How to secure your new home after a move?

Improving your home safety should be your top priority when moving to a new place. You can never be too careful when it comes to securing your home, especially after moving to the neighborhood you are not familiar with. Now that you finally have the keys to your new home, you can perform a detailed security inspection in order to identify possible weak spots in and around your property.

Tips for making your home burglar-resistant after a move

– Inspect the outdoors.
Research the exterior of your home and check whether there are damaged windows or doors. If there are any, make sure no one can enter your property through them. Also, make sure you check the quality of doors and windows frames as well as secure each entrance point.

– Have the locks changed.
Whether you are moving to the apartment that you have bought or to a rented one, you can never be 100% sure that you are the only one in possession of the house keys. Previous home owners or renters, who might happen to be dishonest, may have a copy of the keys and access to your property. Therefore, it’s imperative that you change the locks on your front door, garage and patio door immediately after you settle into your new home. In addition to that, electronic door locks may take your home security to a whole new level, since the access will be possible only with the specific code. And remember, whenever you go out, make sure your windows and doors are closed. Don’t make it easier for burglars to enter your house!

– Keep track of your spare key.
If you are looking for a safe spot for your spare key, you can rest assured that a doormat or a flower pot are certainly the most clichéd places for hiding the keys. Give a spare key only to a person you can completely trust.

– Get to know your neighbors.
Inspect your neighborhood’s crime rate and check if there are potentially dangerous or suspicious individuals. Get to know your neighbors, try to be on good terms with them, so that you can rely on them when you are away form home.

– Invest in a quality alarm system.
A quality security system may prevent burglars from entering your home and keep you safe from break-ins. The front door and other important spots should be constantly monitored. Also, proper alarm system and sensors will alert you the moment someone tries to enter your property without your permission. In addition to that, an efficient outdoor lighting will keep criminals away, so light up all points of entry as soon as you settle into your new home. Furthermore, obvious security signs may deter potential burglars, so do not hesitate to put them up.

– Hide valuable and expensive gadgets as well as any tools that could be used by burglars to break in.
Keep valuables out of sight avoiding some commonly used places for that purpose like drawers or under-bed storage.

– Since criminals are attracted by empty houses, potential burglars are not supposed to know when you are on holiday.

An empty house for an extended period of time is likely to become a target, since burglars are likely to break into the vacant properties. When you are about to go on holiday, ask your neighbors to keep an eye on your home and take care of possible signs of an empty home (full mail box, lights off, empty parking place,…). In addition to that, consider investing in a light timer that turns on lights whenever you want, which is especially important when you are away from home for a long time.

– Get a dog.
Choose the right dog breed that will protect your home from intruders.