Your house is your home, your fortress of safety. It’s a place where you keep your most important belongings: your checkbooks, your jewelry, your heirlooms, your important documents and, most importantly, your family.
There are simple things you can do to safeguard your house, most of which you probably do already: lock your doors, lock your windows, keep lights on when you are away, for instance. But, there are also more extensive things you can do, things that are sure to leave you, and your house, feeling a little bit safer.
Conduct a quick scan of your yard and entryway. Are the yard and pathways free of sightline-blocking branches and shrubbery? What kind of lighting illuminates your property? Is it motion-senor activated? Do the exterior lights you leave on in your absence all-encompassing? Do your neighbors have a good view of your lawn and walkway, to discourage lurking intruders?
Get a Wrought Iron Door: When it comes to security, two doors are better than one. Installing a wrought iron door in your house, whether it’s in the front, back, or side of your house, is a great way to create an added level of security. A simple wrought iron door gives burglars another obstacle to overcome, and another reason to leave your house alone.
Get a Burglar Alarm: Yes, a burglar alarm may seem so “1980’s” but security never goes out of style. Not only do burglar alarms secure your house when you are away, such as on vacation, but they also keep you safe when you are home. Just telling others that they are there, such as with a sticker in your front door window or a sign on your front lawn, is a great deterrent.
Get a Door Viewer: A door viewer, or peephole as they are sometimes called, is an important addition to your home, particularly if you have children. By installing a door viewer, you are able to see who is at the front door before opening it.
Replace What is Broken: One of the most common reasons people are burglarized and assaulted is because of things that are broken and not fixed. Time after time, assailants are able to enter a house through a broken window or door that no longer locks. Do yourself and your family a favor and don’t wait to fix things: fix them immediately and sleep sound at night.
Are there still people who go on vacation and allow mail and newspapers to stack up in front of their home? Amazingly, yes. Yet is there any clearer sign to passersby that people have been away from their house for an extended period than a collection of newspapers in the driveway, or envelopes jutting out of a mailbox?
You can contact both your postal carrier and newspaper delivery person to temporarily stop their service, but a better choice is to ask a friend or neighbor to stop by each day just long enough to collect the paper and mail and keep them for you until your return.
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