Lockdown Living – Cost-Effective Ways To Boost Home Security

Home security can be extremely important depending on the neighbourhood you live in, but it is something that all households should take seriously. There are many low-cost methods to improve the security of your home without breaking the bank.

Use common sense with your existing security measures

There’s a lot of simple things that some people may take for granted. You might think you live in a safe neighbourhood where you can leave your front door unlocked, but this practically asking to get robbed. Your backdoor is another that people don’t always lock. An intruder could easily jump most fences and access your property this way. The same goes for windows around your house. Most windows will have some kind of lock on them, they should remain locked or at least clasped when no one is home. This way, no one can open them from the outside, or cut the flywire and enter. If you have a door from your garage into your house, you should keep this door locked as well. You don’t want to accidentally leave the garage door open or press the remote by accident, leaving a way for people to walk straight into your home.

Install Security Cameras

Security cameras were once very expensive and a luxury that only businesses and the very wealthy could afford. Nowadays home security camera installation is more affordable than ever. You will be able to access high-quality footage recording your home 24/7 that you can monitor yourself via an app on most smartphones. This not only helps give peace of mind while you’re on holiday but makes it easier than ever to identify perpetrators.

Camera technology has come a long way since the grainy footage you might remember from the 1980s and 90s. Security cameras today can often record in HD as clearly as your phone and data storage is becoming near-infinite with cloud storage and massive hard drives that have replaced video cassettes, meaning you can record months of data at a time.

Install Motion Detectors

Motion detectors with lights can be both a great deterrent to trespassers but can also be useful for whenever you go outside. Lighting up the area makes burglars visible, which is something they are trying to avoid. This can make them run away. They can also be handy for whenever you arrive home in the dark or need to take the bins out or leave the house at night.

Motion detectors in the backyard can also be useful, this will help deter anyone who jumps your back fence. This can also be useful if you need to go outside at night to bring in the washing. They can also be helpful for lighting up the yard when entertaining. You can change the settings on most motion sensor lights to act as regular lights for such occasions, be sure to save your instructions.

Change the locks

If other people have lived in your house before, you may want to get the locks changed. You have no idea how many spare keys they have given to their friends, family or other people. This is known as rekeying your home, where only the key mechanism is changed, not the whole doorknob. If you are renting, be sure to get the landlord’s permission and for the real estate agent to get a copy of the key as well.

There are of course many more ways to boost home security, including installing deadbolts, alarm systems, reinforcing doors, security doors, bars on your windows and installing a safe to store your valuables, but many of these measures can add up to be far more expensive. Your best bet is to see what your home insurance company suggests and do as much as you can to fill their requirements to help you get the best deal.

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