Your home should be a place of joy, shared memories, family, and safety. It’s where you go to have a space that belongs to you and to get away from the world. Everyone wants and deserves to have their own space, and that space should be protected from those that would try to violate that. Home safety is an essential part of any homeowner’s concerns and responsibilities. Just like you need to make sure the utilities like air conditioning and the plumbing are in good working order, you should make sure your home security measures are up to the job to protect you and your family. Your home is the place you likely spend the majority of your time, so make sure that time is protected by taking advantage of these security members.
Light Things Up
A well-lit home is much more likely to be a safe and less-approachable home during the night. Many people are hesitant to utilize outdoor lighting due to environmental concerns. However, today’s outdoor lighting usually uses eco-friendly lights and that can be taken one step further by using motion-activated lights instead of lights that stay on throughout the night.
When it comes to safety, the idea of using light is to brighten up any dark nooks, crannies, and corners that an intruder might utilize to sneak around. Lighting up your home and yard at night allows both you and your neighbors to easily notice anyone who might be skulking around or trying to hide and wait for an opportunity to break in. Afterall, your porchlight won’t be enough to deter anyone if they try to hide near the backgate.
Inside your home, you can compliment your overhead lights by also using ground-level lighting which can be set at low brightness and kept on during the evening. Using motion-activated lighting within the home as well is another great way to make you feel safe since it will automatically detect anyone, who should be there or not, that might be walking around the home.
Landscape Smartly
Strategic landscaping can help keep your home safe by eliminating large unseen areas or easy hiding spots. This can be untrimmed hedges that could provide cover or shadowy pockets that you can’t clearly see when looking out the window in the evening or at night. Some garden lights, as discussed previously, can eliminate shadow while proper lawn maintenance take away some of the larger hiding spots.
Photo by SURROUNDS Landscape Architecture + Construction
Install a Security System
Installing a security system will give you peace of mind. Even when you aren’t at home, your security system can protect your home, and possibly alert you to any strange activity should that be the plan you go with. This way, you always know what the state of your home is.
Photo by Lucid Integrated Systems
Some possible additions to your security system also include adding motion-activated cameras and doorbell cameras. These can be great for evidence collection or simply as a method to keep track of what’s going on around and outside your home.
Utilize CCT Cameras
Unlike many security system cameras, a CCT camera (closed circuit camera) records footage and saves it to be viewed later. If you truly have safety concerns, CCT camera installations will give you lasting footage to be viewed at any point, whether it’s just to keep an eye on whats going on around your home or for evidence collection.
Don’t Forget to Secure your Wi-Fi
You likely know to secure your home’s Wi-Fi with a password by now. You can further protect it by creating an extra layer of safety by adding a “guest” Wi-Fi with its own separate code so you and your family aren’t giving out your password every time you have a guest over.
Don’t Overlook the Garage
You may have all the best locks on your doors and windows, but it’s possibly you’re still missing an essential element. The garage can be an entry point that you may not think about because it is technically closed unless you’re car is being moved or you’re working on a project out of it. When securing your home, don’t forget to take safety measures to monitor the garage door being opened and closed and make sure it can’t be pried open manually. You should also take steps to make sure the door leading into the house from the garage remains secure, possibly by hiding it’s own key somewhere in the garage or putting it on your keyring.
These safety measures will protect your home and give you peace of mind enough to relax and enjoy your home. After all, the last thing you want to do after a long day is worry about whether or not you have adequate security. That’s why it’s important to have a competent security system, methods of detection and documentation should something go wrong, enough light that you’re able to see your home and yard easily, and every point of entry into the house should be secur. It also doesn’t hurt to protect your Wi-Fi, making sure it can’t be abused by people who shouldn’t have access to it. These are just some of the ways to secure your house and they’re sure to help you feel safer when trying to sleep at night.