Your home is arguably the most significant investment you will make. With the continued rise in housing demand, prospective homeowners face steep prices to own a place they could call home. Yet what’s a home when anybody can walk in and make away with your valuables? According to statistics, more than 3370 burglaries are recorded in the US, with 51% suffering repeated break-ins at least twice a month. These numbers can be disturbing for a homeowner, especially with the high cost of professional home installation. Fortunately, here are some DIY hacks to firmly secure your home.
Keep valuables from prying eyes
Flashy, expensive-looking items easily attract intruders. Therefore, it is essential to keep your things like bikes, tools, and other hardware in the garage when not in use. Moreover, you want to avoid leaving your valuable stuff around your windows. It’s prudent to keep your valued items away when not in use. It is practical to have window treatments like blinds or curtains to prevent passers-by from seeing through your home. Your electronic devices, cash, jewelry, and other vital documents should never be in plain sight. An easy way to handle this is to buy a household safe to keep your valuable items and other personal documents.
Be smart on social media
Social media is undoubtedly an excellent tool for sharing your travel experiences, photos and reaching out to family and loved ones in distant places. However, social media could be the weakness in your home security system since it’s designed to be public. A social media platform is more like the community PA system. Therefore, avoid sharing your travel plans unless you are okay with everyone knowing about them.
Since social media is set to public by default, a simple search using specific keywords like travel, vacation, trips can reveal times and dates you may be away, which will leave your home exposed to attacks. You can wait until your vacation return to break the internet with those fantastic photos and tell everybody about the experience. To avoid sharing a similar fate with the 2019 Houston burglary gang, ensure to limit the amount of personal information you share on the internet.
Smart locks with no keys
Like rotary phones, door locks will likely become old-fashioned. Smart locks allow you to open your door using your smartphone, finger scan, or keypad. This means you won’t get to use keys anymore. You wouldn’t have to worry about your keys getting missing or ending up in the wrong hands. Moreover, you don’t have to find a hiding spot for your spare key while you are away. You can replace your present locks with smart ones in just a matter of minutes without drilling any large holes.
Whiles cost could be a concern, standard models with electronic keypads shouldn’t cost more than the risks with your current locks. Additionally, smart-controlled versions can enable you to record the time and date particular codes were entered. This way, you determine who entered your home and when. This shouldn’t cost more than $100, making it easier to acquire.
Secure your overhead doors
It is common to see most people unplug their overhead garage door when heading out for holidays or vacations. While this may be okay, physically locking it can be securing. Unplugging your garage opener isn’t enough to stop “fishing,” and if you have a garage attached, there is no way to prevent an intruder who entered your home by using the garage door from the inside.
The garage will serve as a loading dock for the bootie. Locking the door itself will make the burglars do more work and spend more time trying to unlock it. It shouldn’t be a problem if your entry does not have a lockable latch. Drill a hole in the track a little above either roller and slide in a solid padlock.
Strengthen your door security
Even if your locks are solid, windows, doors, and other fragile hardware will welcome anybody in with the slightest kick or knock. If your home has been a victim of a recent break-in or suffered from a recent storm, it is essential to inspect every part of your home, especially the entry points, since it could leave you exposed. You may consider replacing your thin, broken exterior doors or add extra support with a security bar or door barricade.
You can also get a door reinforcement kit that comes with strike plates and hardware to strengthen weakened door points. However, if your property suffered extensive damages from a natural disaster or man-made activity, finding a home adjuster will help make damage claims for your property.
Install loud sticker alarms
While complete home security and surveillance system can offer the peace of mind you crave, it can be pretty expensive and come with monthly charges. Yet you can get an alternative alarm to fit your doors and windows. They usually don’t come with any video features or high-tech specs. You only have to fix the alarms on your windows or doors. The vibrations from forcing the door or breaking the glass will trigger the alarms and cause it to blare. Despite their small sizes, peel-and-stick alarms boast piercing sirens that could go up to 110 decibels. Interestingly, these alarms, which come with a flick switch, can cost as little as $7.
Eliminate hiding spots
The hedges and dense shrubs in your home corner can be a hiding spot for an intruder, especially with poor lighting. While you don’t need to remove your plants or hedges to reduce your landscaping efforts, you can keep them trimmed to expose anybody sneaking around your home. This doesn’t only improve your home security efforts but increases your curb appeal. Such areas can use motion-sensing light bulbs or good lighting to deter possible burglars.
Use motion-sensing light in and outside your home
Replace your regular lights with motion-sensing bulbs or attach a motion detection adapter to your socket and standard bulb. These lights will shine a spotlight on anybody snooping around your property. That alone could be enough to send burglars upon their heels. Motions sensing lights can likewise make it difficult for intruders to move around undetected even when they make their way into your home. These are smart devices you can install yourself without any particular skill or knowledge since most devices come with installation guides.
Be clever about hiding your keys
As indicated earlier, there are familiar places you keep your keys when heading home. It could be the under of your doormat, flower pot, or some predictable locations opportunistic burglars can quickly figure out. Instead, you can leave an extra key with a trusted neighbor or avoid keeping your keys in one place. This is helpful in case you have unsuspecting persons monitoring to know where you saved them. Better yet, you can get an affordable combination lockbox and install them in a concealed place in your home outdoor.
Keeping your keys in a combination lockbox and hiding it in a secure area is more like a two-step security system. An intruder will first have to locate the locker before attempting to get the key combination. This could take forever, and burglars don’t have that much to spend. However, if you decide to buy a home security system, you can get many budget-friendly options on the market. Each family’s concerns and priorities may be different, yet there are valued-minded choices you can make to secure your home, family, and properties.
Kori
