It can be challenging to know where to start when considering home defense. One of the first layers of the greatest home defense system is the home itself.
In this article i try to give some common sense Five Tips for Making Your Home a Difficult Target
Your home is your castle. It is where you relax, raise your children, and enjoy your own slice of the globe. Therefore, you will do everything in your ability to safeguard it. Home hardening is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to achieve this.
Criminals are deterred from assaulting a fortified castle. Anyone who intends to rob or hurt you in your home must first enter it, which is made more difficult by making your home a harder target.
How can I increase the safety of my home?
Making your property a harder target is a straightforward concept. You make your home both physically and visually more difficult to enter. You want your home to be such an apparent and challenging target that anyone with malicious intent will deem it worthless of their time.
The good news is that it is not a straightforward idea. It is also a straightforward procedure, but straightforward does not equal effortless. It’s a process, but with little organization and attention to detail, you can make your home shout “Move on!” to anyone with nefarious intentions.
Similarities exist between this and defending your house when you are absent. You want your home to look to be a challenging target regardless of your presence. Here are five recommendations to help you reach your goal.
First: Keep the Outside, Outside
Doors and windows should be closed and locked while you are inside, especially at night. Naturally, there may be times when things are left unlocked; nevertheless, utilize these instances as a chance to create the habit of locking everything. The objective is to establish routines and a strategy so that you do not invite criminal activity into your home by leaving things unlocked.
There are further measures that can be used to improve the locks. Consider updating the locks first. The addition of a lock to a door that lacks one is a crucial first step. On doors, deadbolts are apparent even from a distance.
In addition to the deadbolt, install a strike plate made of hardened steel that is attached to the door frame using at least three-inch screws. Most residences just secure the strike plates to the door frame, which is a defensive vulnerability. Typically, just finishing hardware is used to fasten the door frame, rendering it simply cosmetic. Simply replacing the little decorative screws with longer ones that can pass through the molding to the studs will considerably improve the efficiency of the lock.
Next, think about putting door stops. A simple mechanism that prevents the door from opening by bracing the back of the door can go a long way, especially when combined with strengthened locks and suitable fasteners. Although these safeguards are not apparent from the outside, they can serve as a deterrent if a criminal tries to enter the home and realizes that it is not as simple as they had anticipated.
Second: Invest in a Security System
Obviously, not everyone needs an alarm system. As a result of their advantages and limitations, they are not always a good fit. Numerous items, such as small children or dogs, can accidentally set them off, resulting in inconvenient visits from the local police. Moreover, money is always a concern. Whether or whether a security system is appropriate for you depends on a variety of circumstances, but it is worthwhile to explore the advantages and downsides.
Pros:
- A notice indicating that a residence is protected by an alarm system may be sufficient to deter potential intruders.
- Direct contacts to emergency responders
- Covers more than just doors and protects windows and living areas through motion detectors Covers more than just doors and protects windows and living spaces through motion detectors
Cons:
- Expensive to install and maintain
- Requires sensor and battery maintenance
- It takes discipline to use it correctly and consistently
- Typically requires two-factor authentication, resulting in a phone call from the security company and possibly the dispatching of police when the alarm is triggered.
- Pets and youngsters frequently set off the alarm
- You may be charged for false alarms
- You must still call 911 if there is a threat
Regardless of whether you decide to install a home security system, you should also consider purchasing a sign that indicates you have a system even if you don’t. While an alarm of some kind is preferred, a sign in the yard indicating that the premises are secure can go a far way in deterring criminals. Similarly, outside fake cameras might serve the same purpose.
Third: Acquire Lighting
Criminals favor darkness and hiding locations over light. If your home is continually in the dark, it may frighten your children, but it also invites criminals. It makes no difference how many exterior lights your home as if you never turn them on.
Maintain a schedule for when the lights will be on and off, and strive to adhere to it. It’s easy to forget to turn them on when you’re inside and haven’t observed the time, so if possible, attach them to a timer or motion sensors. Look for gloomy areas with limited cover, along with overgrown bushes and plants that can serve as hiding places. A criminal can take advantage of your inability to see things in the dark, so do everything you can to minimize this possibility.
Fourth: Be conscious of your surroundings
Understand the safety of your home and familiarise yourself with its appearance. Developing this habit can make identifying any change, regardless of its magnitude, as easy as noticing a giant red flag.
However, this goes beyond only being familiar with your home. Additionally, you should be acquainted with your neighbors. Know how their home should appear and their daily routine. In addition, be kind to them and reach out to them if anything they do looks odd. When you become an established member of your community, others will approach you. If you leave the garage or front door open, if the lights don’t turn on when they should, or if anything else seems amiss, a neighbor may call you just because you’re a kind person. Due to the presence of additional eyes on your home, it is almost as if you have a free security monitoring system.
Fifth: Create the Appearance of Chaos
Criminals value certain outcomes. The more challenging something appears, the less attractive it seems to a criminal. They desire to enter, complete their duties, and exit. Anything you can do to provide the appearance that a monkey wrench will be thrown into the workings of the system will serve as a deterrent.
Therefore, what causes the appearance of disorder? The presence of a dog or children, as well as a lack of a defined schedule, can give the impression that your home is too unreliable to warrant consideration.
Getting a dog can be a simple way to increase security, but no one suggests getting children for security. You are not Willy Wonka, and assembling an army of Oompa Loompas is not exactly simple. But, in all seriousness, there are things you can do, even if you don’t have children, to make it appear as if kids might be present, such as exhibiting some children’s toys. An impression is what is important here.
Variations in routine may be the most challenging aspect; our routines are typically determined by job schedules and other obligations. You can vary the directions of travel for leaving and coming, as well as have others stop by because you can’t just show up to work whenever you want. Hiring someone to mow the grass at different times, setting indoor lighting on random timers, and even bringing neighbors over on a regular basis will create enough variation that anyone attempting to establish your routine will find it challenging and go on.
Remember that this is a continuing procedure. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for fortifying and securing your property and numerous considerations must be taken into account. By adhering to these principles, you can make your home appear less enticing to anyone intending to target you. The greatest home defense strategy is multilayered and suited to your particular circumstances.
great tips and yup, our next investment is a good security system.