Home Safe Home: Must Know Home Security Tips

Now more than ever, home security is an extremely important topic that residents throughout the GTA and abroad should take seriously. Here are some of the best home security tips that you may not have thought of:

Consider your home's lighting. Installing motion sensitive lights outside your home, specifically near doorways, is one of the simplest ways to deter burglars. Criminals don't want to be easily seen attempting to break in at night. If you are away from your home for a long period of time, consider setting up light bulbs inside your home on timers. Different lights should turn on and shut off throughout the day to make it appear that someone is home when you are away on vacation, visiting family, etc.

Change all of your locks when moving into a new home. You never know who the previous owner gave key copies to, or how many keys were lost. It is safest to change all locks immediately after moving in.

Invest in a smart home security system. With today's technology, there are amazing home security products that do a great job of preventing or minimizing the severity of break-ins. A good system should be hard to tamper with, may connect to your phone with an app, and have comprehensive camera surveillance. Consider adding glass break sensors to all windows and glazed doors, especially on the ground floor. 

Don't leave spare keys outside your home in obvious places. In the mailbox, under the doormat, or in a flower pot are places burglars will check. Instead, install a smart lock with changeable codes, or keep a key in a secure hidden lockbox.

A few extra things you can do to improve your home's security include; adding window security film (to make windows and sliding doors harder to shatter), using deadbolts on doors, replacing smaller door hinge screws with 3"- 4" ones that screw into the wood framing (to make it harder to kick down), and replacing double front doors with more secure single doors.

As home invasions and burglaries become more common, now is the time to take the extra precaution and investment to secure your home.