Secure Your Home by Following These Simple Tips

There are 2.5 million burglaries in the US every year, with 66% of them being home break-ins. This means securing your home should be a top priority. Keeping your family and belongings safe is as simple as getting a new external door Utah or changing your habits. The tips below will help you identify potential risks and help you to take action.

1. Maintain Professionally-Installed External Doors and Windows

Most burglars walk in through the front door and may even knock first to see if there is anyone home. Don’t make it easy for a burglar to stroll in through your door or jump in through a window. Ensure your doors have durable frames and protected hinges. If your front door has a mail slot, inspect it to make sure a burglar cannot reach in and unlock it.

If you are moving into a house that had a previous tenant, change the door locks, so there is no chance of strangers having keys to your home. Have your doors and windows put in by the best installers of external doors in Utah.

2. Do Not Make It Obvious That You Are Not Home

You would think that burglars only operate under the cover of darkness, but a recent survey shows that most break-ins occur between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., with nighttime burglaries accounting for just 17% of all home invasions. Burglars know that most people are away at work during the day, and can tell when you are away on vacation.

To make your absence less visible, cancel newspaper or milk deliveries to avoid them piling up outside your front door and have a neighbor or friend pick up mail when you are away. You could also leave a car parked conspicuously in your driveway while you are away.

3. Get Rid Of Potential Hiding Places

Although trees and shrubs boost the curb appeal of your home, they are also great places for burglars to hide. Choose small flowers and bushes to decorate your yard and trim all the trees near your house. Remove any trees growing near your windows or reinforce the windows. Additional best practices for your security include:

• Putting away ladders and stools.
• Not tempting thieves by having pricey items left outdoors unattended.
• Adding security signs.

4. Secure Your Outbuildings and Sheds

The locks on the doors and windows of your home might be secure, but have you considered valuables stored in outbuildings, garages and sheds? A home security survey shows that one in three households has a poorly secured, unlocked shed or barn that is easy for burglars to get into.

These outbuildings not only attract thieves to the valuables stored in them but could also contain tools and equipment such as saws, hammers or ladders that a burglar could use to gain entry to your home.

Get Professional Help to Install Doors and Security Features

Trying to cut costs by installing external doors, windows, locks or other security hardware yourself could end up being more expensive if you have to call in a professional to correct any mistakes. Have a professional installer get the work done the first time correctly and avoid losing claims on your home insurance cover due to shoddy DIY work.