Home security is vitally important to everyone. One of the first things we research when considering buying, renting or building a new home is the safety of the area.
What are the crime rates like? Where is the police station located? What kind of reputation does the neighbourhood have?
Your security questions shouldn’t stop at the neighbourhood level. You need to consider the safety and security of your house too. Moreover, just because a neighbourhood is considered safe doesn’t mean criminals won’t target it.
Burglars look for an easy target Although some home burglaries may seem random, they actually involve a selection process. The burglar’s selection process is simple they choose an unoccupied home with the easiest access, the greatest amount of cover, and with the best escape routes.
We have heard stories of people being robbed even with locked doors or while they are inside the house.
Lock Your Windows and Doors
One of the simplest ways to improve your home’s security is to lock your windows and doors. Most burglars enter a home through the window and nearly all robbery victims leave windows unlocked when they were not at home.
Nyumba Kumi Initiative
Getting to know your neighbours is a great way to build a safer neighbourhood. Neighbours who are friendly with one another look out for each other.
Your neighbours will notice if someone suspicious has been around your home. They also help keep an eye on the home when you’re away.
Neighbours also make a better choice for keeping your keys.
Have a home security plan
It’s important for families with children, especially if the kids will be coming home to an empty house after school to identified safe resources.
Kids should have access to a phone and a trusted person. They should also know what to do if they encounter an emergency.
You should establish rules for opening the door for strangers, having friends over, locking windows and doors, and using the alarm.
You should also have an emergency exit plan if there is a fire or break-in while the family or child is home.
Maintain Your Privacy
Things like using curtains on the windows can turn burglars off because they can’t see what’s inside. They don’t know if breaking in will be worth the risk involved.
Preventing people from seeing inside the home hides valuables from prying eyes and makes it more difficult to tell whether or not someone is home.
Beware of Strangers
We all know the term stranger danger. It can be very easy as a homeowner to assume nothing by letting service people into your home while you’re at work, but be careful with this. Only allow people whom you have contacted with into your home.
Consider a Home Security System
Home security systems may not prevent a burglar from gaining entry but the alarm may scare them off before they can take anything.
Security systems also provide you with an alert that your home has been breached which may minimize the amount of loss you experience from a burglary.
Most Kenyans are not adopting CCTv as a means of security, you can join them as well.
Use Lights
Burglars will always go for the house that looks vacant as opposed to one that looks lived in. Use lights to your advantage, especially when you’re out of town.
Exterior lighting should be used in the front and back of the home to eliminate dark areas where burglars could hide. Motion sensors can prevent lights being on all night and provide an element of surprise if someone is moving around on your property.
Get a pet
It could be a dog or poultry. Dogs are an incredibly effective burglar deterrent. Remember, burglars want to get in and out quickly without drawing attention to themselves.
Animals aren’t going to let that happen. They’ll let you know when something unusual is going on outside or if a stranger is at the door. Even small pets like cats can be an effective deterrent due to their noise tendency.
Prevention Is better than cure
Prevention is the best way to improve the safety of your home. Fortunately, there are a number of simple steps you can take to make your home more secure.
Take a good look around your new home to look for areas of vulnerability and then take action to improve your home’s safety. Once you do, you can rest easy knowing you’ve done what you can to create a safe home.