January 20, 2021

8 Common Home Security Mistakes You Should Avoid

Many of us say we are very concerned with security, yet often we are actually doing a lot of very insecure things, like rushing to buy the latest smart home appliances and gaming consoles or even leaving a spare key under the doormat and announcing our 2-week out-of-town plans all over Facebook. So while we are fighting tech giants for the security and privacy of our digital life, what are we doing to protect ourselves and our belongings in the real world? Luckily, our friend, Atiq Ahmed, from Peak Home Security has 8 tips for us all!

Priorities & concerns of people have changed completely over the years. Today, people are highly concerned about their privacy, data and security. We are more cautious than ever about our privacy and how our data is being used by social media companies.

And since we are taking our online privacy seriously, shouldn’t we also take some concrete steps to take our home security to next level? Having your home burglarized is a terrifying experience. It will take away your sense of security & safety. The unfortunate thing is, many of us don’t take home security seriously - we often take it for granted, compliantly in our daily routine regarding home security.

We make plenty of mistakes every day regarding home security, leaving ourselves and our belongings vulnerable to robbers and thieves.

Here are the 8 most common home security mistakes people make:

1. Leaving Your Windows Open / Unlocked

People tend to forget to lock their windows lock before leaving the house - we rarely check all the windows before going out. But windows locks are more important than door locks. Say, you left the house without locking your door - no one will know it's not locked or no one's home unless they are trying to open it. But if your window is open, most of your home will be visible from outside. Thieves will come to know that no one is in the house resultantly your home will be a soft target for them.

2. Hiding a Spare Key Outside

If you are not living alone there is a strong possibility that you have a habit of leaving keys to your apartment outside at some hidden place for the other residents of the house. Convenience, yes, but it is one of the most fatal mistake we commit. It is an open invitation for a thief or robber. Usually, these location are not hard to find even for someone new in that area.

3. Announcing Your Travel Plans on Social Media

Social media is a hub of all of your personal information and many of us like to share every aspect of our lives on social media, whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Numerous cases have been reported, where people became targets of identity theft crime just because of the sharing of their sensitive information on social media.

So you should use social media wisely. Never share your future plans on social media. If you can’t live without it, share your trip memories after returning back to your home.

4. Weak Locks or Doors

Your main door and the lock should be heavy enough to bear the thrust of a strong man.

There should not be any glass installed on your doors whatsoever. Never install a plywood door as your main door. Also buy some good quality lock for you main door.

5. Displaying Your Valuables

If any of your valuables are visible from outside through windows, you are presenting yourself as a target to burglars. Never place your valuables in such a fashion that attract thieves. Always draw your curtains when going out.

6. Packaging of Expensive Items

Mostly people leave packages of expensive item outside their homes. You should always hide the packing of expensive item or throw it out in unidentifiable form. By doing that you will not invite unnecessary attention towards your home.

7. Mailbox Piling Up

If you are going to be away from your home for a while, expect your mailbox to pile up. But did you know your mailbox is actually a sign of the owners away? The bigger the pile-up, the more likely the owners are away on a long vacation. You should make someone responsible for clearing your mailbox before leaving.

8. Relying on The Guard Dogs Way Too Much

A well-trained guard dog can save you your home from un-trained burglars, but there are many techniques known by robbers by which they can deceive a dog. So, completely relying on dogs can never be a wise decision whatsoever. You should install security cameras outside. Cameras has deterrent effect towards robbers.

Final Words...

While no leaves home expecting the house to be burglarized and there is no way to know when people with ill-intentions decide to try their luck on your house, but there are definitely things you can do to deter them. Now that you know what the most common home security mistake are, you can stay on top of things and keep yourself, your family and your belongings safe.

A word from BlackboxMyCar

Thank you Atiq for reminding us of the things that we can do to keep burglars at bay.

For those with a dash cam, did you know that in addition to keeping watch on your parked car, you can angle your dash cam at your house so that it becomes a secondary home security camera? Try the time lapse recording in parking mode - just make sure you have a larger microSD card and a dash cam battery pack, like the BlackboxMyCar BI-750, which can give you up to 48 hours for a 1-channel camera or 35 hours for a 2-channel system!

Got tips you want to share with the BlackboxMyCar community? Sign up to become a Safety Scout!