Your home should be your safe space, but when you move to a new house it can feel very unfamiliar and even unsafe. Improving your home’s safety will definitely be on your list of things to do already, but it can be difficult working out what will actually make a difference to make the space actually feel more comfortable to live in. In this guide, we’ll look over simple yet effective ways you can make your home feel safer from night one.
Change The Locks
When you get the keys to your new place, the first thing you’re going to want to do, on day one, is change the locks. It should be the number one priority on your move-in to-do list. You can organise for a locksmith to come round and change all the locks so nobody else could possibly have access to your home in the future. No telling how many spare keys the previous owner made - or who has them. You could just do the main doors, or if you want a bit more added security, also have the window locks done too.
Improve Your Outdoor Lighting
Once you know your home is more secure physically, you might still feel a bit uneasy, especially if you don’t know the neighbourhood very well. Darkness at night is going to amplify those fears, and every single noise you hear but can’t see the cause of is going to weigh on your mind. To put that anxiety at ease, invest in some lighting for your outside space. You could just stick to your standard on/off switch light, or you could install motion-sensor lights leading to entrances that only go off if someone or something moves. A well-lit home is much more likely to ward off intruders and will help to put your mind at ease.
Add Some Cameras & Smart Tech
Modern tech in the home is great. It makes monitoring very easy. If you’re still feeling a bit unsure and not safe enough, consider installing some cameras around your home. If the idea of them in your home feels a bit too invasive, then you can just have them outside your front door. Doorbell cameras have taken off massively, not only for the added home protection but also for how incredibly useful for things like deliveries. By just having the cameras visible, especially somewhere like a front door, potential criminals are deterred from paying you a visit.
Pick Up Some New Habits
Some of the best safety hacks aren’t just buying and installing a ton of gadgets, but can be some simple, easy-to-pick-up daily habits we should all aim to do. It's so easy to forget the window open upstairs when you head out and think nothing of it, the next thing you know, when you get home, you’ve been broken into, valuables stolen. It's so easy to do, we all do it, but creating consistent safety habits like shutting the windows, putting valuables away and not putting spare keys outside will make your home infinitely safer.
Having a safer space to live in is all about making smart choices. It's something that you create. Over time, and with a few helpful changes, that unfamiliar, uneasy feeling will start to fade, and your house will start to feel like a home.
