Coming home to discover you’ve been the victim of a break-in is a terrifying experience. If this happens, you may not feel comfortable in your home for a long time.
You may think the only way to protect your home is to invest in an expensive alarm system. While these are effective, there are easier, more affordable alternatives.
By taking a number of simple precautions, you can safeguard your home from predators. Let’s go over five easy home security techniques that will deter burglars.
1. Alarms for Your Doors and Windows
Instead of a full-scale home security system, you can opt for individual door and window alarms.
These discreet, wireless devises attach easily to the inside of your doors and windows. They emit a loud alarm when activated. This is bound to scare off any intruder trying to enter your home.
The best thing about these alarms is they’re affordable and easy to install. You won’t need a professional to set them up.
2. Reinforce Your Doors
Even if you have a heavy-duty deadbolt installed on your front door, a burglar could still kick the door in. Instead, opt for reinforcing your door jamb.
This type of reinforcement hardware actually strengthens the existing deadbolt. This makes breaking the door jamb close to impossible.
You can find the components at your local hardware store. This is a simple home security measure you can do yourself.
3. Never Keep Your Garage Opener in Your Car
Many people keep their automatic garage door opener in their cars at all times. Unfortunately, thieves know this and can gain entry to your home by breaking into your car.
Instead of keeping your garage door opener on the visor in your car, opt for one that fits on your keychain. This may be the easiest home security measure you can take.
If you’re still worried about your car getting broken into, make sure you have adequate insurance coverage. When shopping around, check out these Esurance reviews.
4. Exterior Lighting
In 2016 alone, 278,600 break-ins took place at night. Simply by adding some tasteful outdoor lighting, you can deter criminals from setting foot on your property.
Make sure your entryway is well-lit all night. You can also add some landscape lighting to illuminate the windows. The point is to eliminate all possible hiding places.
If you want to take it a step further, add a motion sensor that activates security lights.
5. Use a Lock Box for Spare Keys
If you always hide a spare key somewhere around your home, you’re taking a huge risk. Seasoned thieves understand this is a common practice and know where the popular hiding places are.
Instead of hiding your key under a flower pot or lawn ornament, invest in a lock box. These are small security boxes you open with a combination code.
You can mount these on the outside of your home or on a fence in a place most people won’t notice them. Even if a burglar does find it, they won’t be able to access the key.
Stay Safe with These Easy Home Security Tips
Protecting your home is critical, but it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Taking a number of small precautions is just as good as investing in a fancy security system.
Use these easy home security tips and get the peace of mind your home is well-protected.
Check out more articles for smart advice and tips every homeowner’s needs.