6 Ways to Increase Your Home Security

Your house is your sanctuary; somewhere you can relax and unwind after a hard day’s work, and the top necessity for making a house into a home is to feel safe and secure. This will allow you to carry out all your daily tasks, from cooking to singing and dancing along to the radio, to taking a long relaxing bath and going to sleep at night without having to worry about anything.

These days, there are more facilities than ever to keep your home safe from being targeted in a burglary, vandalism or any sort of crime, and it is highly advisable to take as many precautions as possible to make sure that you feel safe in your home. Research suggests that homes without security measures are five times more likely to be burgled than those with simple security measures, so it is important to make this positive impact.

The following tips will help you to create a more secure home for you and your family so that you can stop worrying and start enjoying your precious time in your home.

    1)    Install a burglar alarm

Criminals are more likely to target houses which are unprotected by any form of security, as they are less likely to draw attention to themselves and get caught by anyone. For this reason, criminals will be less likely to target your house when they know that a burglar alarm is installed.

Even though a burglar alarm is an investment, it is well worth it to prevent your house and belongings from being put under threat. However, even if you cannot afford a burglar alarm, it is possible to purchase fake burglar alarms to be installed on the outside of the house which are very convincing and are also highly likely to deter any criminals.

    2)    Install good outside lighting

Crime is much more likely to occur in areas which are dark rather than areas which are well lit because criminals are less likely to be seen and caught in darkness due to poor visibility and the lesser chance that people will be around.

If the areas outside your house is dark or void of street lighting, it is well worth investing in some outside lights which are sensitive to movement. This will make it safer for you to go out in the immediate space outside your house at night time, and you will also deter and shock criminals who do not want to attract attention to themselves or be seen.

    3)    Secure doors and windows

The doors and windows of your house are the most vulnerable points where a criminal is most likely to enter, so it is important to make sure that you select the safest options available within your budget. Double glazing windows are a standard for most houses, and they are the safer option too. There is also sometimes the opportunity to choose glass which is particularly strong to avoid any breakages. It is also important to make sure that the locks on the doors and windows all work and you know where the keys are.

In terms of doors, there are multiple options on the market which are specifically made to be as safe as possible. One of the most popular options for front and back doors are composite doors in Sheffield. These sturdy, reliable doors are made of several materials, adding to their strength. In terms of security, they are incredibly difficult to break, making your home safer in general.

It is also highly advisable to lock your door whenever it is not in use and install a chain so that you have the choice of whether or not to open the door fully.

    4)    Keep keys away from doors

When you lock the outside doors, take the time to put your keys away from the door and out of reach from the letterbox. Remember, criminals may use a device to hook keys onto and remove them from your house through the letterbox; this also includes car keys.

Make sure that any keys or valuable items are well out of the way of your letterbox and ideally out of sight. You could put them in a drawer or far away from the door to ensure there is no chance of them being retrieved.

    5)    Make your house look occupied

Criminals watch out for household routines and homes where the occupiers appear to be on holiday before targeting. They look out for signs such as not taking the bins out, no movement within the house, no noise coming from the house and the cars staying parked in one spot. For this reason, when you are out of the house for a long period of time or going away, it is highly advisable to make your house look occupied.

There are several ways in which you can create a mock presence in your home, for example by leaving your lights on a timer and leaving the radio on for periods of time. This will make it seem as though people are still occupying or looking after your house.

    6)    Ask a neighbour to keep watch

If you have a neighbour you trust, ask them to keep an eye out on your house whilst you are away and offer to do the same for them when they go on holiday. This will make sure that, even though you are not there, there is someone looking out for your home who would call for help if there were any suspicious activities going on around your house.

If necessary, you could even ask them to take your bins out on bin day so that it looks as though someone is occupying your property.

Some of the techniques enlisted require an investment, whereas others are free options. They are well worth investing efforts into for your peace of mind and to reduce the chances of your home being targeted in a crime scenario. If you need any more help regarding the safety of your home, the police service has much information available on crime prevention.