You always lock your front door at night, you keep an eye on your neighborhood, and you always tell someone to look after your home when you’re on a trip. You’re doing all you can to make sure your home is safe, right? In reality, your home might be more at risk than you think.
If you’re not careful, your home could become the victim of a home invasion or other crime. According to the FBI, there are over 325,000 homes being broken into every year. How safe is your home really? Try these 4 ways below to be sure your home is really as secure as you think.
1. Install a Security System
Do criminals really care about whether you have a security system? Will this be enough to send them heading in the other direction? In short, yes. Criminals are looking for easy targets. They don’t want to get caught by the police or fellow neighbors. They want to get in, find what they’re looking for, and get out unnoticed. To learn more about wireless alarm systems, visit Alarm Grid.
2. Do Some Lawn Work
Is your lawn in need of some extra work? You might think it’s okay to let your yardwork go a bit, but you might be making an ideal landscape for criminals. As we said before, criminals are on the lookout for easy targets. When your lawn is in a state of disrepair, this is an indication that other parts of your home might not be well looked after.
Similarly, if you have any overgrown brush or structures, these are the perfect hiding places for thieves getting near your home. They can easily hide behind these things, even in the daylight, and this helps them gain entry to your space.
3. Keep Your Home Looking Lived In
Unless you’re able to afford a house sitter during the entire time you’re away, you’ll need to take some preventative steps when you’re away from your home. Basically, you want your home to always look occupied. And there are a few ways you can do this. For instance, you can ask your neighbor to park their car in your driveway so it always looks like someone’s home.
Another idea is to install some smart lights that you can turn on and off throughout the day. Criminals usually keep an eye on their targets in advance, so if they see lights flickering and turning on, they’ll assume someone’s home.
4. Get to Know Your Neighbors
Finally, the last way to keep your home safe is also the most overlooked. If you haven’t introduced yourself to your neighbors, now’s the time. If you know your neighbors, they can keep an eye on your property and vice versa.
This is your first line of defence. When you’re more mindful of your neighbors and who belongs, you’ll be much better equipped to notice any suspicious activity. Only 43% of Americans claim to know most or all of their neighbors. It’s time you become a part of that statistic.
Is Your Home Safe?
How safe is your home? Now that you’ve ready through these ideas above, you should have a better idea of how you stack up against other Americans. Luckily, no matter where you stand, there are ways you can improve your own home safety today.
When it comes to protecting your home, it’s better to be safe than sorry. You don’t want to become the victim of a crime, so make sure you take this list above seriously.