Modern life means that we’re often away from home for most of the day and if you’re a new homeowner you may not really know your new neighbors just yet. So when it comes to protecting your new investment, your family and all of your belongings in a new environment it can be quite overwhelming.
Below are five ways that will help put your mind at ease and put you on the path to ensure that your home is secure:
1. Secure Your Windows
When moving into a new home it can be easy to forget to close a window, especially as you may be cleaning and decorating certain rooms. Windows are the most vulnerable area for thieves to attack, especially if they can see gifts under a Christmas tree. So always make sure that you have burglar proof, strong window locks fitted at the outset. Furthermore if you are considering a home security system make sure that you have hidden window and glass-break sensors in place.
Saving money is on everyone’s minds around the holiday season. An increasing number of new homeowners now have UPVC, double glazed windows installed in their homes. These types of windows are constructed from two panes with a space separating them. These windows not only work as a strong security measure they also can help with your energy usage. The space between the two panes is typically filled with air or another gas like argon, which can help retain heat and save money on your energy bills.
2. Did You Remember To Close The Back Door?
With new homes it can take a while to get into a routine of checking all of the entry points before going to bed. Firstly make sure that your doors have a secure locking system. It sound’s obvious, but the front and back door are where burglars commonly try to access because the locks are usually inadequate or not locked at all.
Secondly, it’s 2013 and burglars are very tactical. So get advanced and use a SMART+ HOME automation system, you can add and name up to 48 different zones around your home. So if you set a zone for the ‘Downstairs Conservatory Door‘ you will be able to know when you’re laying in bed and arming the security system from your smart phone, exactly which door is still open.
3. The Obvious Plug – Get A Smart Security System
I know, what’s more original than a home security blog promoting it’s products. Unfortunately home break-ins and burglaries happen, supposedly every 15 seconds. Personally I think the biggest area of confusion and dismissal for home security is the initial cost and lack of awareness of just how advanced home security has become. The fact of the matter is today’s home security systems do cost a lot less and have added more features than ever before and because of this more homeowners have upgraded to Smart Home systems over traditional systems.
According to the FBI the average loss for a home burglary with a traditional alarm system is $2,000 less than one without because thieves have less time to clean out the house. Our goal with home automation technology is to never even let them get there in the first place. So while it may seem costly investing in a home security system, in the months and years to come, it could actually end up saving you a financial loss, stress and in some cases possibly your life.
4. Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Maybe you’ve moved away from the in-laws or worse yet, maybe you’ve moved closer. Either way, if you plan to be away if only for the weekend, stop all of your mail and special deliveries being left at your front door. With new homes you will most likely be ordering all kinds of things. Even more so with the holidays it can be easy to forget about early Christmas presents that you may have ordered or mail from your previous address being delivered.
The Christmas holidays are prime time for opportunistic thieves. They love to see lots of mail and packages on a doorstep because it is the number one indicator of an empty home.
- The USPS have a Hold Mail Service that you can set up online
- For other deliveries, call your local newspaper and magazine subscriptions and request a vacation hold
Always remember that newspapers and other mail protruding from mailboxes is just another invitation to a burglar. Be aware of the time frames that you may not be home and pause any regular deliveries before you go away.
5. Always Home – Anytime, From Anywhere
Typically most burglaries will happen while you’re at work between 9am and 3pm. However, for those criminals that avoid becoming a part of that statistic you’ve got to be aware at night too. Especially if you’re going to be away from home during the evening for the company Christmas party or for that long holiday weekend with the in-laws. You could leave the lights on and the curtains drawn. Most thieves are put off trying to break into a property if they think that someone is at home. Even if you are only out for a couple of hours then you could leave the television switched on as well, the would be thief won’t be sure whether you are in or out.
The downside to both of those options is just how much money is going to be wasted on electricity all day and all night.
That’s where I would personally recommend setting up a SMART+ HOME Energy system. It’s cool. Really cool…
- You can schedule by day and even by hour when appliances and lights should turn on and off
- Instantly receive text messages/email alerts when any door or window is open or broken
- If there is a power outage your system will stay online and connected to emergency services
- Set the thermostat to warm the house when you’re just a couple of miles from getting home
It’s truly the future of home security and well worth it. That’s all I’ve got! How do you protect your home while you’re away? Share your tips below and leave your name/website to make the next Top 5!
This article was written by James McNulty. James is a writer and SEO Manager for Smith Monitoring. Keep up with him on Twitter. J74EY4DY2QW9
