10 New Home Essentials for Ultimate Home Security
Your home is your castle, but modern threats – especially in the digital domain – can make home security difficult without the right equipment. In fact, 75 percent of homeowners don't have a security system, making their new home an easy target for intruders.
Whether you've recently become a first-time homeowner or are an experienced home buyer, it can be hard to know what home security essentials you need to ensure your safety.
Get started quickly and easily with these 10 new home essentials. Read on for a breakdown of each security measure and why they make our "must-have" addition to every new home checklist.
10 Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Home Security
Bootstrapping or upgrading your home security is a matter of choosing the right security equipment and practicing clever safety techniques.
Install Security Cameras by Your Doors
An extra set of eyes never goes amiss when it comes to keeping your home safe. Installing quality outdoor cameras at your front and back doors will send a message to any would-be intruders that you are always watching.
Security cameras have further benefits beyond dissuading bad actors, too. For example, some camera systems include a video doorbell and record each time they turn on.
Plus, if you're on vacation, you can double-check that the visitor at your front door was a delivery person. Then you can call a neighbor and have them pick up your package to prevent it from being stolen while you are away.
Security cameras are excellent for peace of mind, minimizing the likelihood of intrusion, and giving you total visual control over your property 24/7.
Protect Your Valuables With a Smart Safe
Interior security is just as important as the exterior. Whether you have your family's crown jewels, important documents like passports and birth certificates, or a firearm you need to keep out of reach of kids, a smart safe covers the bases.
Smart safes use modern technology to keep your valuables locked up nice and tight. The best designs include easy accessibility. Take Mycube's Biocube. This 38-pound safe is similar to the standard Mycube Classic, as it is wall-mountable with eight pre-drilled bolt holes.
The Biocube, however, features proprietary biometric safe fingerprint technology. Open the tamper-proof door bolts to the ⅛-inch-thick wall safe with a single touch, then easily retrieve your valuables or firearm in an emergency thanks to a bright internal light.
The right smart safe can make retrieving your valuables quick and fuss-free. It's the perfect solution whether you must respond to a burglary or recover essential belongings in a house fire.
Home Automation for Added Security
An automated home network may further bolster your ultimate home security strategy. Home automation affects your garage door, security cameras, thermostat, and even your light controls.
When you install a smart home security system, you can:
- Program your smart lighting to turn on randomly while you are away
- Set the security cameras to run and record 24/7 or at other times and schedules according to your needs
- Keep tabs on window sensors or door sensors
- Engage smart locks to open or close doors
- Check motion sensors for unusual activity
You remove the possibility of error by upgrading your home's network systems to full automation. It's an excellent way to help ensure that your home is kept safe and sound, whether pulling a late night at the office or away on vacation.
Install a Camera Doorbell
Security cameras at your doors are a great addition to the typical home alarm or motion detector. But a camera doorbell is an extra layer of security that can potentially fool potential thieves or intruders.
Depending on how and where you place your cameras, you may not have a perfect field of view of your front door. But, if you install a camera doorbell, you'll always have perfect video imagery of whoever comes to knock.
You'll appreciate the extra security whenever you're away from home. But it also allows you to check who's at the door if you're home alone before opening up your house to a stranger. In some cases, a camera doorbell may provide valuable video evidence if you need to assist police in their pursuit of a possible threat.
Lock Your Windows Whenever You're Not Home
Some of the best ways to improve home security are often the simplest. Whenever you aren't home, do a quick check of your home's windows and check your locks. Locking your windows when you aren't home makes these otherwise easy entry points more difficult to breach.
Combined with a home security system, locked windows will be no more vulnerable than your front and back doors.
Add Exterior Lighting for Extra Security
Exterior lighting elements, like floodlights in the driveway or motion-activated lights on the front porch, may do wonders for bolstering your home security. Exterior lighting chases away possible intruders or those who skulk around porches looking for easy things to steal.
In addition, exterior lighting can improve the video footage your security cameras or doorbell cameras capture. Some cameras come with capable night vision recording, but not all. If your cameras function better with adequate light, exterior lighting systems are optimal add-ons.
Invest in a Home Security System
A home security system is always a good idea. Home security systems, provided by a host of professional monitoring companies, automatically trigger their alarms when:
- A window or door is breached
- Someone crosses an entry sensor threshold
- You manually trigger the alarm
- A smoke detector or fire alarm goes off
As soon as the alarm goes off, your home security system provider receives a notification. They can summon police or other emergency services or contact you via phone (and sometimes mobile app) for more information.
If the worst does happen, the Mycube Firecube safe can help keep your important items safe, offering one-hour fire protection at 1700 degrees. This safe boasts two tamper-proof steel bolts and an internal bolt hole with fireproofing cap for seamless installation.
The top pull-out drawer to accommodate the Mycube fire safe tray is the perfect touch for this 55-pound commercial-grade fire safe.
Many of the best home security systems further raise the alarm by sounding loud klaxons, potentially chasing off burglars. Home security systems can protect your new house from problems, including intruders, fires, and carbon monoxide.
An alarm monitoring service can be an excellent investment for protecting you and your entire family. Research available security companies carefully so you know what each offers and so that you purchase a system that provides the features you want.
Upgrading Garage Security
Your new home's garage could be one of the most vulnerable points on your property. If you have a garage full of toys, it's worth it to up your security for the space.
It's worthwhile to invest in upgrading your garage security by:
- Purchasing a high-quality garage door lock. Good locks can't be broken easily.
- Placing a home security system sensor in the garage by the door terminus, so anyone who crosses the threshold while the alarm system is activated will set off alerts.
- Not leaving your garage door open or unlocked overnight.
These measures are even more important if you store valuable items and vehicles in your garage. Whether you have a new car, an expensive bike, or other valuables in your garage, keeping it locked tight and secure should be one of your top priorities.
Keep Your Wi-Fi Secure
Your home's Wi-Fi network is convenient and flexible. But it's also a potential entry point for digital intrusions. If your Wi-Fi network is protected by a weak password or isn't password protected at all, you may allow a thief entry into your home's smart network.
That's worse news if your home security system is connected to your Wi-Fi network. By not restricting access to your Wi-Fi network, your alarms could be remotely turned off prior to an intrusion.
With that in mind, take steps to keep your Wi-Fi secure by:
- Using a strong password for the Wi-Fi network and not telling anyone, especially your neighbors.
- Changing your password for the Wi-Fi network regularly.
- Using a router or modem with built-in digital security, such as antivirus firewalls.
- Practicing good digital hygiene in general, such as protecting your home computers from digital intrusions through antivirus software and regular updates.
Lastly, don't leave your Wi-Fi-connected phone lying around. If someone manages to steal it and open it by deducing your password, they could gain control over all of your home's digital systems, leading to a major security breach.
If your Wi-Fi is ever breached, disconnect the devices you have linked with that network ASAP. This way, you can take steps to build a new network and input a stronger password without giving the hacker the time needed to use the breach.
There's a reason the Mycube iCube safe runs on 110V power and connects to a secure cellular cloud _without _the need for WiFi or Bluetooth. This smartphone-enabled safe offers an end-to-end cloud security platform, tamper alerts, and user management tools with eight pre-drilled bolt holes for easy installation.
Run Routine Security Checks for Your House
Regular patrols are crucial to protect your new home. Routine security checks allow you to ensure your chosen security measures work properly and catch security issues before thieves or trespassers exploit them.
An ideal routine security check should include:
- An examination of all your windows and doors. Make sure that they open and close properly and fully and that they can be locked.
- An alarm test of your home security system. You should do an alarm test every month at minimum.
- A check of your Wi-Fi system's security with frequent password changes.
It may also be wise to look up local news sources for stories about break-ins or intrusions in your neighborhood. If local criminal activity is on the rise, take extra steps to protect your valuables and your family and make sure that your alarm system is ready to go.
Protecting the Things That Deserve Safekeeping
No matter where your new home is or the size of the property, the above 10 new home essentials will help you protect the most important things in your life, from your kids to your firearms to important family heirlooms.
Mycube can help you get started securing your home with an accessible, mountable safe. Maybe you need a safe that combines form and function, an illuminated digital keypad, and eight pre-drilled bolt holes for easy installation - the Mycube Classic is ideal for you.
Or maybe you need a wirelessly connected smart safe like the iCube, which allows you total control via your smartphone and which pairs automatically with our end-to-end cloud security platform.
There's a safe for every need – explore Mycube to learn more.
Sources:
Surprising Home Burglary Facts And Stats You Should Know | Forbes Advisor
Is There Empirical Evidence That Surveillance Cameras Reduce Crime? | MTAS
