Security and safety are crucial inside a home – it’s the place where you should feel most relaxed.

Securing your property is a matter of several aspects and methods, so make sure you are aware of all of them.

1. Remove valuables from plain sight

Don’t make yourself an obvious target – if it looks like there isn’t much to steal in your home/yard, burglars will pay attention to some other home.

In other words, keep your pretty car in the garage, close the windows at night so that no one from the outside can see your big TV screen, don’t leave boxes with new stuff on the street, etc.

2. Secure the doors

Amazing 34% of burglars go inside your home through the front door. Check all your exterior doors to make sure the hinges and door frames are protected and that no one can reach through the mail slot to unlock the door.

Improvements on the door are a smart idea, as well – simply type ‘a locksmith near me‘ and find an expert who will install better door locks, add a deadbolt and a strike plate, or even upgrade your door to smart locks.

Additionally, you could improve security by installing a video doorbell.

3. Hide the fact you’re gone

If you’re ever gone away from home for a longer period, ask your neighbors to collect your mail, mow your lawn, and do whatever else that could imply you’re not there. Even small things like leaving your car in the same place can be a clear sign for burglars your home is empty.

In case you can’t ask your neighbors, then leave a few lamps on in your home to create an impression that you’re inside. Also, put a hold to your mail so that it doesn’t pile up.

All of these tricks will steer away burglars because most of them are afraid of confronting the owner.

4. Secure the windows

Besides doors, windows are the most common entry for burglars into your home. The problem is that manufacturer latches are often not secure enough. If you believe the latches on your windows are flimsy, improve security with key-operated levers or locks.

Other options are to install window or glass break sensors, reinforce glass with window security film, add window bars, and even plant prickly bushes under the windows on the first floor to make the entrance more difficult.

5. Give light to your landscape

Outdoor lighting is a great way to make a relaxing atmosphere. But also it a good way to keep away burglars and vandals. The lights should be installed around the front and backyard, along the pathways, as well as near the garage and any other structure you may have outside.

It’s best to install motion-activated lights. To save electricity, get solar-powered lights and install a timer during the summertime.

6. Lock down your Wi-Fi

Your Wi-Fi is an entrance to your personal and financial information, and it can also be a way inside your home if you use home automation. In case your Wi-Fi is connected to your smart gadgets, or worse, your security system, the access to your home could be easier than you think.

Hackers can be prevented from getting access to your sensitive information and home if you use a few tricks:

• create strong passwords
• secure your wireless router
• use a firewall
• use WPA or WPA2 encryption
• hide your home network
• install antivirus, as well as anti-malware protection

7. Protect your garage

Accessing the home through the garage has been gaining in popularity among burglars. And even if they can’t find the way to enter the home from there, they can still find valuable items inside the garage.

So, you always need to lock all doors to the garage – both exterior and interior. Keeping the garage door opener inside the house is also a neat trick because that way burglars can’t steal your car even if they get inside the garage. If you use a security code for opening the garage, don’t ever use it in front of other people.

Additionally, you can install a smart garage door opener, add extra locks, cover windows so that burglars can’t see what you’re keeping inside, and use home automation.

8. Have police inspect your home 

Of course, if you still feel unsure about whether you did everything in your power to make your home secured and safe, you can always turn to the police. Many police departments will be happy to do a home inspection in their community to help their members. With their knowledge and experience, they can identify the weak spots and options for improvement, as well as potential risk factors.

All in all

Securing your home and making it safe isn’t just a matter of protecting your valuables and finances – it’s also a matter of good night’s sleep and feeling relaxed and safe inside your home.

Ron Wolf is a hobby designer and a DIY enthusiast, and, above all, a very blessed father of two. Besides that, he has a strong passion for writing. He is a featured blogger at various blogs and magazines in which he shared his research and experience with the vast online community. If he is not working he enjoys being outside with his family. Hiking, bike riding, and BBQing are always a thing for him. In the evening, he likes to watch documentaries or build something with kids in their lego corner.