5 Simple Steps for Improving Your Home Security

Home is where you eat, sleep, rest and spend most of your time, so it should be a safe and secure environment for you and your loved ones. Home is also where you keep your most valuable possessions, from that old rocking chair that belonged to your grandmother to the coolest gadgets that make life so much easier. It goes without saying that making your home a safe environment is paramount these days — incidents happen all the time, so preventing them is always a good idea.

Without further ado, we put together a security checklist to help you to make your personal space a refuge for wellbeing.

Don’t share your location on social media while on a vacation

The risks of oversharing on social media are high because you can easily become the target of planned thefts by social media monitoring of vulnerable people. Sure, most of us are tempted to post Instagram stories a few times a day to show highlights from our latest vacation and how much fun we had, but we should be careful with how much we share in order to avoid scammers and thieves acting as followers on social media.

To that extent, it is recommended that you only post about your vacation after you return home. More so, do not “check in” on Facebook and do not tag other people in your posts.

Seasonal maintenance is a must

Seasonal home maintenance is necessary to minimize the consequences of emergencies. Here is a list of activities you should check: inspect pipes and clean filters and vents; check the running water in unused spaces to prevent frozen pipes if you live in a cold climate; check for mold; and inspect your apartment walls. As a tenant, it’s smart to have personal insurance to protect your belongings. Your landlord’s property insurance policy only covers losses to the building itself, so you’ll need to find and pay for renters insurance. Furthermore, make sure your home has a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher.

Install a smoke detector

In five years, house fires caused $6.9 billion in property damage, according to the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) National Fire Incident Reporting. The top three causes of fires in homes are cooking, heating equipment, and electrical malfunction.

According to the NFPA, a structural fire occurs in an average of 358,500 homes each year. To avoid and prevent such unfortunate accidents, it is recommended that you install a carbon monoxide detector and a fire alarm on each floor of your home and test all devices regularly.

Double check all door and window locks

Homes are broken into more frequently during the warmer months — more daylight, for example, gives offenders more time to break in. To protect yourself from a potential burglary, be sure to install solid locks on all doors and windows and never leave them open after dark. In particular, windows present a higher security challenge, so use laminated glass that is difficult to break through and reduces the likelihood of a break-in.

Install home surveillance cameras

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), there are 2.5 million burglaries annually in the U.S. A break-in occurs every 26 seconds and 46.9% of people do not have a home security system installed in their home.

Having surveillance cameras installed can help deter offenders from committing theft and vandalism. Faced with the possibility of being exposed and held accountable for their actions, the offenders will most likely abandon the burglary attempt. And, even if the burglary is successful, the recording of an incident can serve as evidence for the police or for criminal proceedings.

In addition to these physical measures to keep your home safe, as well as greatly reduce stress triggers, be sure to take steps to manage stress and anxiety. Manage your negative feelings with relaxing rituals, such as deep breathing. It’s important to feel mentally secure — even more so at home — so taking steps to reduce stress levels only adds to the benefit of living in a protected apartment or house.