Home security isn’t just about protecting one’s belongings while they’re at work. It’s about keeping your family and yourself safe and secure. It’s about having a sense of privacy and protection that belongs to you, where you can retreat from the rest of the world.
Best Home Security Tips
Fortunately, technology has evolved to make home security easier to prioritize than ever. You can use technology in every aspect of home security to protect your home with ease.
Here are some of the best home security tips and tricks that you hadn’t thought of.
Use a Wireless Security System
If you’ve been considering installing a wireless security system, here’s why you should take the leap. Wireless security systems create options for those who either don’t have control over major changes to their property (i.e., renters) or are put off by the expense of having a security monitoring subscription.
Wireless security systems offer minimally invasive installation. Whereas traditional security systems are often wired into the wall, wireless ones are easy to install and easy to move from one home to another.
You can purchase wireless systems that operate on a cellular signal so that they won’t be impacted by power outages or interference. Furthermore, you can pick and choose which components you want to include, whether it’s motion sensors, entry point detection, cameras or all of the above.
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Automated and Motion-Triggered Lighting
When you go away on vacation, it’s always a good idea to leave a few lights on in your house. To enhance your home security even further during your absence, consider adding automated lighting features that turn lights on and off at various intervals.
To an outside viewer, this may look like you’ve retreated from the living room to the kitchen and from the kitchen to the bedroom. Inside the house, there’s no one.
Adequate outdoor lighting is one of the biggest deterrents for home invaders. Robberies are often crimes of opportunity — a place that looks harder to enter undetected is less likely to be a target.
If a large-scale yard light isn’t plausible, install motion-triggered lighting over entry points and in dark areas around the exterior of the house. The fewer the deep shadows, the fewer places for a home invader to hide.
Use Smart Appliances and Plugs
Home security is about more than limiting the risk of home invasion; protecting your home from damage is also key. Using smart home appliances and plugs is a great way to enhance your lifestyle and make your daily routines more convenient. They also play a role in home security.
Smart devices can detect prolonged periods of use and can shutdown forgotten appliances after a scheduled amount of time. Using smart outlets with remote control features can also be used to double check if you did, in fact, turn off your flat iron or coffee pot before heading into work.
These features are ideal for homes with elderly parents who maintain their independence or forgetful teenagers who may leave the house while the stove is on
There are also monitors that track the temperature in your home and identify any irregularities. Additionally, you can use smart monitoring to detect leaks or pressure changes in pipes, indicating a potential flood risk.
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Install Keyless Locks
If you’ve ever worried about keys going missing, people jimmying locks open with a credit card, or even your teenagers locking themselves out of the house, the keyless entry might be for you. By installing a smart deadbolt, you can leave keys in the past and use your smartphone to gain access while controlling who has permission to enter. Some smart locks have Bluetooth detection and unlock the door for you with a touch, similar to how modern motion-detected key fobs work in vehicles.
This is also convenient for controlling access to your home. For example, if you have someone stopping in to let your pet out during a prolonged work day, you can remotely open the door and relock it after they leave. This is also far more convenient than scheduling time to get the key back.
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Use Security Cameras at Entry Points
Even if you opt not to have a complete security system installed, investing in security cameras is a wise investment. Security cameras are no longer complex systems that can only wealthy individuals with large estates or corporations can afford.
There are a variety of wireless security cameras that offer continuous recording that can be viewed live from one’s smartphone. Alternatively, simple cameras posted at points of entry can snap a photo or start recording when triggered by motion. Doorbell cameras that continuously record, motion triggered lights with brief recording availability, and small apparatuses that look similar to Bluetooth speakers can all capture nefarious activity.
Security cameras at entry not only help identify those who try to force their way into your home in your absence, but they’re also commonly used by those who regularly receive deliveries. Having decals advertising that there is a camera in place is often as much of a deterrent as the cameras themselves.
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How to Stay Secure
There are plenty of common sense steps you can take to maintain home security. Locking your doors and windows, installing security bars on sliding doors, and not posting your absences all over social media go a long way in protecting your home.
Use technology to your advantage. Security cameras and remote monitoring are accessible and affordable, and safety is a worthwhile investment. Keeping your home secure means both keeping unwanted individuals out of your home as well as protecting your family and belongings.