While you can of course spend a small fortune making your home ultra-secure, employing all the latest technology and high-end safety measures – keeping burglars at bay doesn’t have to leave a giant hole in your bank account. With the following budget-friendly tips, you can have a safe and secure home that protects you from intruders:
Simple but effective- lock all doors and windows
While this may seem like a no-brainer, you’d be surprised just how many people leave windows and doors unlocked at all times, and while keeping them locked is vital if you’re not at home, you should keep them locked while you’re there, too. Don’t make it easy for criminals.
Update/upgrade all your locks
All locks have a life expectancy, especially if they’re already old or damaged, and if you know this, simply replace them with upgraded versions that are high-security and more tamper-proof. For more detailed advice about your locks and whether they’re keeping your home secure enough, talk to a professional locksmith, who will be happy to give you their unbiased, qualified advice.
Reinforce doors, windows, locks and hardware
As with upgrading to high security locks like Mul-t-lock, talking to a local locksmith is a fantastic way of finding out whether you might need to reinforce your doors, windows, locks and hardware. They’ll be able to tell you whether your entry points are secure enough, and help you take measures to reinforce them where necessary. Are your doors strong enough to resist a kick from a determined intruder? Are your sliding doors secure enough to prevent them from being forcibly opened? Would you benefit from locks and/or bars on your windows?
Consider a keyless entry system
To eliminate the many risks associated with having keys to enter your home, why not talk to a security specialist about having a modern, keyless entry system installed? While not appropriate for everyone, these can prevent some issues surrounding stolen, lost or duplicate keys.
Seek advice from a locksmith
Because home security is their business, locksmiths have all the latest information regarding what locks are the most effective, and what will keep you safest according to your budget, neighborhood and personal circumstances. You can talk to your local locksmith about upgrading to high-security locks, whether a surveillance system would be a worthwhile investment, or whether your existing home security measures are adequate enough to keep you protected at all times.
If it’s valuable, keep it out of sight
If you have invested in any items that you know might be attractive to burglars, do your best to keep them out of sight wherever possible, close curtains and/or blinds when you’re away or asleep, and if appropriate, lock them away in a secure, fire rated safe.
While there may be no guarantees that your home won’t fall prey to criminals, you can at least do your utmost to make it difficult for them. Follow the above tips to help keep criminals out of your home, and ensure that you and your family are as well protected as possible.