Lights, Camera… Landscaping? – Home Security Tips Part 1

In the first of this three-part series on home security tips, we look at the simple steps you can take to prevent burglars from visiting your doorstep.

Feeling safe and secure in your home is a right that should be shared by everyone. Unfortunately, it’s not a right than can always be guaranteed, which is why Best Price FS have put together these home security tips. Read on to find out how to keep your loved ones and all your treasured possessions safe in the home, and stay one step ahead of the burglars. For even greater security in the home, choose Home Emergency Cover from Best Price FS – for just £79 and with no excess, you’ll get cover for damage to your doors, locks and windows, with cover for lost keys included as standard in this policy.

 

Lights

 

Outdoor motion-activated lights

Lighting can be a very effective deterrent against burglars. The more visible the entry points to your home are, the less likely a burglar will be to take their chances of being spotted. Use motion-activated lights at your home’s most obvious points of access – your front door, back door, patio doors or garage – and make sure to test out the sensor’s field of view, saying experts at United Garage Doors service. An option like this will be fairly cost-effective and environmentally-friendly, as the light will only be in use when needed, unlike ones using a daylight-sensor which will run throughout the night.

 

Indoor timer switches

A few lights on in the home will suggest to a burglar that there’s someone in, but leaving every single bulb on during your two-weeks away will be neither good for the environment nor your energy bills. Using plugs with a timer switch built-in will allow you to switch lamps – or even a radio – on and off at whatever time intervals you set, convincing any watchers that there really is someone home. Here are some low-cost options, but if you want to go all out then there are some which give you the ability to control your plugs from a smartphone app.

 

Fake TV lights

This device is essentially a wedge-shaped box which beams out a flickering coloured light at varying intensities. When plugged in and angled towards a wall or set of curtains, the light looks very convincingly like a TV is being watched in the room. Some models will have an in-built light sensor to automatically switch on in the night-time, whereas others will even have a built-in timer (source: https://www.hereon.biz/outdoor-tv/). Overall, they use far less power than an actual TV.

 

Cameras

 

HD home security cameras

If you experience a burglary, having your own commercial security cameras will help to gather evidence which may prove invaluable in helping the police track down your intruder. A good-quality HD camera will be worth the money, and can be set up to record wirelessly to your computer. Make sure to keep it out of reach of unwanted visitors, so that it can’t be tampered with.

 

Build your own

Another option which is both effective and affordable is to make your own camera system, using a Raspberry Pi computer to power it all. These credit card-sized computers can be bought for just £30, and when coupled with a decent webcam, they make a powerful and affordable home security camera system. Setting them up will take a bit of technical knowledge, but here’s a guide from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. This explains how to put it all together for under £50, and you won’t have to be a computer whizz to do it.

 

Fake cameras

The additional and perhaps even bigger benefit to having cameras is the deterrence effect they’ll bring. In this way, a fake camera may be just as effective as a real one, and can save you a good deal of money too. Take these ones found on Amazon for example – some are available for just £4, with generally positive reviews. If you do choose to install fake cameras then make sure to place them within the view of would-be thieves, but far enough out of reach to avoid close inspection.

 

Landscaping

 

Walls and fences

Sacrificing too much to seclusion can make your home a greater target for burglars, as the more tucked away it is, the smaller the chance there is of the burglar being spotted. To avoid this, keep walls and fences high at the sides and back and low at the front. High fences will help to protect the edges of your home from someone hopping over, while keeping things low at the front will ensure that visitors are easily visible to both you and your neighbours. Having a good gate installed is also important you can hire gate installation Los Angeles come and do it for you. Always remember, though, to keep any valuables in your home from being too visible because of this reduced cover.

Bushes and hedges

If you’re keen on growing some shrubbery, then opt for something on the prickly side. This could be anything from a holly bush, to shrub roses, to the fiercely-named Firethorn. Tough and thorny plants like these will act as a natural barrier against intruders, but it’s a good idea to keep them well-trimmed so that they don’t shroud the entry points to your home and become hiding spots.

 

Gravel driveways

One last tip worth noting on landscaping is how the construction of your driveway (if you have one) will affect your home security. Tarmacked drive are level and should stop any nasty weeds from popping up, but having gravel on the approach to your home can help to prevent burglars from chancing their approach. This is because of how noisy the surface will be when walking over it, and this change will be most valuable in the night-time, when thieves are more likely to be heard.

 

Reference: Find a Locksmith Near My Location.

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