How to Keep Your Home Safe this Winter

Safety is something that should always be in the back of your mind as far as the home is concerned.

12:48 17 December 2020

Keeping your family safe from the elements and potential burglars should be one of your top priorities, particularly as the nights get longer, darker and colder. Here we’ll be taking you through a few things every sensible homeowner should be doing to secure and protect their homesteads.

 

Trim your hedges - Shrubs and hedges are ideal for thieves to hide in while they survey your home and plan their nefarious deeds. Don’t give them the option and ensure your hedges are trimmed neatly. Or plant some nice thorny bushes right outside your windows!

 

Hide the scary stuff - There can be few things more tragic than the concept of a small child getting hold of a bottle of bleach. Ensure that all potentially harmful cleaning products (and alcoholic beverages) are hidden beyond the reach of curious toddlers.

 

Note the weaknesses - Do a scan of your home’s perimeter and try to think like a burglar. Any misgivings you might have about the security of a window or how on-display a piece of expensive equipment might be is one that will be shared (and exploited) by a thief.

 

Check fire and carbon monoxide alarms - There is nothing more important than keeping your family safe and the only way to ensure you’re going to know when they are in danger is if your fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are stocked with full batteries. At least every week check your alarms and replace batteries where necessary. Thankfully, 9v batteries can be ordered direct from RS Components and should be with you within days.

 

Light it up - The front of your home should always be lit up at night with motion sensors if possible. This serves two purposes. Firstly, it will startle burglars who might otherwise be tempted to make the final approach to your home and secondly it will ensure you and your loved ones can find the front door or the garage without having to get your phones out!

 

Lockdown your Wi-FI - There is a reason why most default Wi-Fi passwords are so long and complicated. The more obscure and difficult to guess or remember your password, the more secure it will be from potential rogue elements. So, if you’ve changed your password then it might be time to change it back.

 

Grit your drive - Slipping over on a frozen driveway isn’t just humiliating if the neighbourhood is watching. If you fall and crack your back or your head it can lead to some quite debilitating injuries. So, if a frost is on the horizon then ensure your driveway is freshly gritted.