5 common home security mistakes – are you making any of these mistakes?
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20 Jul 5 common home security mistakes – are you making any of these mistakes?

5 Common Home Security Mistakes to Avoid

 

Experiencing a break in at home can be terrifying and leave you feeling uncomfortable and unsafe in your own home. In our line of work, we often come across the small mistakes people make that mean their home is vulnerable to opportunistic thieves. Here is a selection of the most common mistakes we see on a regular basis.

 

Mistake #1 – assuming that home alarm systems are enough

 Alone, home alarm systems are definitely helpful but we see far too many people assuming that a nice, loud siren is enough to protect their home from invasion. The police do not respond to an alarm being triggered unless they have visual confirmation of an intruder being present – there are just far too many false alarms for the police to respond to. In other words, you’re relying on others or you being able to check your home whenever the home alarm system sounds. That’s why a professional back to base alarm monitoring service is so valuable. It protects your home day and night. Our National Electronic Security Sydney monitoring centre watches over your property and responds accordingly when necessary. Whether that means contacting you, a trusted neighbour, the nearest police station or despatching a trained patrol team, you know action is being taken when your alarm sounds.

 

Mistake #2 – being unaware that your alarm is not NBN ready

 This is a mistake we’re seeing more and more as the Government continues to roll out its National Broadband Network (NBN) scheme. Many home alarm systems encounter issues because of their implementation. What people don’t know is that an NBN connection means you no longer have access to a fixed-line telephone as the existing phone line and internet network infrastructure have been upgraded. The majority of older alarm systems are designed so that a phone line dial goes to a monitoring centre that is alerted when a sensor is triggered. If in doubt, check that your current alarm is NBN ready and if it isn’t, installing a Permaconn unit is a great solution. At a cost of $300 for installation and then $3 per week ongoing, it’s far more cost-effective in the longer term even if your current alarm is NBN ready. Why? A Permaconn unit eliminates phone call charges each time a monitoring centre is alerted when your alarm sensor is triggered, saving you money while protecting your home.

 

Mistake #3 – Leaving doors and windows unlocked

 We understand that it’s really easy to forget that a door or window is unlocked. The reality is though, if you’re leaving doors and windows unlocked, your home is wide open to home invasion. Burglars do watch people and their habits (as unnerving as that sounds), waiting for the perfect time to strike. Don’t make it easy for them. Get into the habit of double-checking that all of your home doors and windows are locked. Even if you have to set a reminder on your phone or computer, it’s best to be safe!

avoid leaving doors and windows open

Mistake #4 – Poor lighting and overgrown garden areas

 The easier it is for a burglar to conceal their entry into your home, the more likely they are to choose your home to break into when scanning a suburb. Pay particular attention to entry and exit areas – have garden lights and a well-lit porch area (they can be sensors if you’re concerned about wasting energy or raking up an expensive energy bill). And make sure that you maintain your garden: overgrown trees and shrubs make it harder for passers-by to notice if anything out of the ordinary is taking place in your home.

 

Mistake #5 – Making it obvious you’re on holiday

This is another big one that people do harmlessly. We all love a good selfie on social media, showing off how we’re enjoying our exotic getaway but how many of your Facebook friends are really your friends? Be aware of what you’re posting on social media at all times (especially the checking-in function) and some other tell tale signs you’re not at home for a lengthy period of time. An overflowing mailbox, closed blinds, an overgrown garden… if possible, ask a neighbour or family to check in on your home whenever they can.

Being aware and being alarmed are two very different things. Unfortunately, it is necessary to be aware that opportunistic thieves are on the prowl and that they’re more likely to strike when we make silly mistakes (and we’re all guilty of doing so at some point).

Make it as hard as possible for a burglar to invade your home – contact us for home security guidance from a team that has 25+ years’ worth of experience in the industry.