Home security system – Some helpful tricks

16 Mar, 2021

Home security system – Some helpful tricks

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Homeowners all over the world want to keep their home and valuables safe. Caring for their property is important especially when they are away. If you are a homeowner the first thing you need to think about is a home security system. But it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might fear, and you could consider live in housesitters. Here are some helpful tricks to get you started.

Want to increase the security of your home? Here are some helpful tricks

home security system
Even a sign saying beware of the dog can be a deterrent

Home security is important if you have property. Whether you have had the experience of being burgled or not, ensuring your home security system works is vital. It will give you peace of mind regarding your home and valuables, and it can deter potential thieves, keeping everyone safe.

The ultimate goal is to prevent having any unwanted and unwarranted people from entering your home and taking your things. After all, your home should be a private and safe space where you feel secure, so these easy and helpful tricks will grant you the knowledge and ability to protect your home.

Lock up everything to support your home security system

While this may come as no surprise to most of you, it is important to address the elephant in the room. One of the simplest yet effective ways to protect your home is making sure that everything is locked up. This includes the obvious such as doors and windows. Every time you intend to leave your house unoccupied, whether it because you are going to a local shop or off to work for the majority of the day, always lock the doors and windows.

Regardless of how long you will be away, leaving an opportunity for a thief to enter your property is dangerous. So even if you are only going to be away for a couple of hours, always lock your doors and windows, as the risk is not worth the potential consequences.

To further increase the security of your home, investing in high-security windows and doors, such as a composite front door or multiple glazed windows, would be advantageous and smart, as they provide an extra layer of security by reducing the likelihood of lock-picking and breaking through glass, ensuring you and your family are kept safe.

Important also, is the locking and hiding away anything that can be used to rob your home. It is easy to forget garden tools and ladders out in the open.  This may be less crucial if you are only going away for a few hours. However, in instances where you are going to be away for quite a while, this step is vital. Do not give potential robbers any opportunity.

Hide valuables

Hide your valuables. Don’t live them in plain sight. This is another perhaps seemingly trivial yet important task. Money, jewellery, and even gadgets (e.g., TV, tablets, and toys) should not be displayed anywhere obvious. An open view of valuables only provides an incentive for a potential robber to enter your home. Investing in a safe or something similar to place your valuables would increase your home security.

Use nature as a barrier

If you are fortunate enough to have a garden or space to plant hedges or bushes they act as a natural barrier. Use them to your advantage. A relatively simple way to deter thieves is by using thorny bushes, plants, and hedges such as Buckthorn, shrub roses, and bramble (or whatever is easily accessible to you) to prevent thieves from entering your garden and subsequently your home. Also, there is the added benefit of increasing the aesthetics of your garden while also securing your home – two birds, one stone, or rather one bush.

Consider what your dog needs in a dog park

Own a dog (or at least pretend that you do)

Having a dog can play a great role in your home security system. Some dogs do very well at protecting your home, even small dogs can be famously fierce. Regardless, you can use your pet to guard your property most are very vocal and have excellent hearing.

In addition, simply placing signs and notices like ‘beware of the dog’ can be enough to scare aware intruders. Even if you do not own a dog personally, leaving dog bowls around will give the impression that you do and will likely scare off thieves.

Turn on lights when you are away

Another helpful trick is leaving on some lights when you are away. This will give the impression that your home is occupied, and therefore, less tempting to intruders. More often than not, thieves choose to rob homes that are empty.

Housesitting

Another great way to guard against thieves is to find housesitters via a trusted site like Housesitmatch.com. Housesitters make a great live in home security system. Or you could simply asking a friend, neighbour, or trusted person to look after your home while your away. The sight of someone (trusted) regularly entering and using your home would be enough for most robbers to stay away.

home security system
Ensure you have lockable doors

Housesitters

If you are going away for the holidays and your home will be empty then you need to find housesitters.

Find housesitters

Housesitters will stay in your home and will look after you property and pets. The most important factor is they will keep your property safe because it appears occupied. Empty properties are vulnerable especially in the holidays.

Join a housesitting website to check online listings 

The reason online networks like HouseSitMatch.com exist is to facilitate matches between home and pet owners and checked sitters who can help you care for your pets and property when you can’t. These networks are easy to join. Simply register online, create a profile and then create an advert which describes your dates for the assignment. Detail routines for your pets and what is required. The network will then share your assignment advert with the registered sitters and then they apply.

Privacy is key  

If you are planning a trip away and are super excited, you may be tempted to post on social media. Be careful how you share the news with friends and family. It is very risky to advertise this fact, making it known that your house will be empty for a while. So, to be safe, make sure only your close friends and family know of your plans, rather than all your Facebook friends.

Do not leave notes on the door

Do you have a habit of leaving notes to delivery drivers informing them to leave a parcel in a safe space? Well don’t! While it may seem harmless and innocent, this can be used to inform any passer-by that your house is empty.

Invest in a home security system and alarm

Home security systems are undoubtedly one of the most effective methods of keeping your home secure. They require little effort on your part. You can install cameras and top-quality surveillance systems, and you can set alerts to notify of any warnings. If you are considering low cost options consider placing signs to alert passers-by aware that you dogs or a security system in place. Take some visible steps to protect your home. It is likely more than enough to deter opportunist robbers.

 

Further reading about security, housesitting and housesitters

At Housesitmatch.com we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about security, housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters useful.

Home security systems to consider

Modern day home security options to consider

How to make a home secure for the holidays

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities

Top 10 tips for catsitting

Top dogsitting tips for beginners

 


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LamiaW

LamiaW

Founder and Director of HouseSitMatch - I'm a hands-on Admin on the site. Please ask any questions and as soon as I can I'll happily answer and assist where I can.

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