You want your home to be a safe and secure place. It is a little difficult to relax and unwind like one should be able to do in their home if they do not have the peace of mind that they are safe. There are multiple ways to make your home the secure sanctuary you want it to be, beginning with putting plenty of research into the neighborhood before you even make the move in the first place. And once you have moved and settled in, it is also a good idea to be active in any neighborhood programs that help protect the area, such as a neighborhood watch program. If there isn’t one, start one!
Keeping your home safe
Once you have been established in your home and neighborhood, even though you picked a good one, there are always reasons to stay vigilant in order to keep yourself, your home, and your family protected. Keeping doors and windows locked at all times, unless you are home and well enough aware of your surroundings to feel secure, is a good way to deter the casual burglar.
Many people will have a hideaway key for that inevitable occasion that you have forgotten your key, or if you have the unfortunate experience of dealing with a misplaced or broken key. Probably the best option in that situation would be to call a locksmith, but not everyone has the time for that. You could try your hand at lock picking, but that would probably be best avoided if at all possible.
So if you, like many others choose to handle your home lockout situation with a hideaway key, be smart about it. Hide it a good 20 feet or more away from your door, in a location that is not exactly convenient or easily accessible, so that someone you would rather keep out cannot quickly grab it and let themselves in. It is also a good idea to change your hiding spot pretty regularly, on the off chance that someone does see you hiding it or retrieving it at any point.
Preventing a break-in
First and foremost, be diligent. Keep those doors locked, keep your neighborhood watch group up to date and always alert. About 60% of burglars broke into homes by forcible entry, but an astonishing 30% easily entered through an unlocked window, door, or other accessible point of the house. Do not make it easy for someone to get in. Unfortunately, the United States is the world leader in occurrences of burglaries. In fact there are so many that it basically boils down to one burglary happening every 15 seconds, or four every single minute. And on top of that, they are incredibly difficult to solve, with just 13% being solved by police and stolen property being returned even less often than that.
Being knowledgeable and aware can make all of the difference. And of course the right home systems will help deter would-be thieves as well. An alarm is one of the best security tools that you can have in your home to ensure your safety, as well as that of your family and your property.
Protect your home. Let your home be your sanctuary where you can peacefully and securely enjoy your life.
