Home security is a huge concern for many homeowners. You want to keep your family safe from intruders, but you also don’t want to have to spend a fortune on security systems or cameras in order to do it. Luckily, there are many ways that you can make your home more secure without breaking the bank.
Here are seven easy and cost-effective ways that you can improve your home security:
1. Get a dog
Dogs are far and away from the best security system that a homeowner can have. They bark when someone comes onto your property, making it obvious that there is an unwanted visitor. Dogs also deter burglars from stealing anything from your home because they will be scared of being bitten by the family pet. If you don’t want to go through all the trouble of finding a puppy and training it, consider hiring a dog walker so that you always have a guard dog on duty without having to pay for one yourself.
2. Install Timer Switches
Timer switches are a great way to make it look like someone is home even when you aren’t. The best time to install these switches is on lights that are visible from the street or driveway, but you can also use them in rooms where thieves might walk through during their invasions of your privacy, such as the kitchen and living room. A thief will be less likely to enter if he thinks that the house is occupied because there’s always the chance that someone could catch him in the act.
3. Display Security Signs on Your Property
It may seem silly, but displaying stickers on windows that show that you have an alarm system will actually deter some burglars from trying anything with your home. If they think for one second that you have a security system, they will probably walk away and look for an easier target. Signs with the words “Protected by…” with small police logos work well to deter thieves, but if you want to go with something that looks more sophisticated, consider getting a sign that says “Beware of the dog” — even though it’s not true!
4. Add Security Lighting Around Your Home
Many burglars like to stay in the shadows when they are trying to sneak onto someone’s property; however, this is also where they can be most easily seen. Installing outdoor security lighting makes it easier for you and your neighbors to spot suspicious activity going on around your home at night. Motion-sensor lights placed on the outside of your home are one way to ensure that the lights will only turn on when they need to, but you can also install lights around your property, so criminals know for sure that someone is watching them as they try to figure out how to break into your home.
5. Get New Door Locks
Installing push-button door locks is also a great idea because they are far more difficult to pick than traditional locks. These types of locks are most common on front doors, so burglars will automatically assume that this is where you have your security system’s keypad. If these locks aren’t installed on all of your exterior doors, consider installing them on just the doors that give access to your home.
6. Put Your Valuables in a Safe
Putting your other valuables in a safe isn’t necessarily going to make you feel any safer, but it will keep them secure if someone does manage to break into your home. Don’t keep all of your valuables locked up at the same time because that could be telling thieves that they are worth something to you. Instead, switch out whatever is in the safe after a thief breaks into your home so that it always looks like something valuable is locked up.
7. Install a Burglar Alarm
Burglar alarms give you peace of mind that your family and other valuables are safe from thieves as long as the alarm system is active. The best time to install an alarm system is before someone tries to break into your home, but if this has already happened, be sure to have it installed before anything else.
The tips in this article are just a few of the many ways you can make your home more secure without spending too much money. Whether you have an alarm system, motion-sensing security lighting, or new door locks installed, it’s important for these changes to be permanent so that criminals will know they aren’t welcome at your house. By following all seven of our tips and staying vigilant about what’s happening around your property, you’ll be able to keep thieves from coming back!
