Whenever you leave your home for an extended period, no matter if you are staying away for a few days or two months, your house is left unprotected and liable to be broken into. Nobody is safe from those dangers. Nevertheless, unlike many other things in life, this problem has got a number of solutions. When it comes to protecting your house and family it is better not to give it a second thought and apply all the measures at your disposal. And the truth is, the security industry offers plenty of options to choose from when it comes to protecting your home. The security system you pick depends on the different factors you should be aware of. For example, you should consider the criminality rate of your neighbourhood, how much time your house is empty, and so on. To give you some insights on how to protect your most precious belongings we have prepared this list with the best security measures.
- Install a home alarm system
This is probably the most known and extended security measure of all. According to Canstar, these alarm systems often cost far less than what an average burglary would end up costing and makes for a sound investment for your peace of mind. These alarms are programmed to detect any unauthorized entry to your home. It is set by the owner and is deactivated when everybody is moving around the house. The good point of home alarms is that they are connected to the security company and send an immediate call to them when they detect an unauthorized entry. A normal alarm system is featured with a control panel, door and window sensor, motion sensors, security cameras and high-decibel alarm that would warn all your neighbours about the intruders and will dissuade them.
- Visible electronics on timers
The summer months and Christmas period present the most common timeframe where more house robberies happen, as most of the people are away on vacation and the houses are unattended. A home alarm system is a good preventive measure for when you are already being broken into, but it would be ideal to stop this from happening in the first place. For this reason, Lendi recommends the use of electronic timers on various devices around the home. These timers are set to turn on and off lights and electronic devices to create the illusion that there’s someone in the house and dissuade intruders from entering whilst the home is unoccupied.
- Make your house visible and highly recognizable
If your house is visible and can be easily found by police officers, this will reduce the risk of it being chosen by burglars. In order to make your house recognizable, you can install big, reflective numbers on your house door and mailbox. This increases the possibilities for the police to catch the burglars red-handed, or even dissuade them from entering your home in the first place.
- Reinforce your windows with metal bars
You might think that this will make your house look like a prison, but most glass found in your average window can be very fragile and provide an ideal place to get into your house. Once inside, opening the front door is a piece of cake. Having your windows protected with metal bars on the outside will give your house extra protection, eliminating a possible entrance for burglars. If you are not very convinced about the visual effect these metal bars are going to have on your façade, you can always consider putting safety glass in all your windows. At least, on the first floor.
- Be careful with what you post on social media
It has been reported lately, and very frequently, indeed, that burglars observe their victims’ routine through social media. So, if you are a person who likes to post absolutely everything about your daily routine online, you are giving criminals very valuable information on when it’s easier to access your house without interruptions. Try not to post at any given moment where you are, and most importantly, try to not give detailed information on how long you are leaving your house if you’re going on a trip. Post everything after you’ve returned.
These are some of the most common options you should be considering to protect your property. Once you’ve assessed your own situation, it is simply a matter of applying the methods and systems that are best suited to your needs.