Home Security Systems: Safeguard Your Family and Property

At this point we have covered the external aspects of your home security.  From securing the perimeter of your property to securing the exterior of your home itself, the advice we have provided should put you in a good position to take steps to ensure your home does not appeal to burglars.  However, there are still further steps to be taken to ensure that your home is highly secure.  In this section we will talk about the internal security measures you can take to improve the security of your home.

Creating the impression your house is occupied and keeping your valuables safe

Don’t allow your window to become shop windows for burglars.  What does a burglar see when they peer into your home?  Is it a brand new playstation 4?  Is it a top-of-the-range smart tv?  Presenting your most valuable possessions for all to see is a good way to encourage burglars to attempt to break into your property.  Therefore, it is always best to try and keep valuables out of plain sight, especially when you are out of the house for extended periods of time during the day.  Obviously there are practical issues here which limit your options.  For example, if when you look into your front room you can see your television, there isn’t a great deal that you can do.  Unless of course you want to go to the trouble of moving your television out of sight every time you leave the house to go to work.  However, when you put your television into your front room you might want to consider positioning in such a way that it is not clearly in view through the window.

A crucial element of deterring a burglar is to suggest that you are at home.  This means doing things like opening the curtains in the morning and perhaps leaving certain lights on in your home if you are out at night.  If your lights are frequently off in the evening and your curtain are never open then burglars are going to start to suspect that the house is not occupied, making an intrusion all the more likely.

How shared occupancy and single occupancy impacts on your home security

The challenges posed to your home differ considerably depending on whether it is a dual or shared occupancy.  In our discussion here, shared occupancy can mean that you live with a partner, and it can also be applied to the situation many students find themselves in, sharing a home with a host of other housemates.  We will address both issues.

Single occupancy

Single occupancy situations are the easiest to manage, and as such, are often the most secure scenarios.  In terms of single occupancy, the only person you have to worry about keeping your home secure is yourself.  So, if you remember to lock doors and windows, open curtains in the morning to create the impression someone is in the house, and keep the land around your property secure, then you should find yourself in a pretty secure position.  However, single occupancy scenarios are fairly rare in comparison to situations of shared occupancy.

Shared occupancy: family perspective

If you live in a home with your partner, and possibly your children too, then the security challenges become more complicated.  You can’t just rely on yourself to maintain security anymore.  There are other people in the house who may come and go while you are not at home, and the potential is there for them to leave a window unlocked or valuables on display by a window.  In instances of shared occupancy one of the most important factors is the establishment of a security dialogue.  That it, set minimum standards of what is expected in terms of securing your home.  Tell everyone that windows and doors should not be left open.  Ask the children to tidy away toys after they have finished playing in the garden.  If you have an approach to security that all of the occupants of your home buy into then it will be much easier to ensure that your home remains an unattractive proposition to burglars.  Make sure that everyone who has a key to the house knows where that key is, and that keys are not left by windows or next to the door where they could easily be taken.

Shared occupancy: house shares

House shares are often the most problematic living arrangements in terms of securing.  With any number of people living in a house, there is a fairly strong likelihood that someone might leave a window open or a door unlocked.  Students often find themselves living as part of such arrangements, and there is no coincidence that it is who students are often targeted by burglars.

As mentioned previously, making sure that everyone in the property buys into the idea of ensuring your home is secure and knows what is expected of them is key.  However, in house shares the occupants often find themselves with their own rooms which they are able to lock.  It is highly advisable that people living in house share scenario should keep their valuable possessions in their own room, where it can be safely locked away.  In this way, despite the vulnerabilities that house shares inevitably bring, you can at least ensure the safety and security of your most valuable possessions in a way that is not reliant on the others who share your house.

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