True Homes has seen the excitement our homebuyers feel when moving into their new homes. The unpacking, the arranging of furniture, the decorating – it’s a lot of fun to make a new house feel like a home.
Many homeowners think ahead about purchasing a home security system. It’s important to realize that doorbell cameras, window alarms and new-fangled electronics supplement – rather than replace – good old-fashioned diligence. Here are some tips that have been around awhile. They may be easy to forget but will always be vital for home safety.
Lock Up Tight
Yes, you know to lock your doors when you leave home. It’s a commonsense home safety tip (though often forgotten) to lock doors when you are home, too. Make it a habit to regularly double check first floor window locks and less-frequently used doors as well.
And don’t forget the garage. If a car is left in the driveway or on the street temporarily, bring the garage door opener inside. Remember to lock the garage’s regular doors and windows, and also lock the door that leads from the interior of the home.
If you leave the garage door open while the kids play outside, think about what passersby can see. Are there tools, expensive bicycles or outdoor gear someone might want to steal? Consider covering or otherwise obscuring them from view.
Pay Attention to Your Landscaping
There are at least two ways your landscaping can impact home safety. First, bushes can provide a hiding spot or cover for burglars. Take that advantage away by keeping the shrubs trimmed, especially near windows.
Second, consider landscape lighting when planning home security. Burglary is often a crime of opportunity, and burglars are less likely to trespass onto a well-lit property. For areas that don’t need to be lit every night, consider improving home safety by installing motion sensor lights.
Make Them Think Someone Is Home
Burglars are less likely to enter a home when someone is there. Setting timers to turn lights, TVs or music on or off at different times of day is a good way to confuse and dissuade intruders.
Smart plugs attached to a TV or lamp can be paired with virtual assistant technology like Alexa or Google Home. These can be set to turn on or off at specific times, or they can be controlled from a smart phone.
There’s no need to employ the latest technology, though. Old-fashioned mechanical outlet timers have long been used effectively as a simple, inexpensive home safety item.
Make Some New Friends
Here’s the most fun home safety tip: get to know your neighbors. Becoming friendly with the neighbors – even if not best friends – can boost your home security plan. Even when not part of a formal watch program, neighbors who know each other naturally keep an eye out for strangers, odd behaviors or even porch pirates who might swipe packages.
To increase home safety for all, neighbors can help travelling friends by checking the mail, watering plants and generally keeping up with a home’s care. They might also be trusted with an extra key, so no “hide-a-key” gives a burglar easy access to your home.
True Homes is happy to help homeowners with formal home security systems. But the informal, day-to-day actions can be just as important when it comes to home safety.