4 New Homeowner Security and Safety Features

If you purchase a house for the first time, it’s probably a thrilling moment for you. Maybe you’ve lived in apartments for years, and now you’re moving your family into a home of your own. This might be the first time your kids can have their own rooms, and maybe you have a yard where they can play. While the whole family is probably eager to move in, once you’re secure in your new house, you should keep some safety features in mind. If the home has them already, you’re in great shape. If you don’t have them yet, you should get them. We’ll go over four safety and security features right now you should consider adding to your new house if you do not have them yet.

Fire Prevention Features

There’s an organization called the National Fire Protection Association. They estimate there are about 400,000 house fires in the US every year. You will certainly want to protect against fire any way you can.

You can:

• Install smoke detectors

• Purchase fire extinguishers

If your house has smoke detectors already, one of the first things you should do when you move in is test them to make sure the batteries work. If they don’t, you can replace them. If you don’t have smoke detectors yet, you should purchase and install them.

You can also buy fire extinguishers if your house does not come with them. You should have one, at a minimum, on each of the house’s floors.

Then, you can teach your family members how to use the extinguishers. They can remember the acronym PASS, which means pull out the pin, aim the extinguisher, squeeze the trigger down, and then sweep the fire-stifling foam back and forth at the fire’s base.

Security Cameras

At one point, most homeowners could not afford security cameras. That’s because the only cameras available were those you had to hardwire. You needed an electrician to install them for you.

Now, you can purchase battery-operated cameras. Nearly anyone can get those because:

• They don’t cost very much.

• You can usually install them with little difficulty.

You can purchase multiple cameras and bases for them for a couple of hundred dollars. There are ones like Blink and Arlo that you can buy on Amazon.

You can screw the base into vinyl siding or even stone or brick. If you put them in a prominent position, would-be thieves will see them, and it will likely scare them off.

If they still decide to try and break-in, you’ll have them on video, and you can share that with the police.

Many of these cameras come with a smartphone app. You can adjust the sensitivity till it’s where you want it to be. That way, you’ll only record humans and not squirrels, cats, or other inconsequential activity around your yard or porch.

Security Lights

You might also wish to consider getting some motion-activated security lights. Much like having cameras, if you have security lights installed around the house’s exterior, that’s a great way to keep car thieves and burglars away.

You can install them over the driveway, the front porch, or the back porch. If you park your car in the driveway rather than in a garage, it’s nice to think that a bright light will come on if someone approaches.

Thieves like to work in darkness, and you can keep them away if a blinding spotlight comes on when they creep up to your residence or vehicle.

A Watchdog

Now that you’ve got your own house, you might think about getting yourself a watchdog as well. If you have kids, they’ll love the idea of getting a pet. They might have been hounding you for a dog for years.

Now, you have reason to get one. Dogs are usually territorial, and if someone you don’t know approaches the house, the dog will quickly detect it. It will bark, warning your family.

Maybe it’s just the mail carrier rather than a burglar, but it’s still good to know when someone’s coming.

It’s also nice for your kids to have a dog. They can learn to take care of it, and it will teach them responsibility. Also, many studies indicate that having pets removes stress from your life and helps you relax.

With these safeguards in place, you should be able to enjoy your new home fully. You can get to know your new neighbors while feeling secure against theft, fire, and other possible dangers.

Home Jobs By Mom

Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.