By definition, our home is the place where we feel the most safe and secure. A small fortress we retreat to when we feel battered after a long day at work. An oasis of peace in a world full of distractions. But, does such a place exist anywhere in the world? No. Not, unless we make it that way. And with crime rates as high as they are, some moves need to be taken. Yes, the frequency of property crimes may be going down, but the numbers are still concerning. It should be clear that it is up to us to do everything in our power to protect our families and make our houses the safe havens they deserve to be. Here are a couple of tips that should help you do so.

Clear your yard

This is home security 101. In spite of the common belief, most burglaries occur between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., or in other words, in broad daylight. Leaving too much stuff laying around your yard can do nothing but provide potential intruders a suitable cover while they are performing the theft. Ideally, your yard should be an entirely clean slate, but if you are not willing to demolish the shed and other objects around the house, at least make sure that all the entry points are clearly visible from the street, and, preferably, from your neighbours’ upper floors.

Organize a neighbourhood watch

According to recent research that has examined the effectiveness of neighbourhood watch in Medford, Oregon, between 2007 and 2013, the presence of such groups didn’t have a huge effect on the city’s overall security. But, after the inclusion of one additional group per square kilometre, the crime rates dropped by 18.8%, which is a very impressive number. Neighbourhood watch can also allow you to organize neighbourhood-wide drills, simulate burglaries, share your experience with other people, and fit your house into a bigger and more efficient security system.

Maintain some kind of activity in and around the house

Burglars seldom attack houses while their owners are still in. That is why you should make the impression that someone’s always at home. You can do that in a couple of ways. For example, you can ask your friends or relatives to stay there over the weekend, schedule lawn mowing and maintenance services for the period you are away, or simply hire a house sitter. Also, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to set up a timer that will turn your lights and TV on and off at a seemingly random schedule and create the illusion that the house is still occupied.

Buy a guard dog

Dogs are beautiful creatures, and your family may want to own one regardless of the issue of home security. However, if we considered dogs in this particular context, we will see that they have great senses, can detect and attack intruders, and, finally, alarm you and your neighbours of a threat. However, if you want your dog to perform guard duties, it is obvious that you should opt for some more intimidating breed, like the German Sheppard. Furthermore, the degree of your guard dog’s effectiveness will depend on its drilling and training.

Remove hidden keys and remotes

No matter how creative you think you are, believe us – burglars have seen everything. There is no place in your yard you can hide your keys and garage door they can’t find. Making enough copies for each member of the family is not that great of an alternative, either. You want to keep the number of keys floating around on a bare minimum. With things as they are, entrusting your neighbour with safeguarding your keys and remote may be the most sensible option you have.

Light up the yard

We have already mentioned that most burglaries occur in broad daylight. However, if they see a fitting opportunity to attack your house during the night, burglars will much rather prefer to do their job under the cover of darkness. The best thing you can do in this situation is to deprive them of this cover and make sure your yard is well-lit. Of course, keeping the lights on throughout the entire night will quickly lead you to bankruptcy. On the other hand, motion-triggered lights won’t only keep your bills manageable, they can also cause potential burglars to panic and flee.

Reinforce entry points

Thieves will almost always try to breach your house through the front doors, windows, and secondary doors, very often in that particular order. It is up to you to make these entry points as impenetrable as possible. A couple of new security locks and window bars should send a clear message to burglars that it’s time to give up. And if you are afraid that you won’t be able to find a reliable security doors in Sydney area, don’t worry – North Shore Aluminium has great experience in dealing with home security.

Cover your home with cameras

If you don’t want to spend too much money on full-blown monitoring systems, you can search for a solution in the world of gadgets and get away with small Wi-Fi cameras. Just make sure that all of your house’s entry points and hallways can be easily monitored through your go-to smart device. As for the yard, poor lighting and unpredictable weather conditions will require a bigger investment, but you can save some money by covering some of the less likely burglary points with dummy cameras.

Install an Alarm System

All alarm systems can be roughly divided into two groups – monitored alarms that are capable of alerting the police upon the first sign of a breach, and more affordable unmonitored systems that are only capable of producing a local rouse. Because both have their advantages and disadvantages (for instance, monitored alarm systems can be disconnected by thieves), it’s best to use both.

We hope that these nine measures will help the house you are living in finally become a place where you feel safe and at home. The security of our families is not something that should be taken lightly – let’s do our best to protect them from any threat.