Keeping your home and family safe and sound is obviously a top priority for all of us. Even if you live in a great neighborhood in the best part of town, you may still be the target or victim of theft or home burglary. Unfortunately, home burglaries are a regular occurrence in the U.S and Canada that we should all be concerned about. Home break-ins are in fact the most common threat to our home, with a home break-in occurring about every 13 seconds.
Avoid being the victim of a home burglary by taking a few necessary steps to ensure your home is secure. Make sure that your home is not an easy target and do what you can to ensure the thieves will look at your home as “requiring too much work or effort” to break in. Here are some tips to help you avoid becoming a victim of theft.
5 Home Security Tips for Homeowners
1. Invest in Quality Doors and Locks – If you are a homeowner, be sure to invest in solid core or metal exterior doors for your home. Also make sure that you have good quality deadbolt locks, a substantial doorknob with a dead latch mechanism, and a strike plate that screws into the frame. Any time you move into a hew home or apartment, make sure to call a locksmith North York to change the door locks or if you are a renter, have the owner do so.
2. Use Lighting to Secure Your Home – It is a good idea to have exterior lighting with motion sensors, especially in the back of your home, to help deter intruders. A well-lit yard will make your home less of a target and send off warning signals to thieves that you may be home. It is also smart to have interior lights set on timers that indicate that the home is occupied when you are away for the evening or extended periods of time.
3. Invest in a Wireless Home Security System – Savvy homeowners and renters should invest in an advanced wireless home security system to protect their homes and family. These new wireless security systems communicate by using radio frequency (RF) to send signals from the main controller to the sensors. High-quality wireless home security systems actually have a digital encryption code so the signal cannot be duplicated. These high tech wireless home security systems are even GSM (Cellular) Module compatible, so you are not required to have a land phone line or internet connection for the system to work in your home. You basically have your choice of broadband, cellular or phone line monitoring for your home security system.
4. Yard Signs & Door Stickers – Statistics show that a simple home security yard-sign and door/window stickers can reduce your risk of a break-in. These yard signs alert the burglar that you have an electronic security system and they typically move-on to easier targets.
5. Neighborhood Watch – Do not underestimate the value of having and being a good neighbor. Communicate with your neighbors and work together to watch each other’s homes. Simple things like picking up mail and newspapers for each other, parking your cars in the other’s empty driveway, and keeping an eye out for each other can protect all of you from a home break-in.
With a little planning, you can increase the security of your home and make yourself less of a target for thieves and burglars who are out to steal your belongings and put your family in jeopardy. Investing in a new home security system and making a few adjustments to your home can mean the difference between being a victim and being prepared.
