DESIGN
TIPS FOR SECURING YOUR
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Dream Home
hile a hidden passageway would be fun, a more practical approach to keeping your family, home and property safe entails devices as simple as smoke detectors and as high-tech as drones. If your house and/or property are sprawling, know that your needs are different than with other types of homes, and your security strategy and investment needs to match those needs. Let’s start with your front door. You could get a bullet-proof, biometric door, or you could make sure your smart lock does what you need it to do — voice activation, geo-fencing and auto-locking.
Also available for the front door and any other entrances are keyless touchpads, tamperand-forced entry alarms and locks with built-in cameras. For the master bedroom, where a burglar is most apt to explore, replace the door with a better, stronger one (reinforce the door frame). A deadbolt lock is an added security plus. It’s in this room where you should consider having a safe bolted to your closet floor to ward off someone from searching for papers that would lead to identity theft. Options include fireproofing and fingerprint sensoring.
Motion sensors and break-in alarms may be smart additions throughout your home. For your grounds, research surveillance-camera systems. Some have night vision and the capacity to follow a “visitor” throughout your property. Automatically activated drones will do the same. There are more affordable self-monitoring and easyto-set-up home surveillance systems that watch your grounds through videos after detecting motion and loud noises. Don’t forget to: • Secure all entry points. • Keep your yard clean and bright. (We do live in wildfire country.)
• Get to know your neighbors. Look out for each other; and neighbors are a better options for stashing keys than hiding them on your property. • Close all windows and lock the doors and garage when not at home. If it all sounds a bit overwhelming, turn to security experts for advice, options and cost range. Many, if not all, offer a free home security consultation.
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