JUMP TO: 8 Home Security Tips | Contact Lloyd Security for Professional Residential Security
Break-ins can leave your family shaken and scared, and you may lose valuables in the process. You can’t replace things like the ring your grandmother gave you, the charm bracelet your children bought as a Mother’s Day gift or a special item you got on your honeymoon. Luckily, preventing home burglaries is possible. Knowing how to prevent break-ins can give you and your family peace of mind, which is why we’ve created this guide.
8 Home Security Tips
Taking steps to prevent theft can reduce your insurance premiums and save you from the heartbreak of losing items that are worth more to you than money. We’ve gathered eight home security safety tips to help keep you, your family, your home and your possessions safe. Discover how to keep your home secure below.
1. Have Secure Entrances
The best way to prevent home burglary is to make it difficult and time-consuming for a potential thief to get inside. Have solid exterior doors and windows with quality locks. Even sliding glass doors should be strong and locked with quality hardware. You should also check these areas of your home frequently. When the seasons change or after a storm, make sure all your doors and windows are intact. Check for broken glass, loose hinges or faulty locks.
2. Lock up and Be Smart With Your Keys
One of the more simple home safety tips is to have everything locked. When you leave your home, always remember your key and lock the doors. Secure everything — even if you’re going to a neighbor’s, running an errand or mowing your lawn. You should also avoid hiding a spare key under the doormat or a flowerpot. Thieves know all the good hiding places, and they can easily find your spare key. If you feel you need a spare key, give one to a trustworthy family member or friend who lives in the area. You could store a key in the garage, as long as you have the door shut and locked all the time. Be sure to lock up at night, as well. Always double check your doors at night and lock all the windows. Avoid leaving windows open overnight if you can, or open them slightly and use anti-theft security features if your windows have them. You can keep track of what’s locked and what isn’t using a home access control system.
3. Be Smart With Your Possessions
To keep your home safe, you should hide your valuables or avoid keeping them in your house. Try to avoid putting valuables where people outside can see them through the window, especially if they can easily carry those items. Sometimes, this is unavoidable. Your desk and computer may face a window or your TV may be visible from outside. In that case, have solid or blackout curtains and close them at night or when you’re not home. You may not need to have some items at home. Instead, store them in a safety deposit box. Large amounts of cash or valuable jewelry you rarely wear would be easy for a burglar to take. Lock up these items, preferably off the premises.
4. Be Cautious With Your Garage
As you follow tips for keeping your home secure, don’t forget about a large access point — the garage. Get more protection for preventing home burglaries and follow these tips with your garage:
- Lock it: Ensure you can secure your garage in a few ways. You likely have a keypad that you enter a PIN into to open the door. Pick a unique number and don’t share it with anyone outside of your household. Change the PIN if you notice suspicious activity or if you have to share it. Install a locking handle if your garage door opens manually, and lock the garage door from inside, as well.
- Close it: Do not leave your garage door open when you leave your home, even for a quick errand. An empty garage broadcasts your absence. It may also show off valuable items, such as lawn equipment or tools a burglar could use to break into your home.
- Hide the inside from view: Closing your garage door will only hide the inside if you don’t have clear windows looking in. Select a garage door without windows or an option that has frosted, textured or tinted glass. If you already have a garage door with clear windows, add frosting or tinting materials to obscure the view of the inside.
5. Make It Look Like You’re Home
One way to ensure home theft prevention is to make it look as if you’re home. That can deter possible burglars who don’t want to risk getting caught. When you aren’t home, use a timer or a home automation app to turn interior lights on and off at varying intervals as though someone is home. Leave a radio or TV on to add to the illusion.
6. Use Landscaping to Your Advantage
One of the more surprising tips for keeping your home secure is using strategic landscaping. Address your landscaping and protect your property with these home security tips:
- Plant thorny bushes under the windows: These plants create a defense under what could’ve been entry points into your home. They can deter burglars from trying to break into your home through the windows. Remember that in an emergency, your household members may need to exit through these windows. In those situations, it would be wise to cover the bushes with a thick material before exiting, like towels or blankets, to make an emergency exit a bit safer.
- Trim back any trees or shrubs: If you have trees or bushes near doors and windows, be sure to trim them. Excessive growth gives potential thieves places to hide. It’ll also block your entryways from view of neighbors or passersby who would otherwise notice suspicious activity.
- Have clear areas in your yard: Similar to trimming back trees and bushes, you should have open areas throughout your yard. If your lawn has more trees, plants and shrubbery than open areas of grass, consider cutting down or removing some. That’ll create more visibility throughout your lawn for you or passersby to notice suspicious activity.
7. Lock up Your Tools
Lock up tools from drills and screwdrivers to hammers and other items that someone could use to get into your house. If a thief could use it to break or pry open a window, break locks or remove hinges or doorknobs, lock it in a shed or garage. You should also avoid leaving ladders outside, as that will give a potential burglar access to stories above the first floor.
8. Know What You Own
While home theft prevention is essential, you should also be prepared for the unfortunate event of a break-in. Knowing what you own and marking it as yours can help recover stolen items. To make your possessions more secure, you should:
- Engrave your valuables: This could include small appliances, computers, televisions and stereos. Add your driver’s license number or your name to identify your items as yours, but do not add information like your social security number. Get an engraving tool, which will work on a variety of materials, and engrave somewhere that a thief can’t remove. Engraving your items labels them as yours and makes them less valuable for resale, which means they’re less appealing for a burglar to take.
- Photograph or record video of your valuables: Put the images or videos on a flash drive that you store somewhere safe and private, like a safety deposit box. Pictures and videos of your valuable possessions can help identify them if they are ever stolen. It’ll also make it easier to know what you own.
- Make a list of items and details: Begin your list with a description of what the item is. If you have multiples, add specific details like the size or serial number. Write where you engraved your valuables and what you engraved onto them. If you know how much you paid for a specific item or where you bought it, you can include those details, as well. Store this list in a safe place, such as a safety deposit box.
When you purchase new valuables, be sure to update your photos and list. Engrave your new items, as well, to help you keep track of your possessions.
Contact Lloyd Security for Professional Residential Security
At Lloyd Security, we know how essential it is to keep your home safe. That’s why we provide custom security solutions to homes and businesses in the greater Minneapolis area. We offer a range of residential security services to keep your home secure. We’re happy to protect your property and your family with the latest innovations in security technology, from video surveillance to mobile apps. Contact Lloyd Security today for a free quote and experience the peace of mind that comes with quality security systems in Minneapolis.
