Owning a home can be incredibly stressful. There are just so many problems to worry about. Every day in Australia, homeowners need to deal with burglaries, fires, accidents, and the list goes on. What’s a homeowner to do?
Staying safe isn’t actually that complicated. In fact, there are many ways to secure a home that only take 10 minutes or less. If a homeowner spares a little bit of an effort, he or she will be well protected against many problems.
Lock All Doors, Windows and Other Entrances
The easiest way to prevent burglaries is to keep all entrances locked. While this seems pretty obvious, it’s also very easy to forget. All it takes is one unlocked door or window and burglars can just waltz in and take anything they want.
Take a few minutes and check all the windows and doors. One could have accidentally been left open. This can include a quick inspection to be made every week or two. Drill in a household routine that whenever anyone leaves, they lock the front door. When everything is locked, breaking in becomes much less convenient.
Install and Maintain the Smoke Detector
There’s really no excuse for a home not to have smoke detectors. These devices only cost a few dollars and take minutes to set up. Once in place, a smoke detector will give plenty of advance warning against a fire. The sooner a fire is discovered, the easier it is to get people to safety and to prevent damage. This makes setting up a smoke detector well worth the time and money.
Coordinate with the Neighbours
A little planning with the neighbours makes a big difference. If they know when people are typically at home, they’ll be more likely to notice unwanted visitors at odd hours. Before a vacation, also ask if the neighbours would be willing to pick up the mail. Burglars look for mail build-up as a sign that someone isn’t home. Most neighbours are happy to help because they know the favour would be repaid for them later on.
Hide the Valuables
Burglars don’t have time to break into every house so they‘re always on the lookout for one that’s worth their while. Often, this just means looking into the front window of a few properties. To avoid unwanted attention, keep valuable furniture and electronics away from obvious windows. Whenever possible, keep curtains closed so it’s not easy to look inside. This will encourage burglars to look for a more attractive target.
Altogether, these steps take about 10 minutes each and yet they make a big security difference. Take the time for these precautions and enjoy a much safer home.
