How to Keep Your Home and Family Safe
Staying Safe
Keeping your home safe is a priority for many people, but does a proper security system have to be expensive? Beyond investing in an affordable home security system, there are many things you can do to secure your home that are inexpensive or free.
- Check the locks
Obviously, locking your doors is an easy way to ensure that unwanted visitors don’t prey on your home. But there’s more you can do to upgrade your locks beyond ensuring your doors are locked both when
you’re home and as you leave.
Examine your home’s current locks both on the front and back of your house. Replacing weak locks with a strong deadbolt is as affordable as it is effective. Also, reinforcing a weak door with a strong, metal strike plate will ensure that someone can’t kick their way into your home. Sliding glass doors and windows have notoriously weak locks. Add a bar or step-on sliding glass door lock to make your back entry as secure as your front.
Beyond your home, ensure that your cars are always locked as well. Not only will this keep your cars and the items within them safe, but it will also deter any prowlers from remaining on or revisiting your property.
Another way to keep your home secure is to avoid hiding a spare key anywhere in your yard. Instead of using this method, entrust an extra key to a relative, nearby friend or trusted neighbor.
- Keep the lights on
Most people know to keep some of their lights on when they’re out of town, or the porch light on at night, but static lights don’t serve as much of a deterrent. Rather than keeping the lights on, invest in inexpensive timers that will cause your lights flip on and off on a schedule. This will maintain the appearance that someone is home at all times. This is especially important while you’re away on vacation.
Beyond timers, motion sensor lights for your porch, garage or backyard will switch on with movement to spook any potential burglars and alert you (and your neighbors) that someone is near your home.
- Build an alert community
Most neighbors will happily keep a watchful eye out for one another, but you can take this one step further by joining or organizing a neighborhood watch. Not only will this encourage camaraderie among your community, but it will also ensure that there are many pairs of eyes keeping watch for trouble. Once you join, encourage neighbors to post signs at neighborhood entrances to discourage potential criminals from entering.
- Beware the overshare
Posting every little moment of our lives on social media is an easy habit to fall into, but there are some things that absolutely need to be kept private. When posting pictures at home, ensure that location tags are off. This will keep your address out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have access to it. Although it can be tempting to post all of your amazing vacation photos as you take them, hold off until you return home. By letting the world know about your world travels, you’re also telling potential thieves that you’re not home and your house is unprotected.
- Invest in a security system
A monitored security system with glass break detectors, window sensors and more is the best way to ensure that your home is safe and secure both when you’re home and when you’re away. Smith Thomas Home Security has had the best value in home security systems for 40 years, so peace of mind doesn’t have to be out of your reach. Contact Smith Thompson today to discover the inexpensive home security systems that will be best for you and your family!
