How To Keep Your Home Safe

One of the most important things I always ensure about my own home, is that I feel safe within it. If I don’t feel safe, I can’t relax – and therefore a home doesn’t feel like a home, it feels like a house.

Safety and security are always a priority in any situation, and so it makes perfect sense that your home’s safety should be your no.1 priority. Here are some simple, yet effective, tips I’ve popped together to help make your home feel (and be) safe.

Keep Your Doors Locked

It might seem obvious, but I always keep all my doors locked. Unbelievably, I still have friends who keep their front door unlocked when they’re home – which scares the heck out of me for them!

There are many ways intruders can get into your home. Some of the most common include forced entry, where they break the locks – or breaking a window or even using your own ladder to enter on a higher floor also happens. Yet the most common way an intruder enters a home is through trying lots of doors and by chance finding an unlocked door.

More often than not, if an intruder finds a door that’s locked, they will move on.

So, keep your bases covered and ensure all outside doors are always locked. I also keep some internal doors locked too, just for added peace of mind. If your internal doors don’t lock but you would feel happier with them locked, it’s relatively inexpensive when using key cutters to change a door handle/lock. I’d always recommend contacting someone local, first.

Inform the Police (not on emergency numbers)

If you have suspicions someone is targeting your home, or even attempted a breaking whilst you wee or weren’t there, it’s a good ide to inform the local police force so they can both keep an eye out and also keep a record in case of future attempts.

While there’s not much the Police can do, it’s always a good idea to call them anyway. The reason is that they can build a case against the perpetrators for use later on if they are caught. The more evidence the Police can collect, the stronger the case.

If you are unfortunately ever successfully broken into, it goes without saying that you should definitely inform the police then too. It’s unlikely you’ll get your stuff back, but it helps authorities when they learn as much as possible. All they will likely do is collect fingerprints where they believe the criminals gained entry. But you will also be offered support if you have trouble dealing with it.

Get Home Insurance 

If you don’t already have home and contents insurance, please ensure you get it now! Fingers crossed yo never have to use it, but it’s really not worth taking the risk in case you ever do need it.

In the instance that you do end up needing your home insurance if something bad happens, make sure you are correct about anything missing before reporting it stolen to your insurance provider. If you falsely report something as stolen to your insurance company, it could be considered fraud. However, if you are sure you are correct, then go ahead and let them know ASAP. It also might be regarded as unusual if you do this right away. But the next day, fine. Also, double-check your list before calling. Additionally, getting a crime reference number from the Police will support your insurance claim as it is proof that an event happened.

Make A List Of Valuable Items

As part of my home insurance, I have to declare the (few!) valuable items I have in my home. I don’t have any expensive heirlooms or jewellery, but I do have every day things that might be valuable to a thief.

This serves a dual purpose too, as when you are the victim of a home intrusion, it can sometimes be challenging to notice if something is missing. For example, thieves today look for things they can sell quickly, like mobile phones or electronic items. In the UK alone, 95% of homes have a mobile phone, and many people have more than one. And then there are things like video games and watches. With the shock of what happened, you might not immediately notice what’s missing. Carefully go through your home, analyze each room to see if anything is missing, and make a list.

Gather family and friends for support

Not feeling comfortable in your own home sometimes has a lot to do with not spending enough time there, or too much time on your own. For me, I always feel a little more uncomfortable if I have stayed away from home for a few nights and then go back on my own.

A good way to combat this would be by inviting over friends and family for a bit of moral support. It means you can enjoy time in your own home and also normalise being there yourself. Sentimental gifts may also be nice to be presented around the home to help you feel comfortable and remember good times in your home.

Summary

Feeling at home in your own home is much to do with feeling safe – so make sure that as well as being secure at home, you FEEL secure, too.