This is a kind contribution to our blog by Wendy of The Blog Frog
We all feel a sense of security when we are in our own homes. When we leave our houses, we believe everything will remain untouched until we return. We may ask a neighbour to keep an eye on things, but rarely think there is any call for alarm. This sense of security is what criminals rely on. The homeowner that feels no threat will be less careful and less dedicated to keeping their home secure.
Certain safety features are built into our homes. For example, many new homes come with an alarm system. However, some homes are not equipped with an alarm or their system is outdated. A state of the art alarm, like the Honeywell System should deter most would-be burglars.
While an alarm system can act as a good deterrent, there are other steps you can take to make your home less attractive to burglars. In this post, we will share some tips that do just that.
Photo credit: Caroline Sleeper
A Step Beyond A Hedge Hideaway
We all know to keep the hedges around our house trimmed so someone cannot look into the home, unseen by people passing. But, that is inadequate. Walk the perimeter of your property. Are there places in the front or back gardens that would allow someone to lie in wait, unseen? You need to thin or trim trees and shrubs that are on the edges of your property. Do not give someone a place to rest unseen. Create gardens that will look odd if someone were looking around.
By its nature, your garden is your little bit of paradise. Most gardens have fences. We use the garden for pets and children to play, and we make sure they are safe and cannot get out when you are not looking, but a privacy fence is a gift to a criminal. Look for ways to minimise the risks.
Photo credit: Kelvyn Ornette Sol Marte
Garage – Fast cash for a crook
One of the most popular points of entry to the home is through the garage. The garage is also a prime target because people store a lot of valuable and easy to sell items in the garage. But you can make it too much trouble for the average crook, with a few changes.
- Keep your garage door key/fob in the house.
- Use frosted windows so no one can look inside.
- If you upgrade the windows (if you have windows), install shatterproof glass.
- If you are going to be away for a while, use a zip tie to keep the door down. Keep things put away so no one will see the valuables in the garage.
Photo credit: RawPixel
Conquer Social Media
We have grown to accept social media as part of our daily routine. In fact, we are so accustomed to sharing our lives on social media, we hold nothing back. We forget that our friends and family are not the only people that can see our posts.
Often times we set ourselves up for a break-in. We get online and we tell the world that we are leaving town next week for 7-glorious days at the beach. We post pictures of our new car, children, pets, and give all kinds of information for anyone to see. It doesn’t matter how secure your settings are, the right (or wrong) person can find them. For example, profile photos have little security on Facebook. Anyone can find them and associate them with your profile.
There are many ways to risk your safety. Keep up with your traditional methods of protecting your home. But, to be truly safe, you must be sure that you are not giving the criminals information that they can use against you.
