Safety & Security for New Homeowners

Congratulations! You’ve officially taken the leap from tenant to homeowner after all that time saving, planning, and house hunting. While you rush around getting everything set up, one thing you don’t want to overlook is the security and safety of your new home.

According to the FBI, a reported 1.1 million burglaries took place in the United States in 2019; with a total of $3.0 billion in property losses. Safeguarding your property is vital for all homeowners, especially first-time buyers. We’ll go over some home security and safety tips for keeping your new home (and peace of mind) secure for years to come. 

Introduce yourself to the neighbors. 

When it comes to the security of any new home and keeping your loved ones safe, befriending the neighbors is always great measure to take. Neighbors that are familiar with adjacent houses and who lives there are much more likely to notice suspicious activity taking place and act accordingly—especially if you’re not around.

In addition to safety and security, it also fosters a better sense of community. Whether you need to borrow an egg, a last-minute pet sitter, or a shoulder to cry on… good neighbors watch out for each other and their property.

Install a new home security system. 

Installing a new home security system is a reliable way to safeguard your property, keep your loved ones safe, and have peace of mind knowing you’re secured by a trusted system. Along with state of the art home security, The Slomin’s Shield®  provides 24/7/365 professional monitoring so that in case of an emergency, our central station responds at a moment’s notice with significant assistance. 

Secure your doors and windows. 

Did you know that 79% of break-in’s happen through the front door, side doors, and first-floor windows? Securing your entryways with door and window contacts notifies both you and central monitoring when  someone enters and exits the house (even when your new home security system is disarmed). 

Install home safety detectors.  

Smoke detectors are a legal security requirement for all residential homes and, according to FEMA, should be replaced every 10 years. This makes moving into your new home the perfect time to upgrade your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors—both of which are must-haves to keep your new home and family safe. 

While you’re at it, it’s also a great time to install additional sensors to indicate other common issues. Slomin’s water detectors and temperature sensors alert you of any unusual water levels or heater problems taking place. This helps prevent your new home from bigger problems down the line, like water damage or frozen pipes. 

Automate your new home. 

If you’ve been considering upgrading your new home to a smart home, security and safety might be the winning reason for you to follow through. Home automation lets you remotely control, monitor, and schedule your automated devices while sending alerts of any suspicious activity to your smartphone. 

Here are some of our favorite ways to use home automation technology for increased security and safety: 

• Set indoor lights to switch on automatically at night if no one’s home. 

• Access real-time video of your property while away on vacation. 
• Scare away porch pirates with two-way voice audio through a doorbell camera. 
• Lock/unlock your doors without getting up, from virtually anywhere. 

Smart landscaping. 

Whether you realize it or not, the yard indicates your home’s value to anyone passing by. Unfortunately, this can also signal somewhere worth intruding or not. Burglars tend to scope out homes with weaker access points, dense landscaping and minimal light.  Here are some ways to smart-scape your new home for added safety and security:

• Select low-growing shrubs and flowers near your home’s entry points and keep them well-trimmed. This helps eliminate possible hiding spots for trespassers.  
• Plant bigger trees and hedges further away from the house in a spot that won’t block any windows or doors. 
• Consider adding outdoor lights to illuminate any dark areas of the yard (both front and back), along with motion–triggered video surveillance cameras to monitor your property’s exterior.