Is your home a magnet for burglars, thieves and vandals? Our home security checklist will keep their filthy hands off your property and loved ones.
There are 3 vital ingredients to good home security: high quality hardware, alert house members and watchful neighbors - Having a bank vault for a door means nothing if your five year old swings it open to every stranger that drops by.
That is why it's a must to dish out basic home security advice to your family members as well... especially to kids who tend to be too trusting and elderly folks who are physically weaker.
Unless your living room is decked out with Van Gogh masterpieces or your 12 car garage is packed with Ferraris, there is often no need for you to spend a bomb on a highly sophisticated security systems. A serving of our home security list coupled with a dash of vigilance often does the job just as well.
On top of this home security checklist, we also recommend that you click here for our Home Safety Checklist to protect your family from home accidents such as falls, cuts and poisoning.
HOME EXTERIOR
[ ] Lock up all gates with high quality and weather-proof padlocks.
[ ] Chain up all outdoor possessions such as lawn mowers, bicycles and ladders.
[ ] Make sure that all entrances to the home are well-lit at night.
[ ] Install motion-sensitive outdoor lights as an alternative to save electricity.
[ ] Trim bushes and shrubs regularly to remove any hiding places.
[ ] Trim tree branches regularly to prevent access to upper floor windows.
[ ] Lock up outdoor circuit boxes to prevent circuit breakers from being tampered.
EXTERIOR DOORS
[ ] Keep the exterior doors locked up at all times - Even if you are going away for just a while.
[ ] Install high quality deadbolt locks that are at least 1 inch thick for all exterior doors.
[ ] Install wide-angle peepholes at a height reachable by everyone at home.
[ ] Make sure all exterior doors are made of solid hardwood or reinforced with metal grilles.
[ ] Make sure that the door hinges cannot be tampered with from the outside.
HOME WINDOWS
[ ] Close and lock up all ground floor windows when not in use.
[ ] Protect louvered windows with metal grilles as they tend to be more fragile.
[ ] Cover basement windows with lockable grates or grilles.
[ ] Replace windows near doors with shatter-resistant tempered glass or hardened plastics.
WHEN NOONE IS HOME
[ ] Attach automatic timers to at least 2 lights and turn them on at night.
[ ] Remember to arm the home alarm system before you leave (if you have one).
[ ] Make it clear from the outside that you have a home alarm (even if you don't have one).
[ ] Suspend your newspaper and mail service if the house will be empty for a long time OR
[ ] Ask a trusted neighbor to collect the mail and newspaper for you.
[ ] Inform your neighbors that you will be away and ask them to look out for intruders.
VALUABLES
[ ] Keep a list of all valuables together with the receipts as proof of ownership.
[ ] Record down the serial numbers of big-ticket electronics and appliances.
[ ] Store all excess cash and jewelery in a security deposit box.
[ ] Engrave valuables with your driver's license number to deter thefts.
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