Finally getting the keys to your first home is certainly an occasion that calls for some celebrating. But before you get caught up in all your new home organization and decorating, it’s important to make certain your new home is as secure as possible.
In general, new homeowners can be especially vulnerable to security risks, as they are just starting to learn about their new home and new neighborhood. Here are some tips to help you get on the right track in regards to home security and make your new home a safer place to be.
Do a Test Drive
This is something you should do even before you buy; take a drive around your potential new neighbourhood at different times of the day and night and also on both a weekday and a weekend.
Neighbourhoods do tend to change as the sun goes down, or as people leave work for the weekend, and what seems like a quiet, sedate street may change considerably at night.
Meet the Neighbours
New homeowners should not only get acquainted with their new neighbourhood but with their neighbours as well. Not only is it a great way to join in the community in general but it can also be a good way to get a real handle on the safety of the neighbourhood – and what you might need to watch out for – that dry website facts and figures don’t inform you about.
Perform a Home Security Audit
After you’ve moved the last of the boxes into your new home you should take the time to inspect all of its entry points and identify any outdated or malfunctioning locks. It’s not just the doors you need to take a look at, windows can be points of great vulnerability in a home, especially an older one, so they need to be properly secured as well.
Focus on Prevention
Some people do decide to install a formal home security system to protect both their property and themselves. Your new home may very well already have one in place. There are also a growing number of ‘DIY’ home security systems that are relatively inexpensive to purchase, install and maintain.
But whether you decide to alarm up or not, there are also some rather simple, but often overlooked, ways you can help make your home a safer place:
Don’t showcase valuable – or even valuable looking – items through open drapes, as this can be like offering a ‘shop window’ to opportunistic thieves.
As you move in and perhaps buy new appliances or gadgets for your new home don’t leave the discarded packaging out in the street. There’s no better way to advertise that you treated yourself to a new – and very desirable – 4k big screen than to leave its box on the curb.
Don’t Forget to Secure the Garage Too
You’ve locked your new home up tight and are ready to head out for the day. Half way to work however you become a little concerned about whether you actually closed the garage door or not..
This is something that should never really be allowed to happen. If a garage door is left open when you leave the house, your belongings and family may become vulnerable.
One great way to prevent this is to head to the home store to pick up a garage door lock that can be controlled via a smartphone. This will mean that if do you find yourself second-guessing whether you actually closed the garage door when you left for the day, there’s no need to turn around.