9 Effective Home Security Tips

Everyone wants to keep their family safe and keep prowlers at bay. You can keep your home safe from intruders by taking some measures to secure your living space. Try one or all of these nine effective home security tips to discourage intruders from even trying to invade your domain.

When you install motion lights, the light turning on can startle a potential nighttime intruder. It also increases the chance that you, or your neighbors, will notice if someone is lurking outside your home. Motion lights are available in wired and solar styles, so you can choose the type you prefer to install. Each has advantages. Wired styles can deliver consistent power levels, while solar lights can grow dimmer throughout the night. However, solar lights still work if there’s a power outage.

A doorbell camera can be a deterrent to intruders because someone intending to break the law typically doesn’t want to be caught on video doing it. So, seeing a doorbell camera may be enough to make a potential intruder leave your home alone. Additionally, if you choose a doorbell camera that’s part of a smart alarm system, you can get notifications on your phone in real-time. That way, you not only know someone is at your door, you have their image captured on video.

Security cameras offer the same type of deterrent to intruders as doorbell cameras. If someone who doesn’t belong at your home sees a security camera, or even a sign announcing you use a security system, that person is more likely to leave rather than be caught in the act of breaking into your home.

Making your house look like someone is home all the time can deter criminals. Setting up a smart home system offers a way to turn on smart lights at unexpected times and turn on the TV or radio. So, if anyone is watching your home, or even actively breaking in, and the lights or TV turn on, that person is likely to leave rather than continue to explore inside your home.

If you recently moved into your home, or if you suspect someone who shouldn’t have a key may have one, install new door locks. Be sure to change locks on the garage, too, because it can allow access to your home if you have an attached garage. Additionally, add an extra layer of security to your garage by putting something in the track to stop the garage door from being raised if the lock is picked. Finally, even if you’re home during the day, make sure the doors are locked.

When you’re away for a weekend or an extended vacation, have your mail and newspapers collected or stopped, arrange to have your lawn mowed, and ask neighbors or a relative to pull cars in and out of your driveway. Additionally, consider small details that could make your home look empty, like withering houseplants in the windows. Either have someone stop by to water your houseplants if you are gone a while, or place some silk plants in the sills to create the illusion you’re home.

Reinforce any low windows and doors a burglar might try to use when breaking into your home. Change regular door hinges for security hinge pins, install longer screws in hinges, consider adding security bars to windows. Attach noisy items like bells or chimes to window sills and door jambs to alert you if the portals are opened. Additionally, remember to secure patio doors, too.

Keep outsiders from checking out the things you have inside your home by making sure windows are covered with drapes or blinds. Additionally, you can put frosting on windows if you don’t want to block the light with window coverings, but you don’t want intruders to be able to see your valuables.

Making your home appear pet-friendly by dropping a couple of large dog toys in the yard or putting out a dog house or leash can make would-be burglars skip your house when looking for targets. After all, when the goal is to get in, get some things, and escape, wrestling with an aggressive dog is a risk that’s not worth taking for most burglars.

Some of these home security tips reinforce the areas of your home where a burglar could enter, while the other tips add a psychological element to it that tells outsiders who have bad intentions to stay away. Protecting your home means protecting the lives of your family, and these tips can help you make your home safer.