A resource for consumers, locksmiths, and security professionals
Summer is here again, and it’s the perfect time to make sure your home is safe and secure when you go on vacation, open the windows at night, or host barbecues on the patio. The consistently warm weather offers a bunch of opportunities to travel and enjoy your outdoor property.
This time of year also brings an increased chance of crime, specifically trespassing, theft, and other various property crimes. That’s why having a few summer security tips at your disposal can come in handy. Your goal should be to limit your home’s exposure and prevent someone from choosing your property as a primary target.
In this comprehensive list of summer security tips, the main objective will be to point out what burglars are looking for and how you, as a homeowner, can bolster security. We’re going to narrow things down to ten summer security tips:
The full extent of what you can do to fortify your home can certainly be achieved outside this list of summer security tips. With enough time, money, and determination, you could transform your estate into a bunker if you wanted to. But that’s not the purpose of this article.
We’re aiming to give out a few summer security tips so that people can give themselves just a little bit more of an edge when it comes to protecting their homes. Before we dive into the list of summer security tips, let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
Statistically, yes. In a study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, crime does increase between June and August. Violent crimes don’t see much of an uptick during these summer months, but property crimes become the biggest threat.
Burglary rises by about 11%, which is significantly higher than other types of crime. The data suggests implementing summer security tips could be very useful. Perhaps a few of the ten summer security tips from our list will decrease your home’s chances even more.
Leaving for a vacation can put your home at higher risk because you’re not there to showcase to a potential burglar that someone is occupying the property. If you have a trusted friend or relative, you can invite them to stay at your place while you’re away. That’s a great option, but not everybody can do that.
Summer security tips are mostly about giving outside spectators the illusion that someone is home. A burglar is less likely to rob a home with people in it because it increases the chances of them getting caught or recognized. Ideally, burglars would prefer to be under the radar.
Many of the summer security tips on our list focus on making your house seem like it’s occupied at all times. One quick piece of advice everyone should practice is limiting vacation posts on social media. Although it’s exciting to share your activities and let your friends and relatives know you’re having fun, you’re also making yourself more vulnerable to burglars.
Burglars use multiple methods to break into homes. Every possible opening is at play, including doors, windows, garages, etc. Locking your front door is the obvious first step in deterring burglars, but it takes more effort to achieve the best results.
You need to be looking at the bigger picture of how each security measure is working together to provide optimal protection. Through these summer security tips, you will be able to build upon your home’s existing security measures and further improve what’s already in place.
It depends. Installing security cameras is a necessary step for some people. It’s convenient and reliable for anyone who wants to keep tabs on their home 24/7. However, the tradeoff of getting one of the best outdoor security cameras will always be price.
How much are you prepared to pay for security surveillance? That’s a question every homeowner should be asking themselves. Security cameras provide excellent visual coverage of your property and let intruders know that their activities will be captured on camera.
The decision to follow through with installing these cameras fits into the overarching theme of the summer security tips list. It’s a matter of how much time and money you want to put into home security. So without further ado, let’s begin the countdown of the best summer security tips.
Opening the windows to catch that cool summer night’s breeze is refreshing. Nothing feels better after the sun has been beating down on you all day. It’s fitting we start here on our list of summer security tips because it perfectly encapsulates summertime.
The major drawback of opening your windows is creating more entryways for trespassers. Does this mean you can never open the windows? No! Everyone should enjoy the natural air every once in a while. The problem is when you keep them open for too long and forget to close them when leaving the house.
There’s a simple solution, close your windows when you’re not home and be cognizant of how long you keep them open on other occasions. Most of these summer security tips are easy fixes that only require a little bit of preparation.
Locking all the doors is another rudimentary step that can go a long way toward protecting your home. Of these summer security tips, locking the door might be the most important because it’s the most common entrance into any home.
A burglar is more likely to infiltrate your home via a doorway, which incentivizes people to lock their doors properly. So make sure your doors have the right locks on them and that those locks are of the highest quality. If you’re not sure how to determine this, you may need help from a professional.
Locksmiths are great resources for home protection because they can share and implement years worth of security knowledge. For example, a lot of people don’t know that reinforcing doors is a practical way to strengthen the security around your house.
But locksmiths provide more than advice. They will handle all lock installations themselves and demonstrate what they’re doing step-by-step, so you’re gaining information about home security simultaneously.
Shiny and expensive objects are items worthy of showing off to your friends and neighbors. They might even hold a significant amount of family tradition that makes them a special piece of your home. Above all, you want to mitigate the risk of a burglar catching a glimpse of your prized possessions.
These summer security tips don’t hold much weight without meticulous execution, which in this case could mean the slightest adjustment. Keep nice things out of areas where people from the outside can look inside your house and easily identify them. You also don’t want to leave anything that could be vulnerable to a shattering window or door kick, either.
For instance, maybe your home has a fancy china cabinet that lights up at night and shines through the window. First off, you should be showcasing this beautiful piece. It means something to your home and its sophisticated decor.
But when you aren’t having company over, or you’re heading up to bed for the night, shut off the lights. Leaving these magnificent valuables glowing in the night is a welcoming sign to whoever may be lurking in the dark. It’s the small things that can make a big difference in home security.
Another idea you should consider is using a safe. Storing items in a well-protected home safe can provide several advantages. The main benefit is an intruder will have no clue where it’s located. Just as they use deception and trickery to break in, so can you with hiding your possessions.
Similar to what we talked about earlier, installing an advanced security system is a proven way to increase home security. This could be in the form of setting up security cameras around the perimeter of your home or having your locks fully replaced with smart lock installation.
There are plenty of options within the home security system industry to choose from. Residential locksmiths offer a wide variety of services that aim to complement your existing hardware with upgrades such as Bluetooth locks and WiFi-enabled smart locks.
Locksmith technicians are also extremely flexible and come directly to you with the right tools and equipment to make the installation process convenient. One phone call and your house will be properly secured and have you feeling safe from any unpredictable situation.
Installing a security system is only part of the equation, as most will allow you to monitor what’s going on around your house, even if you’re not there. Smart locks are sound security investments because of their versatility to offer the best user experience to homeowners.
Remote access is one of the crucial features of home security and why it’s essential to follow this summer security tip when you’re out of town. You should also have the ability to track and receive notifications on your phone when the system is alerted.
With automated and improved home security systems, you get alerts and can answer your doorbell with a video chat while being thousands of miles away. Interestingly enough, burglars have been known to mistake these systems for in-home activity, feeding into the illusion that someone is inside!
Motion sensor lights add a blanket of surveillance to your home. It makes it much harder for an invader to stay low-key when a bright, fluorescent light is shining down on them. The cover of darkness doesn’t apply anymore, and your surrounding neighborhood can detect something is wrong based on random flashes of light.
A list of summer security tips wouldn’t be complete without a few pieces of lawn and housekeeping advice. Long grass and mangled weeds are obvious signs that nobody has been home for a bit. To the wrong person, this can be their justification for snooping around the property to see what they can find.
Asking someone to mow your grass, trim hedges, and water the flowers while you’re away is totally normal. It maintains the image that people are home and remaining active in making it look nice. Plus, your teenage neighbor could use the life experience of some manual labor in exchange for a little walking-around money.
The Postal Service has a pretty simple procedure for holding your mail. You can stop into your local post office and fill out a form manually or click on “request hold mail” on their website. Much like an overgrown lawn, envelopes overflowing and packages sitting on the front porch are a dead giveaway that nobody’s home.
Holding your mail service will also help prevent package theft and hamper someone from learning personal information about your family through names, addresses, and accounts listed on documents in your mail. Overall, the post office does a good job with this, and the couriers are aware of which houses on their route filed a hold request.
Traveling to a destination by plane usually means we have to leave our furry friends behind. Kennels and pet daycare facilities provide services for this kind of thing, but if you’re someone who doesn’t want their pet in one of these, then finding a pet sitter is the next logical option.
Having someone take your dog back to their place for the duration of your trip is probably a more secure move. Rather than having them venture back and forth to your house, locking and unlocking the doors, have your pet stay at their home.
This eliminates mistakes like forgetting to lock a door, close a window, leave keys behind, and every other accidental mishap that could occur. Find someone who you know will treat your animals with the same love and care as you would!
Building relationships with your neighbors can be helpful for more than social occasions. A tight-knit neighborhood will act as an extra layer of security. Notifying your neighbors before you leave for vacation is one of the easiest summer security tips because they will already be out and about enjoying the weather.
Having them keep an eye on your house for any suspicious activity doesn’t take much effort at all. It also creates good habits that you’ll want to repeat because it can only help make your home more secure. And as a good neighbor yourself, return the favor when they’re away. It can make for an even safer and more connected neighborhood environment.
Wrapping up our list of summer security tips isn’t easy. There’s so much more you can do to improve your everyday home security this time of year. But with a solid foundation derived from these summer security tips, you can safely protect your home and maintain the peaceful livelihood we all seek and cherish.
Category: Crime, Residential, Safety & Security
