Improve Your Home’s Security With This Handy Checklist Guide

If you’re like many homeowners, you have some time dedicated each year to checking on and replacing, if necessary, certain safety related items in your home. These tasks, like replacing your smoke detector batteries every six months, and checking to make sure your fire extinguishers are properly at pressure and in working order, are things that we do each year to help our home stay a little bit safer, but what many homeowners don’t do is a home security checkup, which could also help to improve your safety and peace of mind at home. In today’s article, we’re going to discuss some simple and easy ways in which you can audit and improve the security of your home in order to help keep your home less appealing and less accessible to criminals. 

An Ounce Of Prevention…

Being proactive when it comes to preventing crimes of convenience can be more valuable than the most sophisticated home surveillance system. Change mindsets for a moment and ask yourself: What attracts burglars to a home? First, they look for unoccupied houses. Packages left on porches or trash cans sitting at the curb and other similar signs that residents are away. Security experts say the best way to protect your home is to think like a burglar. Here is a quick list of things that you can do in order to prevent unwanted attention to your home.

• Park your cars in your garage when possible (especially overnight) and take all valuables out of them as you go into your home
• Don’t put the boxes of big ticket items like new TVs, stereo systems, and other desirable items outside on your curb. Use a box cutter and take the time to break the boxes down and put the pieces into your recycling container, or take it down to the local recycle dropoff if your bin is too small.
• Store your trash and recycling cans out of sight and away from the curb until the trash pickup date. Identity thieves can swoop in and find valuable information such as account statements or bills if not properly shredded.

Secure Your Windows

Burglars are typically opportunists. They see open windows, especially on the first floor, as an invitation. Check each window to see if it is latching and properly locking. If a window doesn’t have a lock on it, then purchase a few aftermarket locks or blocking dowels to help keep them secure and safely locked. Consider using motion sensors on vulnerable windows to alert you to unusual activity.

Key-locking windows make it harder for thieves to reach in and unlock them. If there is just bare dirt or grass beneath your first story windows, then you may want to consider planting rose bushes or other types of nice-looking greenery that also has thorns to block and deter easy ingress into your windows. 

Secure Your Doors

How strong are your doors? Exterior doors should be made of metal or strong hardwoods and be heavier than interior doors. If the door frame is splintered or coming loose, it’s time to replace the frame and possibly, the door. Be sure to install a deadbolt that requires a key on the inside and outside to unlock. When installing a deadbolt, use longer screws than what typically comes with a new deadbolt install kit. Purchase some longer (around two to three inches) screws that will help secure the strike plate to the frame in a way that will make it very resistant to kicks.  

Replace Or Modify Windowed Doors

Although door windows can make a design statement, they are also a potential home security risk. If the glass is within 40 inches of the lock, replace the glass with a shatterproof material such as polycarbonate. While checking the door, look at the hinges. Make sure that all of your home’s exterior door hinges are on the inside of the door.

Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding glass doors can be a potential easy entry point if you’re not careful. With a few changes and quick fixes, you can help it to be secure and safe all year round.. Try to always remember to lock your sliding glass door each night before bed and especially when you are away. Install a bright motion detecting light fixture just outside of your sliding glass door to deter anyone who may try to sneak up and try to open it. Interior safety bars should be installed to prevent the door from opening from the outside. Foot bolts or locks can be used for added safety. All sliding glass doors should use shatterproof glass.

Check Your Locks And Re-Key If Necessary

When was the last time you changed the locks on your home? Exterior door locks should be changed every seven to ten years. They should also be changed when you take possession of a new home, even if the house is new construction. If you’ve lost track of how many people have copies of your keys, it’s probably time to replace the locks.

Install a Video Doorbell

Video doorbells record who is at your door. They let you know if someone is delivering a package or stopping by for a visit. They can also record a possible break-in. If your existing doorbell is wired, you can replace it with a video doorbell. If you do not have a doorbell, or it is not wired, there are lots of wireless options for you to try. See what works best for you!. Studies have shown that just the presence of a doorbell camera and other types of smart video surveillance equipment outside of a home can help to reduce overall crime in the area by as much as 50% and that 60% of burglars will look for a different house when they approach a house and find a camera.

Once installed, you will need to set up the doorbell with an app provided by the doorbell company and connect it to your Wi-Fi network. Most apps allow you to select the types of alerts to forward to your phone or computer so you aren’t flooded with informational alerts.

Secure Your Garage

Garages often hold valuable items such as tools, cars, and recreational vehicles but are often the least secure part of your home. If your garage is attached, it provides burglars with easy access to your home. Garage doors vary significantly, so make sure the door cannot be lifted from the outside once it is closed. Door openers should have a lock function to prevent garage doors from being opened remotely once you are inside your home.

Consider the door from the garage to the house an exterior door and secure it appropriately. Make locking the door between the garage and home a habit. Securing access to your home from the garage provides added protection should thieves gain entry into the garage. 

Think About Digital Home Security As Well

Digital security can be just as important these days as physical security and your home’s internet network is no different! Here are a few things to keep in mind in order to keep your network free from prying eyes. Smart garage door openers and video doorbells use your in-home network to connect your devices to your phone or computer. A tech-savvy burglar can compromise an unsecured network and gain access to your home and your identity. Use the following tips to secure your in-home network.

• Never use default or weak passwords. 
• Install antivirus software.
• Do not share your network password.
• Consider using a VPN.

Parting Thoughts

 We hope that today’s guide on checking up on your home security options was helpful to you. Luckily, the chances of your home being the target of a crime are very slim in general, but it never hurts to help push the odds in your favor by adding just a few things to your yearly home maintenance routine. A little prevention goes a long way! We hope that this guide has been helpful to you and we look forward to hearing about your own solutions to beefing up security around the house, so feel free to share below in the comments or shout it out on social media and tag us. Best of luck with everything around the home this year!