After your loved ones, your home is likely one of the most important things in your life. Protecting your home, family and belongings is crucial. With crime and home burglaries on the rise, it is vital to secure your dwelling. This problem can be addressed from many different angles, and today First Lock & Security Technologies will discuss a few helpful tips to protect your home inside, outside and while you are away.
What Attracts Burglars to Homes?
Starting with the outside of your home, there are a few simple solutions to help reduce the risk of your residence being targeted by thieves. The first step is to carefully survey your home to best identify any potential weaknesses. For example, if a window or door looks easy to pry open, it may be time to change it out or improve its security. You should also observe how visible some of your more valuable items are as they could become a primary target.
How Do You Keep Prowlers Away?
Next is to make your yard more secure. Fences with locking gates go a long way toward increasing the privacy of your property. When you take the steps to prevent outsiders from seeing into your property, you will ultimately reduce the temptation that may otherwise occur to burglars if they were to see expensive outdoor tools or recreational items, for example. And as always one of the most obvious security steps you can take is to ensure your garage door is closed and gates are locked when not in use!
How Do I Make My Home More Secure from the Inside?
Even more crucial than securing your garage door and locking your gates is to lock up your home’s doors and windows. Most burglars are easily able to enter because the homeowners forgot to lock up their premises. It is important to always double check your locks before you leave home for the day and even more so at night before you go to bed.
Should I Hide a Key Outside?
It can be a smart idea to keep a spare set of keys somewhere on your property in case you lose your primary set or need to provide access to a family member or house sitter etc. While it is good to have a backup key, remember the purpose is to keep it out of sight. Rather than hide it under the front door mat or flowerpot, it is best to keep a lockbox with your spare key in it hidden somewhere discreetly on the property.
What Should I Do with My House when I Go on Vacation?
It is always important to have strong security measures in place when leaving for vacation. It is recommended you double, triple or even quadruple check the locks on your doors and windows to ensure they are locked before you leave. If you have a family member or trusted neighbor visiting your property, have them take some aesthetic precautions to make it appear as though you are still home. Such examples include picking up your newspaper and packages and cutting your grass. Another common effective preventative measure is to have a timer connected to your lights so they automatically come on in the evenings. Finally, never advertise your trip in person or posting on social media. The more you advertise you will be away from home the more likely someone will try to break in so resist the temptation to share photos until you are back home!
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First Lock & Security Technologies can help you secure your home. We aim to be your number one residential locksmith and we offer a variety of services to keep you and your family safe. Give us a call today!