(Guest Writer: Lisa Roberts)

Moving into a new home is always exciting, and you might be tempted to start decorating immediately. However, it’s also important to remember that keeping your home safe should always be a priority. After all, even if you’re in the safest place, you can never guarantee someone won’t try to rob you. As such, your first step when settling into a new home should be ensuring it’s safe. To help you do that, we’ve put together a list of 7 ways to improve the safety of your new home.

1. Double check and secure your doors

Sometimes, the most straightforward methods are the best way to keep your house safe. Approximately a third of burglars end up getting into homes through doors. So, make sure you fully secure your doors before anything else. Check the doorframes to ensure they’re stable and cover up all the hinges. Additionally, if the door has a mail slot, make sure people can’t reach through it and unlock the door. And if you want to make your house even safer, consider the best locks for doors in your home. After all, you can’t go wrong with installing more robust locks when trying to keep intruders out. As we already mentioned, sometimes the easy methods are the best way to make your house safer, which is why this makes it into the list of 7 ways to improve the safety of your new home.

2. Install some home automation

Smart homes have become very popular in recent times. One of the reasons for this is security, as it allows for remote and automatic control of all lights, locks, and all safety devices. Additionally, many more smart home features can make a living in your home much more comfortable. Smart doorbells are a great way to scare away porch thieves, and you can quickly get an instant video feed when someone enters your driveway. That is also one of the ways to turn your home into an intelligent home effectively while focusing on functionality. All in all, you can’t go wrong with a bit of home automation when you want to improve the safety of your new home.

3. Install some security cameras

Even if you don’t want to invest in home automation, installing security cameras is a great idea. That is because security cameras are an excellent deterrent for porch thieves and burglars. And even if they are brave enough to try and steal something, you’ll have all the proof you need to get justice. Additionally, even if they’re not part of an automated system, you can interact with your security cameras through a phone. Using an app, you can see footage in real-time and save it for evidence. There are additional steps you should take when you first arrive in your new home to ensure everything is safe. The first day in your new home is essential, and you should know what you need to do.

4. Secure your wi-fi network

Hackers can take control of your smart home features if you have house automation. And even if you have no intelligent home features connected to your wireless network, hackers can gain direct access to your financial and personal information. Therefore, ensuring your wi-fi network is safe from cyber-attacks is incredibly important. Use a firewall, secure your wireless router, rename and hide the network, use strong passwords and VPNs, and so on. There are a lot of things you can do to make sure you’re safe from hackers.

5. Get a safe

Once again, sometimes, the most straightforward methods are the most effective. If you want to keep your valuables safe, you can’t go wrong with putting them in a safe. After all, safes are generally tough to get into, which is what you want. You can take security further and get a safe with redundant locks. These safes have two locks and are about as secure as safes get.

Also, ensure the safe is waterproof and fire resistant, just in case. And when you’re designing your home’s décor, consider hiding your safe in the decorations. As for the decorations, consider some tips to create the perfect bedroom in your new home.

6. Make sure the garage is secured

If your home has a garage, remember that the garage is also an entry into your home. In reality, garages are much easier to get into than doors. As such, it’s imperative to ensure that the garage is as secure as possible. It’s a good idea to make a habit of locking the garage’s exterior and interior doors. Keep your garage opener in your home, and if you have a code, always be careful not to let anyone see it. Also, extra locks on the garage and a driveway alarm are great ideas.

7. Remove all hiding places

Curb appeal is excellent for real estate, and landscaping is a big part of it. However, every bush and tree in your yard is a hiding spot for potential thieves. As such, consider removing them from the vicinity of your home. Instead, consider settling for smaller bushes and flowers. Or, if you want trees and large bushes, ensure they’re far enough from your home that thieves can’t use them for cover. Remember, curb appeal is well and good, but safety should always be a priority.