Houses are more frequently burglarized in the summer, especially because everyone tends to go on vacation while the kids are out of school. Whether you go on vacation or not, there are some important security steps you can take to help keep your home safe.
Everyday Safety
If you want to keep your house safe, the first thing you need to do is make sure your doors and windows are secure, as this is the easiest and most obvious way for someone to enter your home:
- Ensure doors and windows are functioning properly.
- Replace locks or get replacement windows or doors as needed.
- Use a dead bolt on the front door.
In addition to these things, it’s wise to invest in an alarm system (and make sure you put signs in your yard that the house is alarmed—it’s a great deterrent!) and/or motion sensor lights around your house.
Vacation Safety
If you want to keep your home safe while you’re away on vacation, add these to your list of things for your safety checklist:
- Ask a neighbor to get all of your newspapers, mail, and deliveries.
- Leave a car parked in the driveway—even if it isn’t yours!
- Leave a radio on and put some interior lights on timers.
These things may seem unusual, but they help to make your house appear as if it’s occupied even when you aren’t home, and one of the best ways to deter an intruder is to make them think you’re home!
Safety is important, so make sure you take a close look at your house once every few months to make sure everything from the dead bolt to the windows to the fire alarm is working properly!
