How Best to Protect Your Residential Property

Whenever we talk about optimal home security, what we usually think of is an alarm system. For sure, this is an effective way to protect your home. But there are numerous other effective ways to protect your place of residence, which you can do yourself, or hire a professional to do, without spending very much money. Of course, no building is completely impervious, so your main goal is to discourage a burglar, to make it more difficult for someone to break in.

First, establish these general rules:

• Whenever you go out, and before going to bed, lock all your doors and windows.
• Unless you know the person knocking, don’t answer the door. (If you don’t have a peephole already, it’s time to get one installed.)
• Keep your garage door shut and locked when you’re not around.

Here are some additional lines of defense:

Don’t keep a “hidden” house key. Most professional robbers will easily find your key inside your mailbox or under the welcome mat. Even if you have one of those keyholders disguised as a rock, an expert criminal will probably recognize it. Instead, make an extra house key for a trusted neighbor to keep on hand for you.

Don’t keep any keys and remotes near your door, or otherwise visible to anyone outside. It’s best to keep them hidden inside a drawer or cupboard.

Make it difficult for an intruder to hide anywhere. Avoid having any tall and thick shrubs around your doors and windows, and also avoid having any tall fences.

Reinforce the doors. A hollow door is of lower quality, which makes it a cinch for an intruder to penetrate. Replace any poor-quality doors with solid-core doors made of metal or wood.

Replace weak locks. Deadbolts will provide you with extra security. Heavy-duty is always more reliable. Be sure to get a grade 2 deadbolt lock, which penetrates the doorframe.

Do you have an air conditioner? Prevent a thief from getting through an unsecured window: Use an air-conditioner bracket, corner braces, or a sliding window lock.

Don’t leave a ladder outside. A housebreaker can pretend to be a contractor or handyman, and use your ladder to get through a window on an upper floor or balcony.

Install superior exterior lighting. You can also put your lights on a timer. Put them at the front door and/or any porches, your back door, garage entrance, and basement door. Motion sensor floodlights are best, because anytime anyone passes by, the lights will illuminate, so the trespasser can’t hide. Some lights respond to changes in temperature, sound, or light. There are also lights that you can connect to your smart device that allow you to detect any undesirable activity and respond immediately from anywhere.

Keep a few indoor lights on, too, whenever you’re gone. When you’re away for the day, or for a long time, you can make it look like people are home by putting timers on your lights, radios, and TVs. There’s also a smart app you can use while you’re not there, to make it look like your home is occupied the whole time.

Avoid windows on or near your doors. Windows can be easily broken for quick entry by a prowler. Do you have any sliding-glass doors? Even if they’re locked with a latch, they are relatively easy to open. Make them more secure by putting an adjustable safety bar, or a wooden dowel, cut to size, in the floor track. You can add a floor bolt, too.

Don’t be too obvious. Professional criminals will case the neighborhood, observing people’s comings and goings. If they see that you’re home during the day, they’ll move on to the next house. Compare your house to the others in your neighborhood, and modify your appearance accordingly. Create a look of responsible upkeep, but don’t stand out.

Inside, keep valuables out of sight. Keep your blinds closed if you have exceptionally valuable possessions. Stash your cash, jewelry, and other treasures in uncommon locations.
Outside, keep any valuables hidden, so there isn’t obvious evidence that you have anything attractive to a robber. For instance, keep your luxury car safe inside the garage.

A barking dog can be a good deterrent. While you’re away, you might even play a recording of a dog barking, and post a sign saying, “BEWARE OF DOG”!

Putting up any sign at your front door discourages visitors. “NO TRESPASSING” works, but if you’re audacious, you could post a message to instill fear, such as “Owner Has Gun, Will Shoot Trespassers.”
You can purchase a home safe. You can buy the type that’s anchored to the floor, for valuables, emergency cash, and crucial documents. The best safes are fireproof and waterproof.

Consider adding gate entry. Depending upon your locale, you can add a security gate, so you can monitor each person who enters. It can have a basic intercom system and keypad, too. Some gates are more sophisticated, so you can give certain individuals security clearance based on your established list of criteria.

Put in surveillance cameras. Choose the kind that will fit your budget and requirements. Consider image resolution, and other technical aspects of the setup. Do you want to record and keep 24/7 video footage? Do you desire sophisticated software with specific capture capabilities ~ such as time-and-date stamp code, facial recognition, and vehicle number plate recognition? What about high-security monitoring and access control functions? It all depends on your area, your property, and your pocketbook. When individuals with criminal intentions, arsonists, or vandals notice the extensive level of your building’s access control system, they’ll think twice and move on.

There are additional ways to augment your home’s security. Most are easy to do, and relatively affordable. To learn more about your options, if you’re located any place in Naperville, Illinois, you ought to request a free consultation from a reputable locksmith company. For example, the staff mobile locksmith professionals of Naperville Locksmith Pro are available 24/7 to assist you.