No matter if you are planning to renovate your home, or building a brand new one, it is essential that you consider the security measures you can take to prevent home invasions and break-ins.
There are a number of different factors that can cause a home to be targeted by burglars, including the locks, doors, windows, lighting, fencing, landscaping and visibility. When you consider these things early in the planning and design stages of building a home can help to locate and target any weak spots in security and reduce the risk of a break in later on.
The first thing to understand when building a secure home is to know the crime rate in your area and what types of crimes are most common. Once you understand the highest crime rates, then you can find new ways to implement security to deter intruders. A great starting point is to think like a would-be thief – if you were trying to break into your house, how easy would it be? The goal is to ensure your house is not attractive to intruders by adding features that make it hard to access.
Some security tips to consider when building or renovating your home include:
• Position all balconies and second floor windows so they are not able to be accessed by climbing up external fixtures, such as trees, pipes or gutters.
• Be sure that the front of the house and all of the primary access points can be seen from the street and that the area is well-lit.
• Put a deadbolt lock on each door. The locks need to be positioned in a way so that they cannot be opened by breaking a nearby window.
• Thieves are going to take the things they can see. Design your rooms and the power outlets so your expensive assets are not visible from outside.
• Install a pre-wired security system, it is much more cost effective than having to retro-fit your home down the road. Additionally, systems that are hard wired are much more difficult for a thief to disable.
• Place alarm panels next to the door and panic buttons near your bed.
When you plan the design of your home with security in mind, you, your family and your possessions will be safer.
