Improving Home Security with These Simple Techniques

If you are like most homeowners, improving home security is a big priority. With a little bit of effort and strategic planning, you can deter criminals from targeting your home for a burglary.

Consider these 5 tips for keeping your home safe and secure.

1. Lock It Up

This tip may seem obvious, but did you know that almost a third of all robberies occur because a thief came through an unlocked door or window? Keep your doors and windows locked when you are not home. Make sure that your doorknobs and locks are securely attached to the door and not loose, which can make them easier to break open.

2. Light It Up

No thief operates in the light. Install floodlights on motion sensors on the eaves of the house and near any trees in the yard. If that isn’t feasible, then install decorative light poles in the yard in strategic places. Landscape lighting is also helpful in making the house visible (along with the intruder.)

3. Out With The Shrubs

Many homeowners like shrubbery. The problem is that burglars like shrubbery, too. Large bushes give them a place to hide behind while they wait for a time when no one is around. Taking them out is a good tip for improving home security. Try flower beds instead since they’re colorful, pretty, and don’t leave cover for a thief.

4. Don’t Hide the Key

Thieves know every hiding place for a spare key. The flower pot, the welcome mat, the fake rock that twists open, the key on top of the door frame, and even the key in the mailbox are all places they look. Leave your spare key with a trusted neighbor or friend rather than anywhere on your property.

5. Get A Security System

This is usually the first in a list of tips for improving home security, but we saved the best for last. Some insurance companies give homeowners a credit for installing a security system. These days security systems are so advanced that you can monitor your home remotely and be alerted to any activity on your mobile device. Not to mention that seeing cameras and security system signage gives thieves the idea that your house wouldn’t be worth the risk.

Greater Tampa Home Inspections provides home inspection services to Tampa and the surrounding areas. Contact us to schedule an appointment.