Your property is your private space to relax, unwind, and restore the energy that the outside world is all too willing to take. Alas, your home won’t automatically bring those benefits, and you may need to work on making your property more comfortable and safe. This process involves making your home less accessible to people who may have bad intentions and just broadly increasing the privacy levels.
In this post, we’ll run through a host of tips that will ensure that your property is a safe retreat from the outside world, allowing you and your family to thoroughly unwind when you’re at home.
Talk To Your Neighbours
Did you know that some 5 million UK adults can’t name a single one of their neighbours? And slightly more than a third of UK homeowners say that they have a good relationship with those living around them.
There’s a lot of value in getting to know your neighbours. For one thing, it helps foster a sense of community, which we all need more of. Plus, it really can help you to feel safer in your home. If you know your neighbours, they’ll be all too willing to let you — or the police — know when a stranger is poking around your house. And of course, you can do the same for them, too.
We’re not saying that you need to host weekly dinners with your neighbours, but having at least some sense of community spirit will do wonders, not just for your safety at home, but your overall well being.
Light Up Your Home
Your home will be infinitely less appealing to would-be criminals if it’s well-lit. Dark, shadowy corners are exactly the kind of places that criminals look for when scoping out a property. You can ensure that your house is not attractive to criminals by investing in a motion sensor light for the front and back of your home. This will also make you feel safer when you’re arriving home late at night, especially if you live in an area with a higher-than-average crime rate.
You can also add an exterior light that’s permanently on. It’ll make your house look more attractive.
Add a Security System
There are things you can do to make your house less appealing to a potential burglar. However, remember that if someone is determined enough, they’ll find a way into your home. The best line of defence is to have a security system that alerts you and others to the presence of someone inside your home.
The home security system market has developed significantly in the past few years, and today you can get affordable yet highly advanced systems that are easy to install.
Lost Your Keys? Take Action Promptly
Your home’s security credentials will be dependent on only you (and your family members) having access to your property. And while you’d never intentionally allow a stranger to have easy access to your home, accidents can happen. If you’ve lost your keys, then it’ll be essential to get in contact with a locksmith as soon as possible, especially if you don’t know where you lost them. While it’s unlikely that someone would use your keys to gain access to your property (or, for that matter, even know where your home is), you’ll feel much safer if you know that the keys wouldn’t work even if they tried.
Get a Doorbell Camera
Doorbell cameras are inexpensive to install and offer a wide range of benefits. You’ll be able to see who’s at your door — even when you’re not there — which can offer another level of security. While you might not think twice about answering the door in the middle of the day, late-night knocks can prompt a “who would be knocking at this time” response. Having a doorbell camera allows you to answer that question without having to open the door.
Plus, you can also see if someone steals packages from your doorstep and deter burglars from scoping around your property. If there’s one thing that a criminal does not want, it’s to be recorded in high definition doing something that would land them in trouble with the police.
Boost Privacy
Feeling comfortable in your home isn’t just about deterring criminals. It’s about feeling as if it’s a genuinely private space. You might be comfortable being on display when you’re out in the public world, but when you’re at home, you’ll want to feel as if no one (except for invited people) can see you.
There are multiple ways to boost privacy in your house. For instance, investing in curtains for the windows that face the street. In your yard, you can add a tall fence to the perimeter or plant tall trees, or even add a covering. That’ll allow you to create your own little private garden, secure in the knowledge that no one could see into your exterior space even if they wanted to.
Think of Potential Dangers
You never know exactly what’s going to happen while you’re at home. Accidents happen all the time. For instance, did you know that there were 35,000 house fires in the UK last year?
You’ll take measures to prevent incidents from happening. But it’s just as important to think about what you’d do if an incident did happen. Creating an exit plan (from various points, not just the front door) will give you peace of mind that in the event of a disaster, you know what you are going to do. It’s not about expecting things to happen, but just about being ready just in case.
Feel Safe When Travelling
You might feel safe when you’re at home, but what about when you’re away? If there’s a lesson to be learned from the number of professional footballers who have their homes targeted by criminals when they’re playing football, it’s that it’s never a good idea to advertise when you’re not at home.
Now, you might be thinking, well, you never advertise when you’re far from home. But actually, if you post photos on social media of the trip that you’re on, then that’s exactly what you’ll be doing. It’s best to save uploading any photos until you’re back home, since criminal gangs have been known to stalk social media for signs that a property might be empty.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you’re automatically free to post holiday snaps just because your accounts are set to private (as in, random members of the public can’t see them). While you might think that you trust everyone your friends with on social media, you never know what kind of world that ex-colleague or friend of your cousin might be involved in.
Pack Away Garden Tools When Not In Use
We tend to think that every home burglary is the result of a master plan that has been weeks in the making. But actually, most burglaries are opportunist. Someone might see that a window is open and simply try their luck, because why not?
You’ll likely know that you should always keep your windows and doors shut. But what about putting away your garden tools after you’ve finished gardening? In the summer months, it’s normal for homeowners to leave their tools out in the open, but see it from a criminal’s perspective: you might just be providing them with the equipment they need to easily get into your home.
Make Sure Everyone’s On The Same Page
Keeping your home safe is a team effort. Everyone who lives in the house should be on the same page. There’s little value in you taking the time to double lock your front door when you leave if others who live at home are not doing the same thing.
It’s important to have house rules regarding security. Aside from providing the framework for a safe dwelling, this will simply ensure that everyone has your home’s safety on their minds.
Consider Getting a Dog
You shouldn’t get a dog purely for security purposes. However, if you were already interested in getting a pet, then boosting the security of your property could be another reason to finally take the plunge.
You don’t necessarily need to get a dog that’s known for its protective qualities (for example, a german shepherd). Most dogs are effective at keeping a home safe simply because they make noise or give attention to someone who comes into the property. The last thing a criminal wants to encounter is a dog, even if that dog is only trying to give them loving attention.
Get To Know Your Home’s Sounds
Finally, remember that feeling safe in your home depends on knowing the creaks and sounds that it makes. You can grow paranoid that someone’s in your house if there’s an unusual noise, but it could just be a noise that your property makes from time to time. Getting to know your house will give you confidence that you can tell the difference between a usual sound and when something is deserving of your attention.
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© Copyright 2024 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
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