Keeping Your new Home Safe

Safety in your new home is one of the thoughts that should be paramount in your mind. There are some basic measures you can take to help deter would-be prowlers and intruders. The methods are equally effective if you’re going on vacation or if you have long commutes and work hours. In the excitement of moving in, it’s easy to forget that 73 percent of burglaries and break-ins occur in residential neighborhoods.

Alarm Systems

Installing an alarm system is a basic safety precaution that may also save you on homeowner’s insurance costs. If your new home comes equipped with an alarm system, change the code immediately. Ensure windows have a sticker indicating the home is protected by a security system and place one in the front yard. It’s proven to discourage anyone targeting the home.

Landscaping

Be sure to keep hedges trimmed and growth around doors and windows to a minimum and at a height of no more than three feet to deter crime. Planting prickly or spiky bushes near windows also helps. Mulch them with gravel – the sound of crunching gravel is a definite deterrent.

Lights

Homes that are well-lit are unappealing to thieves and burglars. Invest in some inexpensive timers for different areas of the home. It’s also helpful to alternate the rooms that are lit. The same light in the same window every night establishes a pattern that can be easily tracked by intruders. TVs can typically be set to go on at specific times from the device itself. Smart timers are also available that can be set and monitored from your phone.

Locks

Changing the locks should be at the top of every new homeowner’s to-do list. You never know who might have a key to the existing locks, from local teens to the neighbor across the street.

Motion Detectors

For outdoor usage, few items are as effective and inexpensive as motion detector lighting. The devices should be installed on all four sides of the dwelling. Additional motion detector floodlights should be installed in particularly dark areas or those where people could easily hide.

Video Doorbell

Video doorbells are a smart way to monitor who comes to your door, whether it’s a delivery driver or the mailman. A common ploy used by burglars is to ring the doorbell first to see if anyone answers. A video doorbell will notify you if anyone is at the door via your phone no matter where you happen to be and allow you to respond. You’ll never have to open the door without knowing who is on the other side.

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