Hello and welcome back for another post in my Home Ownership 101 Series! Today I am sharing some simple ways to make your home more secure. With the unsettling FBI statistics indicating that a burglar strikes every 25.7 seconds in the United States (which adds up to over 3,300 burglaries every day,) it only makes sense that homeowners should invest in proper home security. Moreover, the average financial loss of a home burglary is nearly $3,000. Strengthening your home security should therefore be a top priority, and it can protect you from theft and vandalism. *This post contains affiliate links and/or sponsored content.
Invest in home warranty and insurance
The average annual maintenance cost of a home is roughly 1-4% of the home’s overall value, and this number steadily increases over time, according to the US Census Bureau. As such, investing in home warranty protection can be worthwhile — especially if you own an older home.
Home warranty provides umbrella coverage for your home’s appliances and systems according to your specific needs, so you can repair or replace whatever items you need to without forking out in an emergency. In contrast, homeowners insurance provides general coverage for things like the structure of your home, personal belongings, and medical bills in case of injury on your property. Typically, a major event like a break-in, fire or flood needs to occur for you to receive this compensation.
Secure your WiFi
When you don’t safeguard your WiFi, your personal and financial information is left vulnerable to hackers. Moreover, if your WiFi is connected to your home’s security system or smart home gadgets, you’re potentially giving criminals direct access to your home.
Changing your default network’s name — known as your SSID (service set identifier) — is a simple yet effective way of protecting your WiFi. Doing so will make it difficult for hackers to find and break into your WiFi. Additionally, turn on your router’s firewall and encryption settings to secure your network further.
Make use of outdoor lighting
A good outdoor lighting system can deter criminals who prefer working under the cover of darkness. So, place lighting around your front and back yards, as well as along paths, decking and outside your garage, is a good idea.
You may naturally opt for dedicated security lights that are kept on all night, but these can actually help burglars by showing them which areas are illuminated and which are kept in the dark. Motion-activated lighting, on the other hand, can startle and scare burglars, causing them to abandon their plans.
As you can see, taking the time to upgrade your home’s security is well worth the investment. Assessing and correcting potential security risks is the number one way you can keep your family, home and belongings secure.
Stay safe everyone!
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