Start Your Year Right With Better Home Protection

As the new year rolls around, take care of some of those household tasks that have accumulated over the years. The protection of your own home is a good place to start. A few changes around the house will make it safer and less of a target for home burglars. Here are some ideas to get you started thinking about how to make your home a safer place to live.

Re-keying the Locks

If you've never had lock rekeying done in your home, this is a good place to start. Get in touch with a local locksmith to change your locks and make all new keys. This gives you a clean slate and removes any concerns about lost keys or keys you've lent out but not gotten back. If you've recently purchased a house, the real estate agent likely did not change the locks. That means the old owner and people they gave keys to may still have a way to get into your home.

Secure the Windows

Windows can have a variety of locks but they are only helpful when you use them. If you've closed a window without setting the lock, you've left an easy way for someone to get in. Window stops are small devices that mount on the window to prevent it from opening all the way. The locksmith may have these in their shop and, if not, a home improvement store may stock them. These are easy to attach and can be adjusted to allow your window to open a few inches before it stops.

If you forget to lock a window, the window stop will prevent someone from opening it enough to get into your house. If you have a second story, install stops on those windows, too. Home burglars do use ladders in their profession.

Install Better Lighting

On the front porch, install a bright light set on a motion activator. This will help you identify people at the door, and it will scare off people at night who come up to try the door. A similar light in your backyard mounted on a pole will illuminate that space to prevent burglars from being hidden as they try to get into your house.

Landscape for Protection

Cut back trees and bushes that may shield someone trying to break through a door or window. Burglars prefer to be hidden as they do their job so they target homes that have a lot of foliage covering windows and doors.

A few simple projects will make your home more secure into the new year. Don't leave it to chance about whether or not your home will get broken into. Talk with a lock and security specialist, such as Carlsbad Village Lock & Key, and take these steps to make it a place that burglars will pass by,