Despite a recent home office survey finding that theft crimes slightly fell in the UK during the pandemic, now people are starting to leave the house again for extended periods of time home safety is one pivotal aspect that every homeowner should have in mind. Whenever you move to a new place, you may be unaware of the neighbourhood security system; therefore, it is essential to know the following homeowner safety tips. Always remember prior to leaving your home on vacation or for an extended amount of time to have your home’s locks inspected by a reputable locksmith company, such as Tony’s Locksmiths in Cardiff.
Ensure That Your Place is Tidy
This is one of the top tips that protect and keep burglars at bay. Whenever your mailbox is empty, or your lawn is mowed, people will always assume that you are home; thus, your home is secure. If you have travel plans, you can request your friend or family to pick the mails and newspaper from your pouch. This eliminates the assumptions that you are away, and this allows passers-by to know you are home. This is one tip that should always be in your mind anytime you plan on leaving your home for a long time.
Do Not Tell Out That You Are Not at Home
This is one crucial safety hack that all homeowners should have. Frequently, not all neighbours can be trusted; thus, it is vital to ensure that they are unaware if you are away. Burglars may work hand in hand with them and snitch you out if you are away, leaving you in trouble. This goes hand in hand with not telling out your travel plans because you may be unaware of what they can do with that information. It is important to be discrete and ensure that there is always someone around to check up the house whenever you are away.
Restrict Disclosing Personal Information Online
Social media is one of the channels that burglars can get information that you are away. Showing off that you are on vacation may make you susceptible to a burglary case in your home. Instead of showing them when you are leaving home, you can show them the vacation events rather than when you are leaving the house or checking in the airport. If you leave alone specifically, it is easy for an intruder to get into the house after you have left, and therefore you can do the posting after you are back from vacation.
Install Security Systems
Home security is paramount; therefore, you need to install a secured security system in your house. This begins with the doors to the windows, ensuring that they have functional locks, and the window hinges or locks are also in check. This reduces the capability of the burglar to enter the house through the windows and does. Getting an expert locksmith will ensure that your home safety is updated. Additionally, if you have recently moved into the new house, changing, and replacing the existing locks will boost homeowner safety.
You can also use sensor lights and CCTV to improve home safety. The lights will always be on whenever anyone is approaching the house due to the sensor motions. This alerts you anytime an intruder wants to get into the house. The CCTV will record all the movements across your house, giving you a detailed view of people who come to your property.
Use Secure Hiding Spots
Homeowners tend to hide the spare keys on the doormat or the pouch, and these are the first places that the homeowner gets to check whenever they notice no one is around. When looking for a secure place to hide the spare key, ensure you have not told any outsider where you place them. This reduces the risk of anyone getting into the house when you are away. Additionally, nosy neighbours will be unaware of where you place the key if they are spying on you.
Empty the Trash Can
The trash can be a direct way of intruders getting your personal information. This is because of the papers that contain personal information that you dump into the dustbin. This can give the thief information about your credit card details or even the bank statements if you get mails delivered to your home. In this case, you can always use a paper shredder to destroy any documents before throwing them into the trash can.
Vital boxes of fragile and critical electronic devices can be a leeway for burglars to identify that you have expensive items in the house. Instead of throwing the whole box away, you can tear it apart and place it beneath the trash can whenever you take the trash out before the garbage is collected.
It is important to note that some important documents such as air tickets should not be disposed of in the trash can because it gives intruders information about your travel dates, creating a potential risk of them getting into the house.
Install an Alarm system
The alarm system is one homeowner safety gadget that every new homeowner has. This is one of the smart home automations that should be in place. The system always informs you once anyone trespasses into your property and signals the neighbours that there is a security breach. This is a must-have in the compound because it alerts you if you were sleeping to wake up and secure the place or call the relevant authorities.
Conclusion
Home security should always be the topmost priority of any home buyer and homeowner. This assures you that you are safe even in cases when you are away. The above tips help you in maintaining a protected environment for you and your family.