Tips to Improve Your Home Safety and Security

• Reports from Stats SA highlight that hundreds and thousands of South African homeowners continue to struggle daily with property-related crime 
• Download an affordable, reliable and trustworthy armed response app that offers full nationwide coverage and connects to an extensive network of home security companies
• From installing smart home security systems to setting up wireless home security cameras, leverage your smartphone’s ability to provide superior safety for your family
• Reinforce your home’s windows, a typical point of entry, with security film – a protective layer that makes it harder to break in, giving you more time to trigger your panic button

Homeowners in South Africa go to great lengths to secure their properties as burglaries and home-associated crimes are a common, devastating reality. Recent statistics from Stats SA highlight that home robberies affected 139 000 households in 2019/20. In the current crime climate, you must implement proper home security measures if you wish to rest at ease knowing your family and possessions are safe and live every second with greater confidence in your family’s security.

Fortunately, there are some relatively affordable and simple steps that you can take to secure your home. On top of installing burglar guards, routinely locking your doors, and having a canine companion to protect your family, there are innovative products and handy recommendations that we can suggest to help you and your family feel safe and secure in your home. 

Here are our top five home security tips for 2021:

1. Download a Trustworthy Armed Response App

As parents, our mobile phones are glued to us. Whether we need to check in with our older children or call emergency services, the mobile device has become a critical parenting tool in the modern day. One of the most significant home security tips that we can recommend to protect your home and family with your smartphone is to download a trustworthy armed response app. This affordable app, with no hidden costs, offers premium security response through an extensive network of reliable security companies. Whether you are at home or on the go, you can simply hold the panic button to send out an alert signal to the nearest security team. Within minutes, an armed response team will arrive at your home or location. Whatsmore, this security app offers full nationwide coverage throughout all 9 provinces in South Africa so that you and your family are protected wherever you are. 

2. Install a Smart Home Security System

Our second crucial home safety tip is to install a smart home security system. Cape Business News reports that new technology gives homeowners an incredible advantage over traditional systems, and this is echoed across the Atlantic Ocean in America where 49% of homeowners assessed in a survey installed smart home security systems to support their safety during the pandemic. These smart-systems provide superior safety support in comparison with traditional ones as they link to your Wi-Fi network and mobile device, allowing you to access your home’s security features on the fly. Entry-level systems, which are relatively cost-effective, include motion detectors, window sensors, and a smart home hub to facilitate the automation of security protocols, such as lighting triggers to give the illusion that someone is home. More complex and costly systems provide comprehensive security coverage, such as advanced surveillance cameras, sirens, smoke detectors, and smart door locks to name a few. Smart home security systems are ideal for families who travel often as you will receive instant notifications and updates regarding the safety of your home. 

3. Set-Up Wireless Home Security Cameras

If you are looking for a dependable smart home security set-up for a more reasonable price, then you may wish to consider purchasing a wireless home security camera. These nifty gadgets connect to your Wi-Fi network in the same way that a complete system would, allowing you to peer into your home or scan your outside space using the dedicated app from any location. Some of these cameras even boast voice functionality features and recording software, allowing you to talk through the camera’s microphone or capture security footage on an onboard memory card.

4. Reinforce Your Home’s Windows

We have addressed the importance of considering smart home security solutions, however, we cannot ignore the need for superior home reinforcement measures in parts of the house that are typically used as an entry point for break-ins. Homeowners would benefit from reinforcing windows with security film. Security film acts as an additional skin that makes it more difficult for intruders to break or shatter a window, increasing the time it takes for burglars to enter one’s home. This time can make all the difference as it will allow you to efficiently trigger your armed response app from home to ensure a reliable home security company arrives in time to help.

5. Maintain Your Garden and Outdoor Spaces

The simplest and most affordable step of our home security tips is to ensure that your garden is clean and your outdoor spaces provide as little cover for burglars as possible. Trim bushes and cut back trees that provide dappled shadows to limit the areas in which robbers may hide, especially in your driveway where you may be caught off guard getting out of your vehicle. You should also clear away any broken branches, rocks, tools, and other objects that could be used to break through windows. Our final recommendation would be to plant thorny shrubbery around your perimeter to add additional obstacles whether you currently have an electric fence or not.

From installing smart home security systems to reinforcing your existing home safety measures and downloading a reliable armed response app, there is a lot you can still do in 2021 to improve your home security and protect your family.