How to Be Sure That Your Home Is a Safe Place

In a perfect world, all homes would be a safe place all the time. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.

No matter where you live, you still need to be mindful of your home security. How safe is your home in reality? Likely, it’s not as safe as you think.

According to the FBI, burglaries result in $3.4 billion in property losses each year, and you don’t want yourself to fall victim to this expensive statistic. While you might know some of the basics about security, here’s how you can be sure that your home is a safe place.

1. Replace Your Front Door

When is the last time you’ve taken a close look at your front door? You probably know the importance of always locking the door and checking the peephole before welcoming in strangers, but is that enough?

Unfortunately, many criminals force their way in through the door whether you lock it or not. If you have a hollow core door that’s lightweight and easy to break, it’s not protecting you as much as it should. Replacing your front door and any back entrances with a solid hardwood or steel door will help you stay safe.

2. Install an Alarm System

The best thing to do about your own home security is to install an alarm system. Many people make the mistake of thinking that this paints their home as a target, but the opposite is true. Criminals are always looking for homes that aren’t well taken care of and that don’t seem watched.

If you have an alarm system, your home is always being watched by professionals even when you’re not home. Even better, these systems are more affordable than you think and they’re well worth the peace of mind. Read this article about armed stay to get started with the right system.

3. Use Home Timers

Aside from having an alarm system, another way to deter criminals is to give the appearance of always having someone in your home. Of course, this isn’t really possible in a practical sense. However, because most crimes happen during the day when people are known to be at work, having a timer in your home will help deter intruders.

You can set timers to turn on your TV, radio, or lights to fool intruders into thinking someone’s home. You can even find fake TV lights that mimic the appearance of the TV flickering on and off.

4. Be Careful on Social Media

Is your social media a welcome sign to criminals? If you post about your vacations and fancy belongings on social media, you’re helping intruders gain entry into your home. Not only do you want to be discreet about your valuables, but you also never want to advertise when your home is empty. If possible, set your social media to private.

5. Hide Your Valuables

Finally, make sure you’re careful about where you hide your valuables. Too many people leave them in easy-to-find spots around their home. If a burglar does get into your home, they’re going to go for the easiest stuff they can grab.

In the past, criminals have admitted to checking dresser drawers, bedside tables, medicine cabinets, and closets. The best place to hide your valuables is in a secure safe or in a hard to find location.

Is Your Home Safe?

After reading through these tips above, how safe is your home? A lot of people make the mistake of assuming crime would never happen to them, but nobody is ever 100% safe.

The best thing you can do is be proactive about your safety. Paying attention to your home, how it appears from the outside, and what you’re posting online will go a long way. Essentially, you never want to be an easy target.