7 Ways to Improve Home Safety on a Tight Budget

Your home is your safe haven and meant to be a place to feel safe from the world. According to the Bureau of Justice, there are over 1.03 Million home invasions in the U.S. In 3 out of 4 Home Invasions, there was no one home.

 Obviously, you can’t be home all the time just to reduce the risk of something happening. Luckily, protecting your home is simple and there are things you can easily improve, even if you are on a budget. Most property crime is committed by someone you know and is avoidable by simply locking your door.

A home invasion can occur at any time but the most likely time is between 10 AM and 3 PM. Surprisingly, criminals don’t like to work too hard. They will pick on the weakest house, so the best way to stop a home invasion is to never be the victim.

1. Change Your Locks

The majority of Americans don’t change their locks when moving into a new home. It makes sense – changing locks can be expensive and time-consuming. But, simple replacements can be done with a screwdriver and cost very little. This is better than nothing, and it ensures that previous homeowners cannot get into your home.

The best lock is a common deadbolt. Every outer door should have a solid deadbolt from a reputable company such as Yale or Schlage.

2. Secure the Doors

A lock is only as good as its door. While it can be expensive to replace an entire door, this does not necessarily have to be done in order to make your door stronger. Instead, just replace the screws and hinges. 3-inch screws and heavy-duty hinges not only make your home safer but support your doors better. Supported doors also last longer and can improve a home’s value!

Remember, always lock your doors when not at home! Even if you know all of your neighbors and trust them, it’s good practice to keep them locked when leaving the house.

3. Don’t Display Valuables

Often times, if you have valuable items, it can be easy to want to showcase them within your home. Whether it’s expensive china or rare collectibles, if displayed too prominently (and by open windows), those can be easy targets for others to see and consider taking. Instead of leaving them out in the open, find ways to conceal them.

For example, consider storing china in kitchen shelves (or even in the basement or attic if not used much!). If you collect something, such as antique firearms, think about storing weapons in cases and hiding them deep within your closet.

4. Maintain the Yard

Something as simple as doing a little yard work can actually work wonders in keeping your home safe! If you have overgrown hedges, it can be an easy place for burglars to hide until they think the coast is clear to get into your house. By maintaining your yard, not only will it make it harder for lurkers to hide out, but it will also show them that you are actively working on your home.

As an added bonus of keeping your yard maintained, it can also reduce potential fire hazards as you clear out any dead plants or weeds.

5. Put Up Alarm Signs

Alarm systems work great for intruders but in addition to the expensive upfront and monthly fees, many people don’t like the idea of others controlling their safety.

By using alarm signs, you can gain some of the benefits of an alarm system for the low, low cost of a couple of signs placed around your house. Some dedicated criminals will know they are fake but it will stop many looking for a quick score.

6. Keep Lights On

If you are going to be out for the evening or planning a vacation, consider putting some of your lights on a scheduled timer to turn on as it gets darker. These are relatively cheap and can quickly deter someone from breaking in.

When you schedule the lights to turn on, try setting them for random times (such as 6:12 pm) – this way, it looks random.

7. Get a Dog

While dogs can be expensive over time, they are still worth mentioning. The benefits of a dog are not to be understated. Exercising from walks, companionship, and just the feeling of security from owning a dog can sometimes be enough to make the long-term price worth it. Also, in a study by the FBI, dogs deter criminals more than knowing there is a gun in the home!

Training your dog to attack unknown people isn’t the best idea, but a good barking dog can raise the alarm and scare off any intruders.

Conclusion

The best way to improve your home’s safety on a budget is developing the right mindset. Lock your doors. Check your windows. Don’t post on Facebook that you will be gone for two weeks on a vacation.

Securing the entry points. Making it difficult to break into your home quickly. Having your valuables in a hidden/safe place or better yet a safety deposit box in a bank. Knowing that anything can be replaced except your life.

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