Of course, you want to sleep soundly at night. The only problem is that the idea of intruders breaking into your home keeps you awake. In the past few years, the number of break-ins has tripled, with more and more family home’s being targeted each year. On average, in the US two million break-ins occur every year. That’s a truly terrifying statistic. It’s no surprise then that more families are looking at getting extra security features installed in their home. Things like getting shatterproof windows (from companies like Riot Glass) can make people feel a whole lot safer in their home. Even doing something as simple as getting CCTV, or making sure that you lock the doors when you leave can also make people feel a lot safer in their own home.
The idea of a stranger breaking into your home is petrifying, especially if it’s while you and your family sleep at night. Unlike the nightmares that keep your children awake, home intrusion is a very real threat. Which is why it’s of the utmost importance that you do whatever you can to keep your home and family safe.
The good news is that outsmarting potential intruders is much easier than you would think. It’s just a case of being clever about your home’s security features. To make it easier for you to outsmart an intruder, below are a few suggestions and ideas for keeping your home and family safe.
Review your current security measures
The first step in beating intruders is to review the security measures that you have in place. You need to think like an intruder and ask yourself where your home’s weak spots are. Such as a window that’s already cracked, for instance. If you’re not sure what you home’s missing, in terms of security features, pay to have a professional security audit done. This is where a security expert comes to your home and attempts to break in. So that they can show you where the weak points are in your security. It might cost you, but if you want a home that’s secure, it’s worth the money. In some cases, if you want to up that secureness, investing in armed response security systems for your home can make you rest assured that when you are away you have that extra security of it being checked on by a response unit.
Update the security systems that you’ve got in place
Once you’re aware of where your property’s security weaknesses are, you can then take the steps like installing to door alarms remedy them. A common weakness that audits show is wired home alarms that are in place. Wires can be easily cut, disabling the alarm. A modern security system won’t use wired alarms, and so, is much harder to disable. Of course, that being said, an alarm system isn’t enough. To ensure that your home is well protected, there are other features that you also need to install. Such as, wireless home security cameras around all entrances to your home and motion sensor security lighting. Keeping your home secure will require an investment, but it’s one that’s definitely worth making. Oh, and a word to the wise, don’t leave a front door key under a plant pot. You’d be surprised by how many intruders gain entry to properties in this way. If you need to leave a key out, place it in a security box that requires a code to open it.
Teach your family how to keep themselves and your home safe
Don’t be afraid to talk to your children about home intruders. Of course, you don’t want to scare them, but you do need to make them aware that not everyone is nice. A social experiment showed that most children would let anyone into their homes if the person says that they’re a friend of their parents. This is true even if the child hasn’t ever met that person before. To prevent your children letting their guard down when strangers knock on the door, tell them that they must never let anyone in that they don’t know. No matter who they say they are – a friend, family member, anyone. You also need to teach them the importance of not leaving windows and doors unlocked. As these can offer intruders easy access into your home.
The truth is, outsmarting intruders doesn’t have to be as difficult as you would think. Take the above advice on board, and you should be able to sleep a little easier at night.