While putting up decorations is certainly more fun than installing alarms, the alarm is the thing that will actually make you feel safe inside. A house is not really a home unless you feel completely at ease there, and taking steps to ensure you have top-notch security is the best way to make it feel like your very own haven.
So, what kind of things can you do to make your home safe?
Here are some suggestions.
Make sure your water is clean
No form of protection will help you much if the very water you drink isn’t safe. Since buying bottled water contributes to the world’s ever-growing issue of plastic waste, water filters are a good way to always have clean drinking water in your home with very little effort involved. You could get counter top filters for your kitchen and that way you can just walk in at any time of day and pour yourself a glass.
Keep your youngest out of harm’s way
If you have young children at home, then you’ll have to make sure they can move freely without accidentally bumping into sharp furniture edges or falling down the stairs. Pad furniture edges with corner protectors and install safety guards across entries to stairs and balconies. Make sure meds and cleaning chemicals are out of reach, and install safety switches on your electrical installations, which can cut power off quickly to prevent electrocution.
Keep your prized possessions in a safe
Some things need to be put in a safe. Diamond jewelry, important documents, and cash are an example, but you should also consider putting away your firearms. For one, it will keep them safe from burglars, and two, it will prevent your children from playing around with something that could seriously injure them. Find a good gun safe for your home, and put your firearms away so no one other than you can gain access to them. A lot of quality safes these days have fingerprint locks and anti-theft protection systems, which means a burglar won’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell of taking your protection away from you.
Have more than one secret stash
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. In case of burglary, you don’t want to keep all your valuables in one spot because the thief will rob you blind. Even with good insurance, you’ll never be able to recover sentimental possessions such as family heirlooms.
Figure out several spots in your house where you could keep important things hidden, and make sure only the adults know about them. Children can easily be swayed into talking about how mom keeps her pearl necklace in her sock drawer, and you really don’t want that kind of information to fall into the wrong hands.
Don’t delay repairs
We’ve all been there. Something in our house starts breaking down, and instead of replacing it or fixing it immediately, we tend to wait around because calling the handyman is a hassle. That’s how we end up with loose walkways, worn electrical cords, leaky faucets, cracked caulking, or a number of issues that can become extremely dangerous if unchecked. That loose walkway, for example? Someone is going to lean on it one day and fall down, and you better hope the person isn’t seriously injured. If you want to make your home safe, then don’t delay important repairs.
Keep your car keys close
Never leave your car keys out of reach, because if you hear someone break into your home, you can press the panic button to alert the whole neighborhood and to confuse your robber. They’ll have no choice but to flee the scene. Moreover, this is a good method to alert the rest of your family that there is something wrong and that they should stay put until help arrives.
Have a neighbor help you out
Whenever you are going away for a longer period of time, ask one of your neighbors to visit your house occasionally. That way, the property won’t seem empty in case a random robber gets a bright idea to steal something while you’re away. Moreover, in case of unforeseen catastrophe – for example, a flood because a pipe broke – your neighbor will be able to call you immediately.
Install a good alarm system
Investing in an alarm system with cameras is always a good idea, especially if you leave the house frequently. This way, you’ll be able to log into the video feed and see what’s going on, and in case of actual burglary, you’ll have footage that you can show the police. The cops are more likely to catch the bad guy if they have a visual that shows them what the person looks like.
Other than that, if you are not able to install an electrical system, then at least put up decals that will make the robbers think that your house is secured and that police will be alerted. They do not have to know that this is only a scare tactic.
It can all be boiled down to security and maintenance. Treat your home with care and respect, and you’ll create a safe space to go back to every day.
Author Bio: Lana Hawkins is a young architect and a home décor blogger on Smooth Decorator. She enjoys writing about interior decoration and landscaping. Lana is interested in sustainability and green building, and that's where she gets most of her inspiration from.
