How To Effectively Secure Your Residential Property

If you could fit it into your budget, you would install an alarm system. That’s certainly an efficient way to safeguard your home. But if you don’t have that kind of money, there are still many good ways to secure your place - numerous measures you can take yourself (and some you’ll want to hire a professional to do) - without spending too much. No property is completely impervious, but you can follow one main goal: Discourage potential intruders as best you can, and make it as difficult as possible for a burglar to enter.

Establish standard home rules. In a simple list of rules you put forth, involve everyone in the family, so everybody can cooperate to keep your home as safe and secure as you can.

• Anytime you go out, and prior to heading off to sleep, lock every door and window.
• Don’t answer the door, unless you know the person. If you don’t already have a peephole, now’s the time to install one.
• When you’re not using your garage, keep the garage door closed and locked. Leaving it open only tempts potential prowlers.

Follow these basic lines of defense. Here are some fairly easy ways to augment your home’s security:

Don’t keep keys and remotes near the door, visible to anyone able to peek in. Instead, store them hidden on hooks inside a cupboard door, or in a drawer.

Fortify your air conditioner. You can thwart a burglar from getting in through an unsecured window by installing corner braces, a bracket, or a sliding window lock.

Don’t be obvious. Experienced thieves will case your neighborhood before pulling a job, keeping an eye out for everyone’s comings and goings. If they observe that you’re routinely home during the daytime, they’ll likely go on to another house. Compare your place to your neighbors’, and tone down your façade accordingly. Display only modest responsible upkeep rather than extravagance.

Replace worn and weak locks. Deadbolts will give you excellent security. Install grade-2 deadbolts, which penetrate the door’s frame. Heavy-duty is more resilient.

Don’t keep a “hidden” key. A crook will find that spare key you stash inside your mailbox, over the door, under the welcome mat, or beneath the flower pot. Even if your keyholder is a fake rock, a skilled robber will probably know what it looks like. It’s better to trust a neighbor or friend to keep a spare key for you.

 

Install exterior lighting. Install a light at any entryway and all around the perimeter. Even better, put all of them on timers. Motion-sensor floodlights illuminate anytime someone passes by. Some outdoor lights respond to changes in daylight, temperature, or sound. If you can afford more, some lights can be connected to your smart device so you can detect any suspicious activity and instantly respond.
Whenever you’re out, turn some indoor lights on. If you’re away for the day, or for a longer time, you can make it look like someone’s home by attaching timers to lights, stereos, radios, and TVs. If you can fit it in your budget, add smart-device capability, so you can monitor all household activities, and make it appear as if it’s occupied all while you’re gone.

These strategies are more costly, but worth your consideration. Do you require further security measures at your property? Here are some additional steps you could take:

Get a home safe, especially one you can anchor to the floor, to protect any irreplaceable valuables, emergency cash, or crucial documents. Choose one with an acceptable level of fireproof and waterproof certification.
Put in an electronic gate. Depending on your situation, you may want to invest in a security gate, so you’re able to approve which persons can enter your property. With a keypad, an intercom system, or even more sophisticated measures such as biometrics, you can select levels of security clearance.

A video surveillance system can be worth the investment if you feel it’s needed. Decide on the image resolution you desire, and look at other technical aspects of your set-up. Do you want to record video footage, 24/7? What about software with specified capture capabilities - time-and-date stamp code, vehicle number plate recognition, facial recognition, and so on? The choices you make will depend on your environment, your property, and your finances. The point is, when people with criminal intentions see your access control system, you’ll want them to think twice and move on.