Moving into a new home is usually a wonderful experience for anyone. After all, starting a new chapter in life is always exciting, especially if we’ve chosen our ideal home and taken the time to make it our own. This also means taking home security very seriously so that you’re prepared to prevent any incidents that might occur.
What’s more, when it comes to home security, there are many factors to consider. On the one hand, we may experience a mishap or accident at home; on the other hand, we may fall victim to a crime, such as an attempted break-in or robbery. And in either of these two cases, it’s essential that we be prepared to minimize risks or even take action if we face any such incident.
Today at CULMIA, we’re bringing you a series of recommendations to help you take safety measures in your new home. So keep reading to start enjoying a peaceful life in your home today!
Safety Measures for Your New Home
Strengthen the security of your entry points: front doors and windows
According to a study conducted by InterNACHI, in approximately one out of every three cases (34%), burglars enter a home through the front door, while in nearly one out of every four cases (23%), they enter through a first-floor window or the back door (22%).
Consequently, home security depends largely on the points of entry into the home: specifically, doors leading outside, windows on lower floors or first floors, patios and gardens, and terraces or balconies that are primarily at a low elevation.
In the case of a new home, you’ll most likely have top-quality doors and windows. But don’t get complacent—reinforce all these “vulnerable spots” in your home using every means at your disposal. For example, for doors, you can opt for deadbolts or secondary locks —some of which are invisible from theoutside—to supplement the main security mechanism; or, for windows, you can also install alarms with sensors that detect tampering or break-ins.
Install an alarm or video surveillance system
One of the best ways to improve home security is to install a comprehensive alarm or video surveillance system. There are many options on the market, ranging from personal cameras—whichautomatically alert you if any movement is detected while you’re away— to video surveillance services connected to a monitoring center that can detect any intrusion and immediately call the police.
It’s up to you to evaluate all your options and determine which one best suits your home’s needs. But, of course, it’s important to make sure that the option you choose is intrusion-resistant (to detect any unauthorized access), tamper-resistant (to prevent physical tampering), and jamming-resistant (so that criminals can’t detect the transmission signal and, therefore, block it).
Let home automation help you
Many new-construction homes already include smart features. And a basic aspect of any smart home worth its salt is security, because digital technology allows you to remotely control the security cameras we just mentioned or prevent accidents through fire, water, or gas leak detectors—or even systems that monitor the electrical system.
However, not all home automation systems can help us directly. There are also those that can do so indirectly, since they depend on our proper use of them. For example, we can think of mechanisms for automatically raising or lowering blinds, as well as for turning lights and appliances on and off.
The thing is, if we program them at the right times, we can make them simulate our presence at home when we’re not there. This is incredibly useful for throwing burglars off—they usually keep tabs on their potential victims before breaking in.
Smoke, fire, gas, or water leak detectors
In line with what we just discussed, if your new home doesn’t already have smoke, fire, gas, or water leak detectors installed, you should seriously consider getting them. Having these smart devices provides great peace of mind, because they can alert you if a fire breaks out or a gas or water leak occurs in the rooms where they’re installed; and in some cases, they may even include a built-in fire suppression system to prevent the fire from spreading.
Or, if you prefer, try to prevent household accidents with a temperature sensor. It will alert you if it detects an imminent risk, such as the temperature rising above the set limit.
Light up your patio, deck, or garden well
Always keep in mind that burglars love darkness and hiding places, because they allow them to move around and act more freely. This is especially true if they need to break into your home through the backyard, patio, balcony, or garden.
If you properly light these open spaces at night and during times of the day when visibility is low, you can deter them. It’s also a good idea, for home safety, to install lights with motion sensors around walkways and outdoor structures, such as swimming pools or sheds. This way, the lights will be triggered by any movement and reduce the risk of a fall or accident if you or a family member goes outside when it’s dark.
And remember to take care of your yard, if you have one, and avoid dark spots as much as possible. To do this, mow the lawn thoroughly and prune the trees regularly so there aren’t any areas of deep shade that limit visibility in the area.
Install a safe
If you plan to store valuable items or possessions in your home, you can have greater peace of mind by having a safe that offers a high level of security. In fact, ideally , it should be fire- and water-resistant and have a reliable locking and unlocking system.
Also, before buying one, think about where you’ll place it. You can choose a surface-mounted safe, to be installed on a table or piece of furniture, or a built-in safe, to be installed in a wall or any available space. You also have the option of hiding it in a secure spot in your home, such as on the floor under a rug or behind a picture. You can even use safes camouflaged as books, flowerpots, or ventilation grilles!
Use common sense in your daily life
You can become the best guardian of your home’s security. And it doesn’t even require a lot of effort—in many cases, all you need to do is use common sense in your daily life. We’re talking about avoiding anything that could compromise the security of your home.
For example, don’t share information about your immediate travel plans with people you don’t trust or strangers, because it could end up in the wrong hands. Also, whenever you’re away from home for several days, ask a family member or friend to pick up your mail while you’re gone or even to raise or lower the blinds in your home. And, of course, never hide your key under the doormat or in the flowerpot by your front door, because that makes it far too easy for criminals.
Close the windows and turn off the water valves before you travel
If you’re going to be away from home for several days or weeks, don’t forget to lock everything up. This includes all the windows in the house, as well as any doors leading outside —the front door, back door, garage door, etc. Also, turn off all the shut-off valves —for gas and water—so there’s no chance you’ll find an unpleasant surprise when you return.
Purchase insurance
If a home is purchased with a mortgage, it is mandatory in Spain to take out insurance that covers, at a minimum, damage caused by fire. However, this requirement does not apply when the purchase is made with cash.
In any case, it is highly recommended that, in addition to all these safety measures for your new home, you also take out an insurance policy that covers both the structure of the home and its contents in the event of a fire, flood, electrical accident, or weather-related incident. And if we want even greater peace of mind, we can pay a little extra so that the insurance also provides coverage for theft, technical assistance, appliance repairs, or cosmetic damage.
It all depends on what we want or can afford and, of course, on how much we value our home and everything in it.
Moving into a new home with CULMIA is very easy
Here are some basic safety measures for your new home. But if you’d like to learn more, we recommend that you download our Guide to Moving into a New Home below. It’s completely free, and in it you’ll find tips like these and many others to help you get your new life off to a great start!
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