Buying a new home is always an exciting time, you spend the lead up to moving in planning what sort of things you are going to do to get it looking exactly as you want it to. So, when you move in you can’t wait to get started, and new homeowners often put all their efforts into redecorating their new home and buying the new furniture and accessories that will make it your own personal space. Not surprisingly amidst all this excitement people occasionally forget some of the more practical things you should address on moving into a new property. One of which is how secure is your new home? It is estimated that one burglary occurs every thirty seconds in the UK, so ensuring your home is secure should be a priority. Contrary to popular opinion the majority of burglars are not master criminals they are simply opportunist thieves and will always look for the easy option and when faced with even the most basic security will move on to another and more accessible target. So, here are a few simple things you can do to make your new home a more safe and more secure environment.
Make Sure Your Doors are Secure
Approximately 34% of burglars enter through your front door. So you must keep your front door locked whenever you are not on the premises, asleep at night or doing other jobs say in the garden. You should ensure that your door frames and hinges are strong and that your mailbox prevents someone from reaching through and unlocking your door.
You might want to consider upgrading your locks, ensuring they are British Standard approved, and if your budget allows maybe you could install smart locks. When you move into a new home you can never be 100% sure you have every set of keys to your new home. The previous owner may have given a set to friends and family and forgotten about them. One way to make sure you have the only keys to your new home is to have your locks changed, while that may seem an unnecessary expense it could save you a lot of money, inconvenience and upset further down the line.
Lock Your Windows
As we alluded to before, your home’s doors and windows are the main entry points for burglars. Manufacturers’ latches on windows are not always the most effective; they are often just basic locks that offer the minimum amount of security. If you are not confident about the quality of your window latches you may want to think about fitting window locks or even key-operated levers. If you want a more enhanced level of security and you have the funds available you may want to consider installing motion sensors on your windows and doors. These will alert you if anyone makes any attempt at all to access your home.
Light Up Your Home
Criminals engaged in vandalism and home invasion do not like the spotlight, preferring to remain in the dark and shadows. By placing lights strategically around your outside space such as gardens, pathways, your garage, and any other external structures you will make your home a much less attractive option to burglars and would-be thieves. As well as proving a deterrent to burglars, it will also help ensure you don’t take a tumble when you come home late at night.
Fit a Burglar Alarm
In recent years, security systems for homes have become increasingly important. As we mentioned earlier, most burglaries are opportunistic crimes, and would-be thieves will often bypass homes with visible security features. Indeed, installing a burglar alarm does not guarantee you will not be targeted, but it will certainly reduce the likelihood. Installing a burglar alarm doesn’t have to be expensive since there are many different levels of protection available at a variety of price points.
Don’t Forget About the Garage
Criminals are increasingly using garages as entry points for their crimes, and even if they are unable to access your house, your garage usually contains plenty of valuable items they can take their pick from. Make sure that you always keep your garage doors in Bolton or anywhere else for that matter closed, both inside and out. If you have a remote-controlled garage door it is important to always keep the key fob safe and secure, because if it falls into the wrong hands you are presenting thieves with easy access to your property. If you feel that your garage door is damaged or not operating as it should, it may be pertinent to replace it or at least make it a priority to get it repaired as soon as possible.
While this list is by no means comprehensive, these are a few things you can do when moving into a new property quickly and easily. If you install visible deterrents and lock all doors and windows when you are not at home, you will significantly improve the level of protection for your new home.
