t want any thief to get in case he gains access to your house. Well, again how does one go about selecting the ideal safe for their home?
Specific aspects to look for include the safety dimensions which are compact, mobile safe and an anchored safe and the kind of locking mechanism that you would prefer you safe to have.
12. Set Up Security Cameras
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The most impressive thing about security cameras is the fact that they will immediately place someone on the alert knowing they are under watch. And for sure nobody wants to be seen when they are doing something they know they shouldn’t be doing.
To this, we included this as a separate point because security mobile apps can be purchased by themselves as part of a home security system. We are here for the former because we understand that you don’t have to obtain an entire system should you don’t have to.
However, make sure the security cameras come with a feature for you to view your home footage through your mobile app in real time. This will make you have the ability to monitor your home from any distance depending on your wish.
13. Protect Against House Fires
There was no way we could end this article without writing about house fires and avoiding them as a security feature. The problem with house fires is that they are unheard of and cannot be restrained or put out once they have begun – especially when there is no one in the house.
The best policy a homeowner can adopt in order to safeguard their home against house fires is to avoid them. You can do this by getting a brand new fire extinguisher, checking the smoke detectors and fire alarms currently installed in your home to make sure they are in order, and getting a qualified chimney sweep to come and inspect your fireplace before you start using it.
Ideally, you could probably consider having a check up on your detectors and fire alarms every month to ascertain that they are properly functioning. If you already have good fire extinguisher in your home, check whether the expiry date of the extinguisher has elapsed not.
It is also important to put fire escape ladders especially if your house is bigger than one story. You can complete that process with a professional’s help.
14. Look For Home Automation Gadgets
Depending on your desired level of home automation, it is possible to look into what your security system can easily interface with such as light bulbs or even locks. Some home automation devices can in the long run learn schemes of behaviors in the home and lock doors as soon as you leave the house or turn on lights once you’re home.
15. Extra Easy-to-Do Steps
Exploiting the available resources may assist in making your home secure and protected. The following are some of the steps:
- Knowing all your neighbors
- Eliminating additional access points
- Reinforcing door locks and windows
- Talking to your insurer
- Keeping keys under the doormat
- Investing in good locks
Frequently Asked Questions About Securing Your Home
1. Do you want to monitor your home by yourself?
Of course, no one can tell you whether self-monitoring your home or not is best for you.. To answer the question you must take into consideration what you like and what home you are thinking of. If so, then maybe it is better to see the pros and cons of either one.
Today people are starting to pay more attention to self-monitored security systems. Such systems allow you to control your home through live video, e-mail, and even an SMS on your phone. But self-installed systems let you avoid paying for more money to get the monitoring center’s help.
For the most part, DIY security companies will permit you to switch to professional monitoring based on your agreement, without a contract, for months in advance. As much as DIY security systems are cheap in the long run than the monitored security systems most of them are more expensive to install.
On the other hand, professionally installed systems will help you receive a discussion on what equipment is best to be installed in your home. More importantly, if you don’t wish to rely on your mastery of a system, let a professional handle it.
2. Is a smart home worth it?
Yes. However, this depends with the needs and preferences that one has at their disposal. A smart home means you can look at the feed from your security cameras and safeguard your home in other aspects than what a normal home for instance, can.
A smart home also has some benefits such as convenience, flexibility, and energy effectiveness. An example of the energy efficient part is when you set your lights and particular gadgets to turn off when you are not around.
