10 ideas for keeping your home safe

Everyone wants to feel safe in their home. Safety is one of our basic needs, after all. But the unfortunate thing is that homeowners and renters alike have to deal with an occasional burglary or a trespass. One of the best solutions to these issues is to consider getting one of the professional home security systems, of course, but there are quite a few other ideas for keeping your home safe. In this article, we are going to provide you with ten of those ideas and explain how they make your home safer.

Ten ideas for keeping your home safe

Here are some of the best things you can do if you want to improve the security of your home:

• Get a home security system
• Keep your valuables away from the view
• Install additional outdoor lighting
• Install motion detector lighting
• Make it appear so that someone is home even when you’re out
• Add a “security” sign or two
• Get your neighbors to collect your deliveries while you are away
• Do not brag about your vacations on social media
• Sleep with your car keys near you
• Reinforce your windows

Aside from these ideas, there are literally hundreds of little things you can do to feel safer inside your home. For example, if your yard includes large shrubbery, you might want to trim it so it does not provide a hiding place for intruders. You will also want to lock your doors at all times, even when you are at home. And if you want to burglar proof your home on a budget, there are numerous DIY solutions that you can adopt, such as pick-proof your deadbolts, reinforcing the entry door strike plate, securing patio doors, etc. In short, you can always do more to protect your home. But for now, let’s take a look at some of the best home security ideas out there.

Installing a home security system is always a good idea

Home security systems have been gaining popularity steadily over the past couple of years. According to a 2022 State of Safety report, home security systems are slowly overtaking guard animals and firearms as the most popular means of securing our homes. These days, you don’t have to worry about excessive costs, as you can find both cheap DIY solutions and professional systems that cater to every budget. The best thing to do is to first evaluate the safety needs of your home and your neighborhood and choose your security level afterward. You can contact your local police department to get the crime statistics in the area.

After you understand the protection that you need, you can then choose if you can afford to install a home security system on your own, or if will you need a professionally installed and monitored system. But any home security system is better than no home security system. Even adding a few outdoor cameras (even dummy cameras), will help increase the security. In fact, getting at least one security camera is another idea for keeping your home safe. For best results, though, you will want to have a system that is professionally monitored.

Keep your valuables where they can’t be seen

While it may be enticing to have your prized possessions on full display, this is actually a very bad thing to do. If someone can see that you have valuable things without even entering your home, they might be enticed to plan a heist. At the very least, make sure that none of your valuables can be seen from the outside. Furthermore, you will want to remove any other things that may entice the intruders to try and rob you. For example, do not simply throw away the packaging for expensive items (such as a large flat screen) that practically scream “I have a large flat screen in my house!”. Break down the packaging and do not leave it simply lying on the curb.

Additional lights improve the safety of your home

No one who is committing theft or burglary likes to be seen. Most of the burglaries happen at night for this very reason. That is why one of the best ideas for keeping your home safe is to install additional lighting around the home. While the additional lights might add a few boxes to your home security maintenance checklist, they are well worth the additional effort. And the improved lighting will benefit your day-to-day life as well.

At the very least, you will want to place some lights around the front and the back yard, as well as near any structures you might have (e.g. garage) and along any pathways. If you are worried about energy consumption, you may want to consider solar-powered lights or put the lights on a timer via a smart outlet. Or you can get smart light bulbs that will allow you to make an on-and-off schedule.

One of the best ideas for keeping your home safe – Motion detector lighting

While you are improving the overall lighting of your home, you may also want to consider installing motion detector lighting. They add an “oh snap” moment to any potential intruders and are fully capable of deterring many burglaries on their own. Many different types of home security systems utilize motion detector lights, to great effect. The benefit of this lighting type is that you also do not need to think about any scheduling, timers, or anything of the like. The downside is that sometimes small animals can trigger the lights and give you a scare. But that is true for pretty much any security measure.

Add a few security signs (fake or not)

You can have a state-of-the-art home security system but if the intruders do not know it, they still may try to sneak inside your home. While the system might protect you by notifying authorities, sometimes it is better that your home does not suffer even an attempt at intrusion. Deterrence is the best way to foil most burglary attempts, after all. And your first line of deterrence can be really simple. A security sign or two. It does not really matter if your home is really protected by a CCTV system, for example, simply stating that it is (and perhaps installing a dummy camera or two) will deter most intruders.

Of course, you will always want to “back up the claim” if you can. Even if you are on a budget, there are many different types of home security cameras and some of them are really cheap and easy to install.

Ask your neighbors to collect your mail, newspaper, and any packages for you

Uncollected newspapers, packages, and mail are usually a dead giveaway that the owners are not home. That is why you may want to talk to your neighbors and get them to collect your stuff while you are away. This way, your home will appear “lived in” even when you are not home, especially if you have timed lighting as well.

Try not to advertise your vacations

These days, it is all the “rage” to announce your travel plans and share your travel pictures over social media. But the thing is, you never know who will get to see that information, even if you share it only with your closest inner circle. That is why you may want to try to avoid advertising your vacations if you can. You can always share your pictures and stories when you get back.

One of the great ideas for keeping your home safe – Have your car keys nearby when you sleep

Here’s a very simple idea to improve your home’s security that will not cost you anything. Whenever you go to sleep, make sure that your car keys are nearby. That way, if and when you hear any suspicious noises outside, you can turn on your car alarm. Even if the intruders know how to bypass a home security system, they will never expect the car alarm to go off. And that might be all the difference in the world.

Reinforce the windows

Lastly, aside from reinforcing your front door, which should always be your primary concern, you will also want to reinforce the windows. Windows are an often disregarded point of entry and burglars simply break the glass, reach inside and break the glass. Even if the windows are on the second floor. To reinforce your windows, you will want to replace the regular glass with laminated glass akin to one found on car windshields. Secondly, you will want to ensure that even if the glass breaks, the intruders cannot reach any locks.

These were just some of the many ideas for keeping your home safe but they alone will significantly improve the security of your home. As mentioned previously, you can always do more.

For more information on home security, home security systems, and the best home security system companies, browse the Consumer Opinion Guide. Our information will help you transform your home into a veritable Fort Knox!