Do you feel 100% secure within your home? Do you think that it can protect you from all outside threats? Chances are it can use some improvements, especially in two critical departments: security and sustainability. Here are some simple but smart ways to prepare your home for any situation that might arise.
Security
While a security system does most of the work in protecting your home, you should also make small daily efforts to improve your home’s security and keep it prepared for any external threats. Here are some little things you can do.
Leave Some Lights On
Whenever you leave your home, keep a few small lights on throughout the house to give the appearance that you’re still there. A porch light or a small lamp in your bedroom could dissuade intruders from peeking around your property. The small addition to your electric bill is worth it if you can keep your home safe when you’re not around.
Open Up Hiding Places
Trees and large shrubs might improve your home’s curb appeal and property value, but they can also be convenient hiding places for intruders. They can also block your windows and decrease visibility within your house. You don’t have to remove the plants entirely, but you should maintain them. Cut the lower limbs from the trees and trim the bushes, so they’re not too thick. Well-tended gardens show that you spend a lot of time outside and know every corner of your property.
Hide Your Precious Items
Your wallet, cell phone, laptop, and other vital items to your daily life deserve special protection. When you prepare to leave the house or go to bed, hide these items in inconspicuous places where intruders wouldn’t think to look. You can hide them in a shoebox, a random kitchen drawer or the back of your closet. You can buy a small safe or a nightstand with a secret compartment for even more security.
Protect Your Mail
Deliveries have become very common due to COVID-19, which has made mailboxes (and front porches in general) more frequent targets for burglars. One easy solution to this problem is a security mailbox, which requires a key to access. You should also have an adequate porch light and install a security camera or smart doorbell, which will pick up any movement around the mailbox.
Communicate With Your Neighbors
The most often overlooked, but arguably the most important aspect of home security is communication with neighbors. If you trust your neighbors, give them a brief rundown of your daily schedule and any security threats you’re concerned about. When you go on vacation, they can take in your mail for safekeeping, mow your lawn and do other things to take care of your house. Of course, you should treat them with the same courtesy. A network of trusted neighbors is the best repellent for any unwanted visitors.
Sustainability
With climate change and our world’s supply chains becoming more glaring issues, it’s more important than ever that we find ways to live more sustainably. Here are some innovative ways to make your home more environmentally friendly.
Grow Your Own Food
Growing your own food is the best thing you can do to be more sustainable and self-sufficient. With some time and dedication, you can grow potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce and many other nutrient-rich vegetables right in your backyard. You won’t need to rely on grocery stores for everything, and more importantly, your family will have a more balanced, organic diet.
Start a Compost Pile
Instead of throwing fruits and vegetables away, start a compost pile in your backyard. This small change will greatly reduce your waste levels and provide high-quality fertilizer for your garden. Just make sure you keep meat, dairy and other spoilable foods out of the pile, as well as diseased plants or weeds.
Close up the Gaps
Your home has many small gaps and cracks which seem negligible, but can leave your home exposed to the elements. You should try to close up as many of these gaps as possible. Seal up your doors and windows with draft stoppers or weather strips. Pay close attention to your roofing as well. Make sure your gutters are unclogged to handle heavy rain, and perform frequent inspections for leaks or drafts. Filling up these small crevices will also improve the efficiency of your air conditioning system, saving you money on your energy bill.
Use Multiple Light Sources
If your home still has incandescent light bulbs, you should change them sooner rather than later. Halogen, fluorescent and LED light bulbs are all more energy-efficient options because they don’t burn as hotly and they last longer. This change may not seem like much, but it truly adds up when you realize how many light bulbs are in the average household. Additionally, you should have a few independent light sources, such as heavy-duty flashlights and lanterns. If your area loses power, you still have light and visibility.
Wash With Cold Water
Washing your clothes with cold water can save significant amounts of money and energy in the long run. A vast majority of the energy spent on a load of wash goes towards heating the water to high temperatures, so if you remove that step, each wash will be much more efficient. The more money you save, the more you can spend on other conservation efforts, like buying the draft stoppers and light bulbs you read about earlier.
A Prepared Home is a Sanctuary
The above measures will help protect your home against intruders and the elements. They will also help you prepare for widespread crises like power outages and supply chain issues. Anything can happen, so you must do everything in your power to prepare your home and turn it into a sanctuary against external threats.
You made a good point about sustainability. Since heating and cooling are pretty energy-consuming and can account for up to 50% of your utility bills, improving them should be the first thing to do for a “greener” home. Such a simple thing as changing air filters can lower your energy consumption by 5-15%.