No matter how remote the possibility, home invasions are a fear that can linger in the back of any homeowner’s mind. There are dozens of different ways to make your house a less appealing or approachable target for criminals, so it’s a good idea to create a security budget and consider all the options. Even a few basic modifications to key areas of your house can make the environment much more secure.
Maximize Exterior and Interior Lighting
Lights are a cheap way to make your home and property safer from invasion or theft. Keeping the entire yard around the home illuminated makes it impossible to approach undetected. Equipping outside lights with motion sensors can also throw trespassers off balance and reduce the total amount of time the lights are on throughout the day. Keep a few lights on inside the home as well to discourage opportunistic invaders looking for a vacant house.
Install a Security System
Home security systems are certainly not the cheapest option when it comes to improving domestic safety, but automatic alarms and other features can also save lives in an emergency. There is a wide range of home security tools available, which allows for plenty of customization and scaling to fit your specific needs. Even if you don’t turn the alarm on every single day, it can be a great security asset for when you need to leave the property unattended for days or weeks on end.
Reinforce Access Points
Doors and windows are all potential access points, which means they are the most likely places where an invasion will happen. A single broken or unlocked window is all an invader needs to gain access to the house. Flimsy side and back doors are also a common target. Consider window design options that minimize the potential for user error or external access, like roller shutters or fixed panes.
Consider Surveillance Options
Surveillance tools aren’t right for every property, but there are plenty of unobtrusive and affordable camera options available. Much like home security systems, there are hundreds of different kinds of surveillance systems and setups that are suitable for different situations. Simply installing a peephole camera so you can identify visitors before opening the door makes the home much safer.
There’s only so much you can do to protect your home itself, so it’s also important to be personally prepared for a home invasion. Taking self-defense classes and arming the home with a non-lethal weapon, like a taser or pepper spray, can provide an invaluable second line of defense.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan