For many people, their home isn’t just their most important asset; it is the place where they store nearly all their other assets. When someone unknown gains access to your property, you risk losing everything you have and have worked for.
However, improving the security of your home isn’t as easy as buying a dog or growing your hedges high. Rather, you should strive to hard-bake security into your space — though for many people, this is easier said than done. It’s one thing to remodel your home with trends in mind, but it’s quite another to focus your remodeling efforts on security. If you want tips for focusing on security with your upcoming remodel, read on.
Don’t Plan for Concealment
In endeavoring to boost home security, too many people make the mistake of focusing on hiding their home from onlookers. In truth, a concealed home — one surrounded by tall walls, obscuring greenery and other elements — is extremely attractive to burglars and home invaders because it means that neighbors and people on the street won’t be able to see them breaking into your home. While it might seem counter-intuitive, you actually want to organize the layout of your home so the most easily accessible entrances, like glass doors and large windows, are easily visible from the street. Then, burglars will think twice about trying to access your home because their best attempts will be on full display.
Invest in Security Services
Especially in areas where crime is more common, it pays to invest in professional security services, especially before and during your remodel. During this time, your property is at greater risk for attack. Not only are you inviting dozens of strangers into your home to complete remodeling work, but many of your entrances might remain open as renovations occur. In cities like Washington D.C., Chicago and Philly, home security services can help identify malicious individuals and round them up before they harm your home. It isn’t a bad idea to continue using these services after your remodel is complete because additional security — especially in the form of human eyes on your property — never hurts.
Add Lights — Everywhere
Continuing with the theme of visibility, it’s important that your property is well-lit. Lights add ambiance to your home and landscape, but more notably, they ensure that any intruders cannot hide in the shadows.
Many homeowners aren’t interested in the energy waste or brightness of 24/7 illumination. Thus, you should balance security and economy by installing timers and motion sensors on your lights. Then, both attackers and guests will be greeted with light when they decide to pay a visit to your property.
Add Locks — Everywhere
A 2017 survey of American homeowners found that one in five people never lock their doors. Unfortunately, even when you lock your front and back doors, that isn’t enough to keep invaders out. While an unlocked door does present an easy entry, burglars and the like are accustomed to trying other methods to enter a property. Therefore, one major aspect of your remodel should be adding locks and other security measures to potential entries around your home.
Ideally, every exterior door in your home should have at least two locks, and one of them should be a deadbolt. However, not every deadbolt will do. You should try to avoid double-cylinder locks, which require keys from both sides of the door, unless the lock is easily accessible from a window. Additionally, you should ensure the quality of your lock by searching for deadbolts that are UL 437 listed and ANSI grade 1.
Next, you should install locks on your windows — and use them. Almost 30 percent of burglars enter a home through a window, so this is a critical space to secure your home. There are many varieties of window locks, and you should make your choice based on the type of windows in your home.
Additionally, you might want to add a few more locked spaces around your home. For instance, it’s wise to buy a fireproof, waterproof safe that you can bolt to the floor. Inside, you should store important documents, like social security cards and birth certificates, as well as any small valuables you don’t want pilfered. You should also consider installing a locked key cabinet somewhere in your house, where you can stash the keys your family uses to get in the doors, access the cars and more.
Security isn’t difficult, but it does require diligence. If you are making the effort to remodel your home to increase security, you should know that there is no quick fix to keeping your home safe from intruders. Instead, you need to commit to a lifetime of secure habits, like locking your doors and windows. With the right setup and the right mindset, your home will remain secure.