An English person’s home is their castle, as the old saying goes. As such, feeling safe and secure in the domestic space is crucial to your welfare and wellbeing, equally. Ensuring your house is also a fortress can bring a peace of mind which will have you content to live there for the long run. And we’re all after that feeling of security in an increasingly unpredictable world, right? With that in mind, here are 5 IDEAL ways to improve the safety of your home
SECURE YOUR HOME
A classic – some might say antiquated – form of ensuring the safety of your property is through a good old fashioned alarm system. Statistics prove that homes with security systems installed are less likely to be targeted by criminals. This works two ways; deterrence and detection, effective both in burglary and trespassing signalling.There is, though, the obvious downside of it being bloody, incessantly loud on a quiet Sunday morning when you go out to pick up the papers but forget the code. Nope? Just us then.
Alternatively, many people opt for a visible alarm system which isn’t actually in operation. This has the deterrent element covered, but doesn’t do the other stuff. It’s your choice whether this is enough.
INSTALL SMART CCTV
Alongside a security system, if you’re someone who travels often, it may be worth installing Smart CCTV. But isn’t all CCTV pretty intelligent, we hear you ask? Sure, but this has an I.Q way above average. Indeed, these cameras can record both the inside and outside of your house and will save the footage to the device itself or somewhere like the cloud. You can connect your smartphone so you can live stream everything that’s going on at home and keep an eye on things at home from afar.
SAFETY & STRENGTH IN SUPERIOR WINDOWS
With all this tech and spying software, it can sometimes be easy to overlook the more simple safety options at your disposal. And as anyone who’s watched a cartoon burglar go about their business knows, it’s ajar or weak windows which provide the ultimate come on and ‘come in?’.
So, burglar proof your windows by installing window sensors which are designed to detect whenever they’re opened. Go further, and look into installing tempered glass, which is four times stronger than annealed (the most common glass used in windows). However, if you’re willing to pay a little more, then consider plexiglas or polycarbonate windows, which are fantastic plastic derived alternatives to glass. Plexiglas is shatterproof, impact resistant and about ten times stronger than regular glass windows. Polycarbonate is even stronger.
MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS
Everybody needs good ones, right? And the ultimate definition of a valuable one isn’t in their willingness to lend a little salt or keep you informed of their more raucous parties, but more in the vigilance levels they’re willing to commit to. Yep, curtain twitching is very much welcome here. So, make friends with those nextdoor, below and above, and a mutually beneficial relationship of keeping an eye on each other’s places can develop. Perfect.
INSTALL FLOOD LIGHTS
Another oldie but goodie, this. A simple floodlight which activates when someone approaches the house can often stop burglars in their tracks and deter them from breaking into your home. Because there’s nothing potential thieves fear more than a stark, bright light. The added bonus here is illumination when you get home from a night out and can’t find your keys. Or the keyhole.
And though this level of prevention is all well and good, cure also matters; check out our 5 IDEAL home insurance tips to help protect your home against burglars over here.
The safety of you’re home isn’t just about improving it’s security. Indeed, with global warming, flooding and other environmental problems and technological advancements, there are many other things to consider when it comes to improving the safety of your home. Check out our article on 4 tips for future-proofing your house.