15 Ways To Protect Your Home In The Long Run
Whether you’ve just bought your first home or you’re moving into a larger space to ensure you can grow your family, there are a few things you should do to make sure you’re looking after your home in the long run. Looking after your home now and in the future means taking the right steps now, whether that’s guarding your home against intruders or protecting it from natural disasters. If you’re ready to take the steps to protect your home in the long run, read on for 15 effective ways to do just that!
1. Get Into The Habit Of Locking Your Windows And Doors
Start by getting into the habit of locking your windows and doors if you haven’t already. This is especially important when you leave the house – but that isn’t the only time your home is vulnerable. Your home could be vulnerable when you’re preparing food in the kitchen, upstairs taking a bath, or doing something else. Your back only needs to be turned for a moment for a chance to take a risk and see if your door is open, grabbing whatever they can from inside. Many people have had money, cars, and other valuables stolen this way. Get into the habit of locking your windows and doors and you can be sure that everything is going to be safe.
2. Install A Trustworthy Security System
A trustworthy security system should be one of the first things you install in your home. This could even be a smart alarm, as smart systems are thought to be the future and will ensure you’re protected for years to come. Many smart alarms will alert you when you’re not at home, and some will even let you see if there is somebody lurking outside of your house. Do your research and make sure you buy the right security alarm for your needs. If you’re rarely at home, it might be worth getting an even better alarm system so you can check out any issues remotely. If you display the fact you have a security alarm, this should be a further deterrent for any chancers that want to try their luck.
3. Get A Dog
Getting a dog is a brilliant deterrent, but you must make sure you’re ready for this huge commitment as a family first. Taking care of a dog and making sure you have enough time for it is key. Too many dogs end up in rescue centers, and many end up euthanized because this is a decision that people take too lightly. Rescuing a dog could be a lovely idea if you want to rehome one and give them a better life.
Of course, if you’re not ready for a dog at all, you could just get a sign – many chancers won’t want to risk it, even if they can’t detect a dog on the premises. The sign can put them off straight away, and many won’t even think about approaching your home.
4. Make Sure There’s Nowhere For Them To Hide
The mistake that many homeowners make is leaving too many places outside of the home for criminals to hide. For example, if there are lots of bushes, shrubbery, and trees outside of your home, this gives a criminal somewhere to lay in wait until you have gone out or gone to bed. You may not be able to rid your home of every hiding place, but there are other solutions.
5. Have Sensor Lights Installed
Sensor lights are a great way to not only make sure no criminals can hide but to ensure that you feel safe when you arrive home at night time. Arriving home in the dark is not only scary, but you may also be putting yourself at risk. Sensor lights will automatically shine when they detect somebody or something nearby, so they are a useful way to protect your home and light it up. Most criminals will avoid having their faces lit up by sensor lights.
6. Make Sure Water Can’t Pool
A slightly different method to protect your home, but one that is important all the same. You should make sure that water isn’t able to pool in your garden, garage, or any other area of your home. This can cause serious damage. You may be able to drain water away from your driveway with something like a Swiftdrain NDS Dura Slope installation. Making sure you are prepared for heavy rain or flooding is a must, as this is a natural disaster that can cost a lot of money.
7. Keep Your Valuables In A Safe
Don’t just keep your valuables in a drawer. Invest in a safe and keep your most important documents and expensive jewelry in there. At the very least, these things will be protected if your house is broken into.
8. Get To Know Your Neighbors
Getting to know your neighbors can be scary, but if you can bring together the people on your street, you’ll be able to start a little neighborhood watch. This will be incredibly helpful if a household goes away on holiday, for example. Agree to look out for your neighbors, and they will likely look out for you.
9. Install A Security Camera
A security camera is a smart way to make sure intruders know that they won’t get away with trying anything on your property. Security cameras can be expensive to install and set up, but the way they protect your house, in the long run, is worth it. If you really can’t afford a security camera, then it might be worth setting up a fake one instead. Many fake ones look just like the real thing, and this can still be enough to deter criminals from trying anything.
10. Create A Decoy For Thieves
When a thief enters your home, many will quickly check drawers and the obvious places where they expect you to keep your valuables. Create a decoy by placing a box in one of your drawers with a little cash, some costume jewelry, and some papers. Many will think they have your valuables, grab the box, and go without realizing they don’t have your true valuables. Once they think they have the goods, they won’t want to hang around and keep on looking. This will get them out of there as quickly as possible with the least amount of loot as possible!
11. Don’t Advertise When You Go Away
When you go away on vacation, whether for the weekend or a week, don’t advertise it. You can post about it when you get back. Many people have people they don’t know that well on Facebook, and you just can’t predict who is going to see your posts and how. If somebody knows where you live (even if they don’t know the exact house) and that you’re not going to be there, you never know what they might try. Don’t ever take pictures of your keys, either. It can be exciting when you buy a house or even a new keyring, but taking pictures of your keys means that criminals will be able to make a copy. Be smart and keep these things to yourself!
12. Set Up Free Weather Alerts
Many companies offer free severe weather alerts that can be sent straight to your phone. Sign up for these and you can prepare for any severe weather changes well in advance, so you can protect your property and have peace of mind.
13. Make Sure You Have The Right Insurance Policy
Insurance won’t stop anything from happening, but it can protect you if something does go awry. You will have to pay out much less, but you need to make sure that everything you need to be covered is fully covered in the policy. You may need to ensure certain valuables separately, for example, as they might not be automatically covered by your policy. Always double check if you’re not sure, and don’t take any risks.
14. Service Your Electricals and Appliances When You Should
If you don’t regularly service your electricals and appliances, they could end up going haywire when you need them the most. At the very least, you may need to fork out for an expensive repair or replacement. At worst, you may end up having a fire or something more serious. Make sure you stay on top of services and keep an eye on any faults so you can call in a pro.
15. Be Smart About Hiding A Key
Many homeowners hide a spare key somewhere outside of their homes, but thieves know where to look for these. Buy an inexpensive lock box and put it somewhere obscure instead. You should always look for unexpected hiding places, and don’t leave it in the obvious places, like under your welcome mat. It might be easy for you when you return home, but a criminal could literally let themselves into your home and help themselves to anything they wanted. Don’t take that chance.
Protecting your home, in the long run, requires a little investment now and a little time, but you’ll save yourself so much worry, money, and hassle in the long run!