10 Home Security Ideas to Secure Your New Home

You might have purchased a house in a low-crime neighborhood, but you can’t put a price on peace of mind, especially when it comes to securing your home. On average, a house is burglarized every 15 seconds. Therefore, researching how to secure your home and exploring the best ways to secure your home is worth your time.

Your goal to look for home security ideas should be to protect your home to deter burglars. Although no system comes with a guarantee that your house will be perfectly secure 100% of the time, there are ways to leverage current technology and everyday practices so that you have some assurance that you and your home will remain secure at least 90% of the time.

How to Secure Your Home

1) Install a Home Security System
2) Change Your Locks
3) Get Insurance
4) Add Extra Security Cameras
5) Clear Your Lawn
6) Build Relationships With Neighbors
7) Ask Someone to Watch Your House
8) Check Your Windows
9) Don’t Ignore the Garage
10) Follow Basic SOPs

Follow these steps to protect your home:

1. Install a Home Security System

Installing a home security system is one of the best ways to secure your home against burglary and other unpredictable events like fire and carbon monoxide. Most basic units don’t require professional installation, so you can get them up and running by yourself.

Of course, the more sophisticated the system, the higher the likelihood that you’ll need professional assistance to complete installation.  Home security systems typically include tools like motion detectors and entryway sensors. You can also add other smart devices like video doorbells and smart locks for extra protection, most of which you can control from your smartphone.

2. Change Your Locks

Securing your home can never be perfect without changing the external door locks. It’s a good practice to incorporate, especially if you own rental properties since previous tenants could have made an extra key. You may also consider installing a deadbolt lock to further fortify your external doors against forced entry. Smart locks, which allow keyless entry to your home, are also becoming more popular among homeowners.  You can set up different access codes for friends, family, and visitors and change the code anytime you no longer want to give them access.

One of the biggest advantages of getting smart locks is you can enable the lock to send notifications to your smartphone each time the door is unlocked. This way you will always know who’s going in or out of your home.

3. Get Insurance

When looking at how to secure your home, you will come across dozens of smart devices that can be installed. But security systems can only alert you to burglary, they can’t prevent them altogether.  With that in mind, your house is always at risk of being broken into, and so you’ll need something in place to take care of any loss or damage you may sustain should a burglary occur.  The best protection you can have is nyc homeowners insurance.

4. Add Extra Security Cameras

Home security ideas can fall short if they don’t include installing extra security cameras. Even if you don’t install a complete security system, you can still install security cameras. You may choose basic CCTV cameras with local storage, or you may choose a more advanced option including 360 security cameras to cover the entire perimeter of your home. Other options include Wi-Fi cameras that allow you to view live footage from anywhere using your smartphone. The price for most basic cameras starts at $200.

Before buying a camera, make sure that you have enough storage space to save video footage. In addition, you’ll also want to follow all recommended settings for the best security and privacy.

5. Clear Your Lawn

You might want to max out on greenery for your lawn, but remember that the more plants you add to your yard, the more hiding places thieves will have to choose from. You can maintain a nice yard with a few small trees and shrubs but keep the grass cut. Also, consider installing smart lights in darker areas around your house. If you have installed a security system, make sure you’re outdoors guarded with it.

6. Build Relationships With Your Neighbors

You’re only going to feel as secure as your surroundings. So, once you move in, make an effort to meet your neighbors. Any lurking burglar who sees you talking to others is less likely to break into your home. Also, creating a neighborhood watch program if there isn’t one already can help encourage everyone in your neighborhood to keep a close eye on those in your community.

7. Ask Someone to Watch Your House When You are Away

You might feel safe when you are home, but chances of burglary increase when no one is home. So if you plan to go away for a few days, ask someone to look after your property. Ask a family member or friend to visit once a day and ensure everything is okay.

You may also want to temporarily suspend your mail delivery until you return since the buildup of mail will make it evident that nobody is home. And don’t brag about your upcoming excursion on social media for potential burglars to see.

8. Check Your Windows

Windows are the main gateway for burglars to make entry into the house. For the best protection, keep your windows locked. To enhance your security, install window sensors so that you’re notified if a window is opened. You may also consider a glass break sensor, which is a device that triggers an alarm if the glass is broken.

9. Don’t Ignore the Garage

After windows, the garage is another primary entryway into a house. Be extremely careful if your garage is open, and don’t forget to close it each night. Another tool to secure your garage is a C-clamp. It is a device that is used to hold a metal piece or wood. Since burglars can pick a standard garage door lock, attaching C-clamp to garage doors prevents doors from opening.

A good practice is to park your car in your garage and take the garage opener inside with you.

10. Follow Basic SOPs ( Standard Operating Procedures)

Besides home security ideas, there are a few basic protocols you should follow for securing your home:  

• Don’t leave spare keys hidden outside your home
• Always lock exterior windows and doors
• Leave lights on if you plan to arrive home after dark
• Switch on porch lights when it’s dark outside
• Keep your blinds and curtains closed at night

Conclusion

Knowing how to protect my home and investing some time into figuring out how to secure your home should not be a burden. Use these tips for home security ideas. Prioritize which ideas for securing your home are best given your circumstances and then make a plan to add more later. Adopting a proactive approach and taking action early is the best way to secure your home.

Read Also: Best Home Security Systems