When it comes to the safety and security of your home and family, a single solution just won’t cut it. By employing a complete home safety checklist, you can combine tools like home security kits, smart locks and surveillance systems with smart habits and expert tips to help deter wrongdoers. As a result, your home security tools become a home security system, synergizing for both safety and convenience. From common sense to cutting edge, smart security systems provide a cohesive structure with which to protect what matters most.
The Basics of Home Safety
According to Forbes, 75 percent of homes in the US will be broken into in the next 20 years, yet 75 percent of homeowners don’t have a home security system at all. Those homeowners are missing one key element of home security: prevention. With prevention comes peace of mind.
While a complete home safety checklist calls for a thorough, multi-pronged approach to security, the foundation of home safety rests on the basics. Before you even enter the ever-evolving world of home security hardware, you can bolster the security of your home (and of the people in it) with smart habits that won’t cost you a dime.
Manage Visibility
Ample outdoor lighting is one of the simplest parts of a complete security plan, and it can be crucial for warding off housebreakers. Timed and remote-controlled lights can do the trick, and motion-activated outdoor lighting fixtures can be especially efficient at making home invaders think twice. Focus on bright, continuous lighting near entry points in particular.
Visibility doesn’t end with lighting, either. Your property’s landscaping can level up your security levels. Avoid dense, overgrown areas that can provide cover for potential burglars, and choose bushes and trees that can help provide additional security in highly visible areas of your home, like large windows into open living spaces. You don’t want to give thieves insight into your belongings or your routine.
Hide Items the Smart Way
Speaking of your belongings, avoid broadcasting high-value items or fresh pickups that might temp the wrong sort of visitor. Keep porch climbers away by stowing high-value packages and deliveries as soon as possible or sending high-priced goods to a locker or pickup location. Keep shopping sprees on the down-low by hiding boxes from high-value items deep in the trash bins. You can also avoid displaying desirable items like jewelry and fine art near visible windows. Make sure outdoor valuables like bikes and grills are locked down or out of sight. Lastly, invest in a safe for those valuables you don’t need to access day-to-day.
But what about hiding keys? In general, don’t do it. Thieves can be smart, and they know to look in all the common hiding spots, no matter how clever you think those spots may be. A more secure and convenient solution is to invest in a smart lock. Smart locks not only save you time and money on your home security, but they also ensure that you never lock yourself or your family members out of the house again. With Lockly smart locks, you can also grant temporary eKeys for guest access in case a trusted person needs access to your home.
Foster Safe Family Habits
Including your family and your community in your home security habits is one of the most effective preventive measures you can leverage. Get to know your neighbors so they can give you or the authorities a heads-up if anything looks suspicious, and ask local law enforcement reps about any break-in trends in your area. Make sure your family has a safety routine so that everyone knows when to lock doors and windows, how to arm security systems and what the plan is when you’re away on vacation.
One pro vacation tip: ask someone to hold your mail and tend to your lawn if you’re away for extended periods.
It really does take a village sometimes — and in the case of home security, that village needs some handy tools, too.
Utilize Surveillance Technology
Home surveillance is now as accessible as it is essential. Surveillance cameras can capture live footage and detect motion on your property to notify you of potential intruders before they act.
A doorbell camera smart lock, like Lockly Vision, provides dependable and unobtrusive surveillance to ensure your home’s safety no matter where you are. As the world’s first-ever video doorbell smart lock, Lockly Vision features a revolutionary built-in HD doorbell camera to finalize your home security checklist. You can remotely lock and unlock your door or check its status from any location via our mobile app to view your property in real-time.
Lockly Smart Lock: Your Simple Home Security Solution
So much of complete home security is about synergy. Multiple elements must work together to form a safe, effective system. Lockly’s smart locks offer a key advantage in that they combine numerous home security essentials into a single device.
The world’s most advanced smart locks, like the Lockly Secure Pro, Lockly Vision or our latest Vision Elite, outclass old-school locks by offering extremely accurate 3D biometric fingerprint sensors and real-time monitoring and alerts, remote locking and unlocking, offline access, voice control and eKeys & eBadges distribution via our exclusive app. These features empower you to exercise security and control from anywhere.
For a complete home safety checklist in one package, our 4-Piece Basic Security Kit takes all the guesswork out of your security system.
Synergize Your Security with Lockly
Effective home security requires a variety of elements working in tandem, from tools to tactics. With nearly two dozen do-it-yourself smart home security products on offer, Lockly is ready to help on the “tools” front.
Now that you’ve got a complete home safety checklist in hand, it’s time to break out your complete home security shopping list — from smart locks to seamless surveillance to cost-effective security accessories, Lockly’s got you covered.
Sources
Forbes - 6 Surprising Home Burglary Facts and Stats
Travelers - 9 Home Security Tips
Bob Vila - 8 Essential Home Security Tips to Make Your Home Safer
US News and World Report - Why Get Home Security Cameras?
