6 DIY Security Tips to Keep Your Home Safe

By Alicia Geigel on March 31, 2021

This article is brought to you by GradGuard. We protect college students and their families from the financial risks of college life, like providing a refund for tuition or replacing a stolen backpack when your school may not. When the unexpected happens, GradGuard’s tuition insurance and renters insurance can help you get back on track.

Regardless if you live by yourself or with a roommate, you always want to ensure that you have the best security to not only protect yourself but also your belongings. Living by yourself comes with inherent risks, and can make you vulnerable to certain dangerous situations such as theft or even assault, so having security in and around your home only ensures the utmost safety for you, your potential roommate, and your belongings.

Whether you live in an apartment or even a college dorm, there are several different security precautions to put in place to best protect your space. You may be apprehensive to consider different security choices for your home due to how expensive and pricey some systems are, but securing your home doesn’t have to be costly- in fact, there are several things you can do by yourself that cost hardly anything!

Do you live by yourself or with a roommate? Looking for ways to increase the security in (and out) of your space without breaking your budget? Here are six useful DIY security tips that will not only give you peace of mind but also save you some money in the long run!

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1. Make Your Space Less Appealing To Burglars: A burglar is going to target your home for one reason and one reason only: you have valuables that they want. Whether it’s a big, flat-screen TV, the newest video game console, expensive appliances, etc., burglars are constantly looking for items that they know are worth the steal. Of course, it would be ridiculous to simply get rid of those items that you love in order to avoid burglars, so the next thing you can do is make your home less appealing to them. What does this look like? Firstly, close curtains and blinds when you leave home or at nighttime. Having your windows exposed all the time can give people a look into your home and the valuables that you have. Secondly, consider putting more expensive items or valuables away when you leave the house, such as a portable video game console, jewelry, electronics, etc.

2. Consider Getting Home Security Cameras: Nowadays, people are taking greater precautions to ensure the safety and security of their home, with one of them being installing security cameras both inside and outside their home. Security cameras used to be something that only a few people get due to their price tag, however, as technology has advanced, along with the demand from consumers, security cameras have now become very affordable. Depending on your price range, you can get security cameras around $25 and under for both indoor and outdoor purposes. Having a security camera helps to give you that extra layer of protection by monitoring your home on a constant basis. The best part about security cameras in today’s age? You can connect them to your mobile device, giving you constant access to a live feed of what’s going on in and out of your space!

3. Lock Up Your Valuables: Keeping your valuables stored away is just another way to give yourself more protection and make things harder for the burglar trying to steal your belongings. Whether this is in a safe tucked away in your closet or a locked jewelry box underneath your bed, locking up your valuables creates an extra barrier between you and the burglar. Nowadays, you can get a safe disguised as normal, everyday items in your home, such as decor, books, and more for less than $20.

4. If you can, Upgrade Your Locks: At some point or another, we’ve all seen movies or TV shows that show burglars breaking into a home by simply picking the lock on the door. This is very much possible, which is why upgrading your locks to something more secure is a great security precaution to take. For example, upgrading from a door chain to a strike plate lock can help to better secure your home. James Mora of Daily Home Safety writes, “A strike plate lock is a pretty durable security device that has a similar function to a normal door chain, however, it provides much greater security. It can withstand over 50 kicks while most standard door chains give up after only a few attempts.”

5. A Little Lie Doesn’t Hurt: Deterring burglars may seem difficult, but you can do so by telling a little white lie here and there! For instance, getting a “beware of dog” sign to put on your front fencing, or a “this home is secured by (insert home alarm system here)” sign, or even a fake camera to put by your door can alert burglars that your home is not going to be an easy one to break into. Additionally, the illusion that you have all of these safeguards at home can help give the image that you’re not one to mess with!

6. Stay Close with Neighbors: Having a safety net of people around you can not only make you feel safer in the situation that a burglary or other dangerous event could happen, but it also gives you more sets of eyes to look out for your home. Lesly Gregory of Apartment.com suggests, “Get to know your neighbors. Not only will they help you feel safer, but knowing who lives around you makes it easier to spot someone who doesn’t belong in your building. Exchange phone numbers for easy communication should you suspect anything fishy.”

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When living on your own, you want to enjoy your life and not have to worry about the various risks that come with independence. Whether it’s installing video cameras outside your door or building a relationship with neighbors, taking certain security precautions can only help to protect you in the long run. In the case that something bad like a burglary did happen, Grad Guard can help cover your belongings with affordable renter’s insurance, which covers items such as personal computers, bicycles, televisions, cell phones, textbooks, school supplies, clothing, jewelry, etc.

Though it can be scary at points, living on your own is great, and it can be even better when you have the proper security in and around your place to take that worry off your mind!

It’s no secret that college costs a lot of money. Make sure your investment in higher education is protected with GradGuard. Our affordable tuition insurance and renters insurance plans are specifically designed for college students. Customizable plans make it easy to protect your tuition, room and board, laptop, bike, and so much more.

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