Security Upgrades for Residential Properties

Home invasions are a sad reality across the country, including in the state of Minnesota. You may lose sleep at night, wondering if your home will be a target. It’s a helpless feeling. However, you can regain control and your sense of security by taking proactive steps to upgrade the security of your residential property in Blaine. A locksmith can be an invaluable aid during this process, as their knowledge and expertise can help you determine the best security upgrades for your particular home.

The following tips can help you prevent a robbery or another crime from occurring at your home. If your home has already been broken in to, these tips can reduce the risk of a repeat. By taking your home security into your own hands and being proactive about upgrading its defenses, you can regain a sense of control and greatly reduce the risk of being targeted by a criminal.

Check the condition of your door and window locks. While it might seem tedious, this simple measure can help you identify any poorly protected entry points. Go around the entire lower level of your home (and your basement, if it has windows or exterior-opening doors) and check the condition of the locks. If any of the locks function improperly, they should be replaced as soon as possible. Even if they appear to work properly, you still may to consider upgrading old or cheap locks to bump-proof, tamper-resistant locks.

Lose a key? Have a locksmith rekey your locks. If you lose a key somewhere that someone else can get ahold of it, it’s a good idea to have your locks rekeyed or changed by a locksmith right away. Even if your key is eventually returned to you, it’s cheap and fast to duplicate a key, so you can’t be sure that there isn’t a clone of your key in the hands of someone who shouldn’t have access to your home. Rekeying your locks is an inexpensive means of insuring you’re the only one who can open your doors.

Don’t have valuables visible from outside. If you have a very expensive TV or computer, for example, keep your blinds closed at night or position the items so that they’re not easily seen from the road. Criminals sometimes scout out promising targets by driving around and looking in the windows of homes to see what’s inside. It’s also a good idea not to broadcast large-ticket purchases on your social media pages, either.

Ensure your property is well-lit. Criminals like to do their work, as it were, in secrecy and shadow. They avoid drawing attention to their activities in whatever way possible. Poor lighting on the exterior of your home at night creates a vulnerability that might be appealing to a burglar searching for the perfect target. If you’re worried about an increase in your electrical bill, you can install energy-saving LED lights that use motion-activated technology to turn on only when they sense movement below. These can also be valuable if you do a lot of traveling or are otherwise often away from home.

Better protect your garage. Many homeowners are not aware that having an attached garage with an unsecured garage door can put them at risk of not only theft but other types of home invasion. If you’re the type that leaves your garage door up out of habit, break the habit. However, if you don’t have a lock on your garage door, this entry point is still at risk. Consider having a locksmith install a garage door lock on your door to eliminate the risk. Even if your

Consider having an alarm system installed. While this is a more significant investment, some people feel that alarm systems are well worth the money. If you have many high-value items in your home or your area has a history of burglaries, it’s worth looking into an alarm system. You need to consider several factors if you're thinking about having an alarm system installed, including the cost and whether the added steps are worth it to enable and disable the alarm every time you exit and enter, respectively. Some people choose to forgo having an alarm system installed but instead give the illusion of having one by installing signs or stickers or their property as a deterrent for would-be criminals.

Invest in security cameras. Security camera technology has come a long way in recent years, while at the same time becoming more affordably priced and accessible for homeowners of many different income levels. Some people choose to only have one security camera filming the area around their front porch, while others invest in a web of interconnected cameras, both interior and exterior. Many cameras now come with monitoring software that allows you to check in on the status of your home from an app on your smartphone. As with an alarm system, research your options before deciding on a specific camera.

Consider upgrading to smart locks. Smart technology has swept the nation as the next big thing in residential security. Smart home locks are part of this wave of technology. This type of lock does away with the need for physical keys. Instead, you lock and unlock your door using your smartphone. One of the major perks of smart locks over other forms of keyless security is the access control capabilities it provides, including being able to monitor access to your property from your phone no matter where you are. This can be very helpful if you spend a lot of time away from home.