Rest Comfortably: Four Tips For Improving Home Security

Protecting your family starts with keeping your home safe. Unfortunately, keeping your home safe and sound isn't as easy as it seems—after all, thieves are smart and know how to leverage your homes weak points. The good news is that you can make your home safer—even if you're on a budget.

So how do you improve your home's security? Here are four tips:

1. Keep Your Home Locked Up

Locking your doors at night may seem like a no-brainer, but that is just a small portion of locking up your home. To keep your home safe during the nighttime hours—or when you aren't home—make sure you are locking your windows as well. Additionally, you should be sure to lock other entry points, such as your garage.

You should also think twice about where you place your extra key. Hiding it under a welcome mat or under a flowerpot are obvious choices—so they are obvious to potential thieves as well. If you must hide a key outdoors, get creative and make sure you hide it well—and of course, somewhere not obvious.

2. Remove Bushes and Debris

Bushes or hedges outside your home may look nice, but they are a potential threat. Bushes and hedges make the perfect hiding spot for thieves—not to mention wild animals. If you want to keep burglars at bay, remove any hedges or bushes that surround your windows and doors.

If you want to keep your hedges and bushes—or other decorative landscaping—make sure you keep them well trimmed. It is much harder to hide in a well-trimmed bush than it is an overgrown one.

3. Install Lighting Outside

A dimly lit driveway or walkway is much more inviting to potential thieves than a well-lit one. If you want to deter thieves, make sure you keep your home bright on the outside. You can do this by installing solar lights along your pathways or even lanterns by doors.

If you want to improve security even further, consider using motion sensor lights, which offer the perfect balance between a bright light and a dark evening—as they will turn on when someone walks near them.  

4. Install a Home Security System

Lastly, consider using a home security system. There is a variety of different types available today: from low-tech to high-tech. Each type of security system has its own features, such as alarms or complex coded locks. You can also get a system that offers real-time monitoring, which is extremely helpful in the event that someone does break into your home.

Turning your weak home into a fortress is something that everyone should do. Not only does beefing up your home security systems keep your family safe, but it also keeps your belongings safe. So use these tips and rest at ease every night, knowing you are doing all you can.