Home Security Tips: How To Feel Safer And More Relaxed
By: John Garcia | Date Posted: December 15, 2021
Table of Contents
Every person deserves to feel safe in their own home. Unfortunately, all too often, feelings of security are overlooked. In part, this has to do with the cultural norm of invalidating childrenâs feelingsâparticularly fearâfrom an early age. How many times when you were little and frightened did an adult tell you there was nothing to be scared of?
Home Security Tips
How often were you told to quiet down and go to sleep despite how terrified you were? It turns out that this doesnât teach children to be less afraid; it teaches them to ignore feelings of fear which can result in them ignoring the signals of being in a dangerous situation later in life.
Couple this cultural experience shared by millions with access to all the worldâs terrors within seconds via the internet, exploding crime rates, and general unrest, and you have a recipe for people feeling unprotected in their own homes.
The following will explore some of the things you can do to increase your feelings of safety at home. Before beginning, it is critical to point out that if you have any reason to believe you have been targeted for a particular crime or if youâve been threatened in any way, you need to reach out to the local authorities in addition to taking these kinds of steps.
Reconsider Your Social Media Use
It is far too easy nowadays to get caught up in posting and sharing, and connecting and not realize weâre giving away vital information about our location. Safety begins with keeping private information private.
If a teenager posts the name of their school, for instance, and has a picture of their friends heading to a school dance out front of the house, someone can figure out where they live. You donât even have to be a very smart someone to figure that out. If youâre on vacation and posting about your trip, itâs pretty easy for someone to figure out your house is empty.
Couple that with what your teenager posted revealing the location of your home, and youâve created an invitation for burglars. Get conscious about what you and those in your household are posting and if you go on vacation, wait until you get back to post the pictures.
Get To Know Your Neighbours
If you can develop a friendly relationship with your neighbors, youâre less likely to get robbed. This is because a friendly neighbor will speak to someone snooping around your home.
They might say something like: âHey, you looking for Jim? Want me to take a message for him?â This sort of culture in a neighborhood repels criminals as thereâs a greater chance that someone will pay attention to their movements.
Upgrade Your Front Door
The front door is the most common point of entry for a burglar. Because of this, having a front door that is sturdy and has a high-quality lock is critical. At first, you might think that secure doors wonât work with your aesthetic choices.
Those who install Perthâs best security doors point out that there are many highly secure doors that have the look of non-security doors. For instance, you can get doors that appear to be wood if thatâs your visual preference but are actually made from a sturdier material.
Get A Dog
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Of course, if youâre allergic to dogs or donât have the time or energy to provide one with all the love and care it needs, this tip isnât for you. But dogs are one of the most effective deterrents for crime.
Yes, most pets are friendly and are more likely to lick an intruder to death than to attack one, but most burglars wonât take the chance. In addition to deterring crime, dogs also bark when people are on the property or near the door, meaning youâll be more aware of movements near your home if you have a dog.
Be Wary About Advertising Gun Enthusiasm
Believe it or not, having a bumper sticker hinting at gun ownership or some other indicator that you like hunting or hanging out at the firing range (either on your person, home, or social media profile) can be dangerous.
Guns are one of the most valuable things a person can steal from a regular home, and advertising that you might have one inside increases your chances of being targeted. It is important that children also know this if you keep guns in the house so that they donât tell people at school.
Leave Something Auditory On
Another thing that deters criminals from entering a house is the sound of someone being home. Playing music or leaving the television on reduces the risk that your home will be chosen for burglary.
If someone approaches the home and hears the television, they are likely to assume that someone might be inside. Nearly all burglars attempt to enter empty homes.
Be Wary Of Displaying Wealth
If youâre constantly posting pictures of expensive jewelry or high-end fashion or other indicators of wealth, or if your homeâs exterior puts wealth on display (expensive cars, opulent decor, etc.), you are increasing your chances of being targeted. Be conscious of the messages your home, person, and social media presence are sending.
Be Cautious Of Privacy
This tip might seem odd at first, but the more private your home is, the more likely it is to be targeted. This is because things like high fences, thick shrubs, and tall trees can provide cover for burglars.
They donât want to be seen by people driving by or living across the street, and if the layout of your yard or home provides relatively private access to your home, this is ideal for thieves. Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed and consider lighting any areas that are hidden by shadows.
The above tips should help you increase feelings of safety in your home. Itâs a good idea to express your feelings of insecurity to everyone in your household and get the whole family on board with some basic security measures. ItâsItâs also important that you validate and respect fears presented by members of your household, as this can help encourage people to speak up when they feel like something is frightening or a little off.
Burglars commonly scope out places a few days before they strike, which means feelings of being watched or small things seeming out of place can actually indicate a crime is about to take place.
In particular, if people come to the door dressed in a delivery uniform dropping off something you didnât order or are asking questions or trying to get you to sign a petition but are giving you the impression they are studying your home, they might be scoping out your property for a crime. Always listen to your gut instincts.
Thank you for reading!