National home security month has come once again and 360 Alarm– the premier home security installers and monitoring service in Grapevine, Grand Prairie, and Arlington, has some hot tips to help you keep your house secure. It’s important to take note of these home safety tactics as the days get shorter and you start buying and storing gifts in your home to celebrate the winter holidays.
Check all of your doors and windows
Our first national home security month tip is to lock up! Most of us know to double-check the doors and windows at night, but you should make sure they’re secure whenever they’re not in use. If they don’t need to be open, then there’s no reason to give a potential home intruder access. Make sure you take this step seriously. It’s actually been shown that 34% of burglars just walk through the front door. That’s insane! But fortunately, it’s an easy problem to mitigate.
Invest in good locks
Now, this step should probably preface our first suggestion but your home must be equipped with good locks. Locking your door may slow down a burglar, but if you’re working with an antiquated lock they may still be able to gain entry.
Install a residential camera
One way to prevent people from trespassing on your private property is to make it obvious that you have a home security system. If they know they’ll be caught, it’s more likely that they’ll move on. To ward off intruders, just fix a residential security camera above your doors.
Consider a doorbell camera
A doorbell camera is perfect if you also want to communicate with whoever’s on your porch. Residential doorbell cameras connect to your home’s wifi and alert you whenever someone is at the door. This allows you to not only see them, but speak with them over an intercom, and allow or deny them access to enter.
Use alternative safety measures
While we always recommend a home security system or a burglar alarm at the very least, there are some other measures you can take to discourage people from trespassing. Basically, the more difficult you make it for someone to break in, the less likely they’ll try. Turn your property into a veritable obstacle course to dissuade criminals. Try out a fence, get a dog or just hang a “beware of dog” sign on your property. You can also invest in landscape lighting so your yard will be fully illuminated, making it difficult for would-be thieves to sneak through the shadows.
Plant prickly flowers and hedges
Rose bushes planted strategically throughout your yard and beneath windows create a rather beautiful maze that home intruders will need to traverse before they ever get to an entry point. The more obstacles you leave outside, the more likely it is they’ll be caught before gaining access to your house. This might also just make them rethink their entire plan.
Protect your windows
Windows are one of the first entry points home intruders will look at when trying to break in. Locking your windows is a great preventative measure, but a home intruder can always break the glass. They may even be successful in stealing from you by doing this when you’re away from home or if you have a family you need to protect. To keep burglars out, consider reinforcing your windows with security film. This home security technology makes it more difficult to break the window. You can also install a glass break alarm. That way local law enforcement will be aware of the problem before the trespasser ever gets inside.
Be careful what you share online
Many home intruders gather information about you on social media. Make sure you’re not posting anything that they can use against you. Avoid posting your address or photos that would help someone that wishes you ill will find where you live. It’s also smart to avoid posting photos of your trips (especially ones that you geotag) until you return. We also recommend that you don’t check in on Facebook when you’re traveling as that generally means you’re there at that very moment, and more importantly, not home safeguarding your property.
360 Alarm’s Home Security Month Tips
These home security tactics will help deter many criminals, but not all of them. It’s important that you have the latest home security equipment and dedicated alarm monitoring to alert you and authorities when there’s been an attempted break-in. The best way to ensure you and your family’s safety, and to prevent theft, is to make sure you’re aware of the problem and local law enforcement knows they need to assist you right away. You can also follow along with our blog during home security month for some great safety tips you can use year-round.
Contact the home security experts at 360 Alarm today and schedule a free initial consultation. Our team proudly serves Arlington, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, and the rest of the DFW metro area. We want to help you protect your property all year long. Don’t just worry about this issue during national home security month!
