For every homeowner, protecting the contents and privacy of the home is of the utmost importance, and when that is violated, it can be a devastating blow.
That being said, you have a variety of opinions in terms of the best strategies for reducing the chances of a break-in occurring. Due to this variety of views, there are also some misconceptions about home security.
If you want to keep yourself, your loved ones and your possessions safe, then read on to learn about four misconceptions that weaken the security of your home.
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1. “My neighborhood is very safe.”
This is one of the most widespread misconceptions about home security. You see, even though your neighborhood may be incredible safe most of the time, that still doesn’t completely protect you from something happening to your property.
The problem is that you can never be sure when a burglar is going to strike, and frequently, the “safest” and most upscale neighborhoods are where they like to take their chances.
In fact, most burglaries take place when all people tend to be out of their homes — in the middle of the day, from the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — when adults are at work. Additionally, if a smart burglar comprehends that people in a particular locale consider themselves to be secure enough to keep their doors and windows unlocked, then they are (obviously) going to be more likely to target that stretch.
No matter how safe you may think your neighborhood may be, you can never be entirely sure. Therefore, you need to be securing your home just as tightly during the day as you do at night. In fact, on many occasions, it is always better to keep some weapons such as AR-10 at home for self-defence. We never know when an emergency arises.
This knowledge alone should be enough to convince you that installing a security system is critical if you want to secure your home from possible perils.
2. “I have a pet! That will keep my home safe!”
Unfortunately, too many people believe that their pet can defend their home from criminals on their own. You have seen the “beware of dog” signs and the like pinned up on fences before; but, while they may convince a more timid thief to keep looking for a target, for the most part, those signs alone aren’t going to hinder them.
In fact, there is a good chance that a burglar will steal your pet along with your valuables. Or, at the very least, they might tackle your pet to quiet it.
Don’t put all the pressure on your animals to keep your home safe; instead, invest in some high-quality home security products, and maintain better peace of mind.
3. “Hiding my valuables is enough to keep them safe.”
Just because you think your valuables are hidden in a secret place and therefore are safe, doesn’t mean they actually are. Many burglars are professional criminals, and you may wind up finding that your “secret place” is in a pretty similar location to many other people’s “secret places.”
No matter how much your valuables are worth, if they mean something to you, then you want to be storing them in a security safe.
After purchasing a security safe, make sure you don’t keep it under the bed or in the closet, as these are very obvious places. Even if the robbers are unable to unlock the safe, they will simply pick it up and carry it with them. For this reason, you want to keep your safe in an unlikely spot and opt to secure it to the floor or a wall.
4. “I don’t need to worry about the outside of my house.”
One of the easiest ways for your belongings to get stolen is for burglars to take your mail out of your letterbox. How many times have you heard of packages getting stolen?
Unfortunately, it is a rather common experience as quick thieves just grab any packages or mail that they can get their hands on with the intent to resell the goods for their own profit.
Not only does this allow them to make a profit on items that you have spent your money on, but it also enables them to get more personal information about you.
Consequently, you need to be more diligent about the safety of your mail.
Get your mailbox from a reputable company where the products are sure to come with a mounted design. With fence-mounted, post-mounted and wall-mounted letterboxes, you can be sure that no one is able to steal the actual letterbox, and that a key is needed to retrieve the contents.
What misconceptions do you often hear about home security? Have you ever discovered yourself unwittingly compromising the security of your home because of misconceptions you had? Let us know in the comments below, and share what you are doing to keep your home as safe as possible.
AUTHOR BIO
Jay Flavell is the General Manager at Sandleford Holdings. He has been working in the DIY & Home Improvement industry since 2007 and has vast experience sourcing and developing products from overseas suppliers in the Far East. Jay has also been successful dealing with a number of major DIY & Home Improvement retailers throughout his career.