Top 5 Tips To Improve Your Home Security
The safety of your home requires your attention. Taking proper home security measures has become critical in the face of rising burglaries in the UK. The Office for National Statistics puts home burglaries in the UK at an average of 34 burglaries per hour, one occurring every 2 minutes.
Most new buyers factor in home security improvements in their purchase, according to Ben, a real estate agent at Christian House Buyers, "Security upgrades can definitely help a home sell faster and for a greater price. In fact, a recent study by the National Association of Realtors found that homes with security systems sold 19% faster and for 2% more than homes without them."
You can do a lot to protect your home from being robbed, like installing an intruder alarm and CCTV cameras. However, burglars are becoming more sophisticated, and despite all these security measures, criminals might still find ways to rob your home. They spend time scoping the houses they want to burgle, identifying weak points in a home's security system as well as poor security measures such as keys left in a backdoor or window.
This is why it’s important to install the right security measures in your home and ensure that there are no weak points in the system. To help with this, we turned to the experts at Alexandra Security for five home security tips that could help deter criminals from breaking into your home.
5 Home Security Tips from Experts
While there are numerous ways you can protect your home and family, burglars are opportunistic. They will evaluate your home security system and take advantage of any weaknesses. These five home security tips are an excellent way for you to up your security measures and keep your home safe.
Tip #1: Install an automatic gate
Automatic gates aren't just for enhancing your home's charm; they're also a terrific way to improve your property's security. In addition, they are safe, secure, and a great deterrent to criminals.
Burglars and intruders avoid houses with electronic gates because they're tough to climb over, and the last thing they want is to get stuck in your home because they can't get out quickly enough.
Additionally, an automatic security gate will also signal to burglars that you may have several other security measures in place, which may also deter them from attempting to break into your property.
Tip #2: Light up your home
Burglars don't want to feel like they're on display when breaking into a property, and exterior lighting gives them that feeling. It's critical to have enough illumination surrounding your home; opportunist criminals despise external lights and will generally avoid any houses that are lighted up. There are many options to consider when it comes to lighting your home, but we recommend investing in anything that accentuates your driveway, garden, and home entryways. Installing exterior lighting with motion sensors is an excellent deterrent to intruders.
Additionally, indoor lighting can also be used to deter burglars. Installing timers that switch lights and other appliances such as radios and TVs on creates the illusion that people are at home, even when they’re not. Burglars will seldom attempt to break into a home where there are people, so this makes for an excellent preventative security measure.
Tip #3: Burglar bars for windows
Window Safety Bars are a popular and cost-effective window security option. They can be installed exterior or within for a higher level of security as a simple and affordable way to secure a window. Window burglar bars act as both a physical and psychological barrier to intruders.
You can also link your window burglar bars to your alarm system, which will alert your security company of a break-in, should burglars attempt to access your home through a barred window. Burglar bars use a straightforward approach to window security. They’re simple to install and use, making them the product of choice for a low-cost, high-impact security option.
Tip #4: Invest in new fencing
Fencing that is weak, broken, or damaged can jeopardise your property's security and put you at risk of a break-in. It's time to replace your fence if it's starting to show signs of wear and tear or if you've found a few cracks and breaches that could jeopardise your home's security. Many fences may be easily fixed, but we recommend investing in a new high-quality fence to beef up your property's security. Many homeowners install a fence around their property without giving much thought to it. After all, any fence is better than no fence, right?
Well, not really. According to Dave Bond, head of marketing at Alexandra Security, if you wish to obscure your property, then using a privacy mesh fence that features timber inserts is a good idea.
“Mesh privacy fence is the most desirable fencing for homeowners, not only because it is a high-quality security fence, but it also provides excellent privacy while also looking attractive. When combined with a mesh gate, it is ideal for use as a boundary fence around a high-value property that will deter potential intruders.”
Tip #5: Automated Curtains and Blinds
Robbers frequently do reconnaissance of the house they intend to plunder. They note how long the house has been occupied and how long it has been vacant. You may give the impression that someone is always home by controlling the curtains remotely to open and close at random times throughout the day, giving anyone monitoring the house the impression that someone is there. Because breaking into an occupied house is riskier, a potential burglar will avoid it, ensuring your home's safety.
Think It’s Time To Upscale Your Home Security?
Burglary is a common crime within the UK, one occurring every 2 minutes. With these overwhelming statistics, installing home security measures has become more important than ever.
Even homes that have security precautions in place are at risk, as most intruders take the time to scope out your home, detecting any weak points in your home security system.
However, these five home security tips from Alexandra Security offer you a great way to add an extra layer of security to your home so that you may prevent unwanted burglars from accessing your property.