What’s the use of DIYing yourself silly and upgrading every inch of your house if you’re not going to protect it from bad guys and natural disasters? And there are so many simple ways that you can do just that. So here’s how we do our best to protect our precious home sweet home.
1. Opt for a safe deposit box. Ever since I was a young child and we got robbed (the bad guys stole all my Christmas money and a necklace that was handed down to me from my grandma) my mom has ingrained in me that you’ll never be sorry that you have a safe deposit box. It’s just a small fee each month but the peace of mind that it can provide- and the unyielding protection that it can offer to your most prized possessions- is well worth the investment. Plus it’s amazing how freeing it feels to know that all of our important papers are in one place. No more frantically searching for my social security card or the title to the Altima. I recently had to do a name change social security, since I recently just got married. 2. Get an alarm (or install deadbolts, get a guard dog, etc). We live in one of those areas where people leave their front doors unlocked when they run out to the store. In fact our neighborhood hasn’t had a single break-in throughout the entire four year span that we’ve lived here. But that’s not a reason not to protect our house just in case- especially since we share so much of our life (and our house) with the world thanks to this ol’ blog. So getting an alarm felt like a smart move for us (we even scored a break on our homeowner’s insurance for the purchase). And not only do we feel a lot more secure with a whole-house alarm, we also have motion sensor lights, deadbolts on all of our exterior doors, and a nice little yappy dog with a surprisingly loud bark to alert the neighbors of any funny business. We like to think of it as a few layers of protection.
So even if you don’t have the money or the desire to get a full blown alarm system, even taking a few simple precautions like installing deadbolts, adding a few motion sensor lights, or even remembering to lock your windows can really lower the likelihood of a break-in.
3. Befriend your neighbors. There are about a million reasons to get to know your neighbors (when our driveway was paved one of them kindly offered up the use of theirs, when we needed a cup of sugar another one lent a hand). And “house safety” is definitely on that list. We’re very close with a handful of people who live nearby, which is great because we can always let them know when we’ll be out of town so they can keep an eye on things for us. And they do! One eagle-eyed neighbor actually called us when John’s sister stopped by- even though she was there with our blessing- just to be sure. It’s like your own personal neighborhood watch. And of course they can also alert you to a fire or if a tree happens to land on your roof (that actually happened to a family member, and thanks to her neighbor they knew right away and got it taken care of before they even returned home). Gotta love that.
4. Make sure your landscaping isn’t doing the bad guys any favors. When we moved into our house it would have been easy for anyone to sneak up to our front door without any of our neighbors noticing…
But ever since we’ve cut back all the overgrown trees and bushes and created a more open landscaping plan, there’s a lot less “cover” for anyone who might want to sneak around under the cover of shrubbery. So break out those clippers and get down to business- it’s just one more super easy way to protect your place.
5. Resist the urge to announce your location to the world. Celebrities and normal people alike are using sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare to broadcast whenever they’re on vacation or visiting faraway family members… and then coming home to find their home completely stripped of all valuables. Eeks. We do our best to be safe by avoiding the urge to share when we’re traveling (on Facebook, Twitter, and even here on the blog) so you’ll always notice that we only reveal that we’ve been away after we’re back home again. You just never know who could be waiting to hear that you’ll be out of town.
6. Bring home a fire and waterproof safe. Ours was actually given to us as a wedding gift but we love how practical and easy it is to use. Of course we have all of our “true” valuables (like jewelry, titles, deeds, and other government paperwork) stored in our safe deposit box, but for sentimental items that we just couldn’t bear to lose in a fire or a flood (like a CD full of wedding photos from our photographer and all the videos we’ve made of Clara and Burger) there’s nothing like the peace of mind that a small waterproof and fireproof safe can bring. And it can easily slip into any closet or corner (we keep ours in the hall closet under the vacuum cleaner).
7. Snag a few carbon monoxide/smoke detectors. You don’t really need us to explain why this is a good idea, but it’s definitely nice now that they sell those two-in-one detectors that can do it all. We were sure to place enough around the house so that each “zone” is adequately protected, and we change the batteries two times a year when we change the clocks forward and back for daylight savings time (it’s easier to remember to do it that way).
8. Don’t forget to test for radon. We did and the results were staggeringly dangerous (read more about that here). Thank goodness, for the health of Clara, Burger and ourselves, we opted to test our house pretty much right away (instead of living here for years without knowing that our casa was trying to kill us). Mitigation wasn’t cheap, but it was definitely the key to making our home about 100 times safer for us and our growing family. And the fact that we went from an almost unheard of amount of radon to nearly none at all (even less than the air we breathe outside!) was the icing on the cake.
9. Own at least one fire extinguisher for each floor of your home. We have just one since we have a one-level ranch, and we keep it under the sink in the kitchen since most fires start in that room. We’ve never had to use it but it’s always nice to know that it’s there. It’s just another smidge of assurance that we’re prepared in case anything unexpected threatens the house that we love so much.
10. Don’t forget to get a shredder. We picked one up a few years ago and were surprised how easy it has been to make a little pile of things “to be shredded” and get ’em done all at once at the end of each week. Not only does it protect our identities, it also cuts down on the bulking bags of garbage that used to fill our trash bin since it really does condense things nicely while making it impossible for anyone to find out your bank account number. Oh and on that subject, we’ve heard that dropping bills and tax info directly into a public mailbox or even taking it to the post office is a lot safer than leaving that stuff in your own mailbox with the flag up. Because although it’s illegal for people to dig around in your mail, it would be pretty easy for a criminal to zip by, open your mailbox, and steal something like your tax stuff (complete with your social security number, bank info, income, etc). Yikes!
11. Be sure your tap water is safe. With crazy toxins like lead and even arsenic showing up in drinking water, it’s always smart to look at how your h2o stacks up. And luckily it’s your municipalities responsibility to test the water each year and send out a statement to you, so knowing what you’re drinking is free thanks to their annually published reports. For extra credit you can even install a water filter (like we did here) for more assurance. We drink water like it’s going out of style so it was a must-have for us.
12. Stay up to date with house-related check-ups. From annual termite inspections to HVAC servicing to ensure that everything’s in working order, there’s nothing better than staying on top of home maintenance so your water heater doesn’t flood your basement and you don’t have to deal with a major (and costly) insect infestation. We actually have just one piece of paper with every service person’s info on it (from our oil-heat guy to our termite inspector’s info) so it’s easy to pull that one sheet of paper out from time to time and see what we’re due to have serviced, replaced, renewed, or checked. And building a relationship with these companies by using them consistently and being organized about scheduling maintenance calls really helps build a nice relationship (more than a few of them have billed us less, offered up free labor, and even saved us a ton of money by whispering what we really can do something ourselves in return for our loyalty).
So that’s how we do our best to keep Casa Petersik safe and sound. Because nothing would be more heartbreaking than to see something that we worked so hard to spruce up somehow get damaged or vandalized- especially if it was an occurrence that we could have easily avoided. What about you guys? Do you do other things to keep your house protected? We’d love to hear your tips! Share and share alike.
Christie says
Maybe you should move your firebox now! ;)
I love the lovely foliage surrounding your home. So pretty and green.
Stacy says
The part about changing the batteries on the smoke detectors and the comment about cleaning the dryer vents made me think of something – have y’all ever done a post about home maintenance? Specifically, how/when you schedule which things. We change the smoke alarm batteries with the time change, and I change our air filters on the first of each month, but other than that I don’t really have a schedule for home maintenance. I’d be interested in reading about what others do.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Stacy,
That has been on our to do list for a looong time! Here’s hoping we can tackle it soon!
xo,
s
Kate says
Great tips! One thing we do when we’re out of town that I didn’t see mentioned is put a lamp (or two) on a timer. We’ll set it to turn on once it starts getting dark and then go off around 1:00am. When I used to cat/house sit for some neighbors, I would rotate what light I would leave on.
Amanda says
I found this post to be very informative, but have you guys ever had your house tested for asbestos?
My fiance and I painted our front bathroom a couple months back and was surprised when the guy at Lowes told us not to paint the popcorn ceiling if we hadn’t had it checked for asbestos. (We had intended on painting the ugly smoke stained ceiling but after some thought decided to check it out first.)
And sure enough all the popcorn ceiling texture in our home contains asbestos. We’re decided what to do at the moment as this is going to be a big expense. But I feel much safer knowing we’ll be living in an asbestos free home.
YoungHouseLove says
The previous owners of our house actually produced paperwork to show that our house was asbestos free (they had it tested while they lived here). Yay! But it’s definitely something worth testing for if you live in an older home and are unsure about the asbestos situation!
xo,
s
Jules says
I work at a bank. And everything at the bank is FDIC insured. That’s another benefit of a safety deposit box. The small fee is really worth it when you consider all the safety measures that most banks have (24 hour security guard), fire/water proof safes, alarm systems and more).
Holly says
I got a wireless security system installed when I bought my house. The thing they didn’t tell me was how often to change the batteries. This resulted in the fire alarm going off several times (which scared me to death). The alarm company swore a dead battery wouldn’t set off the alarm but once the batteries were replaced it was no longer a problem.
Kristen says
Our pediatrician recommended having fire extinguishers in both our room and in our son’s room to guarantee easier access in the event a fire should break out. Hopefully, they’ll never need to be used, but nothing is as frightening as the thought of not being able to get to my little boy, so I definitely took the doctor up on his suggestion!
Deb says
Just wanted to chime in about the Safe Deposit Box/Safe issue. I also have both, but many people put thier Medical/financial powers of attorney and Living Wills in thier safe deposit box. In reality, the originals should be kept in a protected – but accessible – location (A safe at home for instance). Speaking from professional and personal experience, often those documents are needed immediately and if it’s Sunday and the bank is closed and the documents are in a safe deposit box at the bank, then you’re in a position where you are authorized to make critical and timely medical decisions for a loved one, but can’t because you don’t have access to the documents to prove it.
Ok, Lecture over :) Back to our regularly scheduled comments!!
Kristi says
Great post. Someone tried to break into our home while my daughter and I were home last November. He was trying to get in through the front and back doors and we called 911. The police told me to get a gun, since I am a single woman, but I couldn’t bring myself to have a gun in the house. We opted for a guard dog instead. We got a beautiful bullmastiff who has turned out to be a great joy in our lives. She’s as sweet as can be but her looks (she’s huge!) put people off immediately.
We just moved into a new home and one of our criteria was an alarm system. We had one in the other house too but I hadn’t activated it at the time because it was early evening. It is a monthly fee that I would rather not have to pay for but the peace of mind it gives me at night is invaluable. As a single mother, I am now more terrified of home invasions than of a robbery when we’re not there.
Our new home also has interior key locks on the deadbolt, which is a pain when you are constantly opening the back door for the dogs but I have to admit it, it does help me sleep better at night.
A safe deposit box is something I need to look into, though. I have important papers scattered everywhere and can’t ever seem to find what I’m looking for.
Ginny says
my girlfriend told me about these as she uses these also. I have one that I use on top of alarms, dead bolts etc. just a little extra piece of mind. My husband sometimes travels and I get really paranoid.
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-265DCCSEN-Dual-Function-Security/dp/B0002YUX8I
Amy G says
I’ve been meaning to get a fire- and water-proof safe for some time, as well as a safety deposit box for important documents, but I can’t fathom putting jewelry in either.
I’m the kind of person that wears my nice jewelry – I don’t just lock up my glittering baubles for fear of someone making off with them. What would you suggest here? I obviously can’t wear all of my expensive jewelry at the same time (and I don’t have much), but I wouldn’t want to have to crack a safe or go to the safety deposit box any time I feel like wearing something special…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy G,
We would suggest finding a nice no-one-would-think-of-it hiding spot for any valuable jewelry that you don’t want to keep holed up at the bank in a safe deposit box. Anything from a hollowed out book in a bookcase to a box with a hidden base compartment (heck, we know someone who keeps valuables in a balled up sock in her drawer. The key would be to put them somewhere a robber wouldn’t care to look (and I guess a sock drawer might be one of those places). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Nichole@40daysof says
Kudos to you for knowing it’s a safe deposit box, not safety! And thanks for the tips. I did good on the carbon monoxide, but need more fire extinguishers.
Rachel says
I thought I had this subject down, but I learned something new from Kim (don’t leave you garage door opener in your car on days when its not in the gargage).
And, much like Julie’s story, I once called the cops regarding a suspicious car idling outside my home in the wee hours of the night – only to later see (and have the cops confirm) that it was my neighbor being dropped off by a friend!
On a related note, we recently had a salesman going door-to-door selling home security systems. After going on about all the reasons we didn’t need one (and divulging personal information in the prcoess – my husband is home during they day, we have dogs, etc.) I realized I should have stuck to a simple “no thank you”. Never know who he could have been.
it’s hard to think like a criminal when you aren’t one!
Gretchen says
In addition to the alarm, we installed a motion sensor camera connected to our network. It emails my husband a picture if people ever walk up to the front door. You can also log in and watch. A bonus is that there is only the initial cost for the camera – no monthly fees.
Nikki F. says
Thank you so much for these tips! This really made me think about getting our house prepared for unfortunate events…just in case!
Ana says
I recently read a list of dos and don’ts of home security and I almost made one of the mistakes that the writer cited. If you have an alarm system, make sure the keypad can’t be seen from the door (if it has glass) or windows so burglars can’t tell when and if it’s armed.
My security system (besides deadbolts) consists of my dogs. The little one — with a piercing bark — has phenomenal hearing and can tell when someone has stepped within the property line. The big one — with a loud, deep bark — is good at sensing people’s intentions.
One of the reasons I sold my previous house was because of rising crime. For more than a year, a mentally ill man kept trying to get into my house at all hours. He was harmless but it still freaked me out. The last straw was when a shady guy tried to get me to open the door around midnight with the ruse that he was my neighbor (uh, no) and his pregnant wife needed a ride to the hospital. I talked to him through the kitchen window, which faced the front porch, and offered to call 911. Then he tried to shake me down for “gas money.” When I refused, he turned his head and looked assessingly at my door and I got a terrible feeling. Fortunately so did my big dog, who had been silent up til then. He went nuts, barking and snarling and throwing himself at the door, basically daring the guy to try to come in. I called the police as the guy took off and the dispatcher said from my description it sounded like a guy who had been doing home invasions in the area. I put the house on the market shortly thereafter and moved to a better neighborhood.
Kelly says
Burgler/Smoke alarms, loud dog, and a shotgun. That’s all we need to keep our house safe.
Bethie says
My friend’s house was just robbed this afternoon, so I thought this was timely post! They had the metal front door of their town house completely kicked in and had TV’s, computers and other valuables stolen. (What makes it especially rough is that they are expecting their first child in only a few months!) This comes only months after my own house was robbed and they stole jewelry given to me by a relative before she passed away. Nothing could ever replace those items.
PSA: Don’t wait until you yourself get robbed to get your house in order! Let this post and everyone’s stories be enough!!
emily says
I just discovered your blog and I’m seriously in love! I’m a long way off from owning a house, but this is like all of my daydreams combined (and with helpful hints!).
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating says
Excellent post…great tips.
Just a note about drinking water: Most everyone seems to know that lead and arsenic are poisonous, but few seem to realize that fluoride is just as bad. Fluoride is more toxic than lead, and only slightly less toxic that arsenic, and yet it’s added to most municipal drinking water supplies. It’s imperative for good health to be sure you’re filtering your water with a system that will get that out.
George says
I can’t be bothered with burglar alarms… there’s nothing in my house of value to steal! We’ve been broken into before and the police estimated he spent an hour or so in the house and all he could find to steal was an old cell phone.
If a thief seriously wanted to break into a house, he will find a way to. My neighbours have a burglar alarm and while they have never been robbed, it has gone off or malfunctioned loads of times, and the annoyance of that puts me off.
leslie says
We installed our own alarm system. We bought the stuff we needed from http://www.safemart.com and spent a good part of a day installing it. We saved thousands, and it does provide great peace of mind. Plus a shotgun, of course!
Jennifer says
I don’t want to be Debbie Downer or come off critical….but….I would really advise that you now find a new place for your safe since all the world can see exactly where you keep it. My husband and I have ours hidden in the house and it was a blessing that we did. Our house was broken into last August (yes, we had an alarm and everything) and they cleaned us out. Brand new Apple desktop, TV’s, all 3 of my jewlery boxes and countless other things….over 12,000 dollars later (my husband has a home music studio with lots of expensive equipment). One thing that remained behind….our safe. Just a thought and suggestion.
Love your house and blog!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jennifer,
We just keep sentimental things in our fireproof/waterproof safe (videos of Clara and Burger, wedding photos, etc) so it wouldn’t be of interest in a robbery (but they would be safe in a floor or fire). All of our true valuables are in our safe deposit box at the bank (along with some copies of a few items that are at home in our safe). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jason says
I forgot to mention – if you have an at home safe, and you want to amp up the security…bigger/heavier is much better and also – bolt it down!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jason,
That’s a great tip for anyone who keeps true valuables in their safe and wants to deter the theft of it. We only keep sentimental things in ours (items we wouldn’t want to lose in a flood or fire, but all of our real valuables are in our safe deposit box at the bank). This is why we leave the key in the safe- so if someone were to get past the alarm, the dog, the motion sensor lights, our neighbors and our deadbolts then they would open the safe and see that there’s nothing of value to them in there (unless they want our backup CD of wedding photos and copies of home videos starring Clara and Burger). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
That’s pretty awesome that the previous owners were up on that. Our house is a hand me down, but who am I to say no to a free house?
BEST HIDING SPOT EVER!
Inside your freezer. I have a friend who uses an old frozen juice concentrate can. Since the top can come on and off after it’s opened. She cleaned it up, put her valuables in it, and keeps it in the freezer.
I won’t tell you my hiding place though. :)
Lauren says
Hey guys! Love your site and LOVE the post!
I am a police officer in Texas (Crime Prevention Division now), and I wanted to make a few comments about your suggestions.
Safe:
If you choose to buy a safe for your home, make sure it is UI rated (there will be a seal of approval on the box to tell you if it is or not). Many people buy little “fire boxes” that can easily be picked up and carried out of the house…you just made the theives very happy because you bundled up all your valuables and put them in a nice container for them to carry out. If you buy a safe, BOLT the safe to the floor! You would be amazed how many people don’t do this, and even worse; leave the safe open!!! There is a lock on it for a reason.
Alarm:
Having an alarm is AWESOME! Make sure that it is a monitored system, not just an audible alarm. You can call your alarm company and have them contact the police directly instead of calling the house first. The faster the police get the notice, the faster they can get there. In my experience on the street, sometimes we wouldn’t even be notified of an alarm until it had been going off for more than 15 mintues! By that time the bad guys are long gone. Motion sensors and Glass break sensors are a great investment. The vast majority of burglars enter the home through the rear bedroom windows or rear bathroom windows, so make sure that you have glass break sensors on those places.
Getting to know your neighbors:
Neighborhood Watch is a nation-wide program that has done wonders for communities. Whether you live in a subdivision or on property, you can contact your local police agency and get a group started. It basically consists of volunteers agreeing to look out for each other. Block captains are choosen and they get important crime information out to the neighborhood. You get to know each other and are trained on what “suspicious people” really are, and what to look for when a crime occurs. Good neighbors make good witnesses!!!
Home related check-ups:
At my agency, we offer free security inspections. Contact your local police department and see if they offer the same thing. An officer will come to your home and give you pointers on where your home security can be improved, or kudos if you’re doing a bang-up job!
Deadbolts:
All exterior doors (including the door leading to the garage) should be solid core or steel. They should also all have deadbolts installed. Make sure that the bolt goes at least 1 inch into the door latch. Installing a metal bracket around the lock will re-inforce the area and make it harder to kick the door in. These are very inexpensive, and can be picked up at a local hardware store for less than $10.
On a side note…for a little bit of dough, you can have security laminate installed on your windows. Like I mentioned earlier, the most common entry points for burglars are the back bedroom and back bathroom windows. Having security laminate installed on the bottom floor windows (depending on how thick you get it) can make the windows bomb-proof! There are videos on line demonstrating the strength of this laminate. 3M makes a great product, as does ACE Laminates.
Ann says
Great tips! We’ve actually had a house fire, and the smoke detector went off and everyone was able to get out of the house safely. I’ve had carbon monoxide poisoning too — a vent was plugged with ice and this was before the detectors were available– and I’m lucky to be alive.
Lauren says
Oh, I forgot to mention…
Keep an inventory of your important items in the safe deposit box. Include on that inventory the serial numbers of tv’s, dvd players, cameras, computers, etc. Also on this list should be the value of the items.
If your home is broken into, this will be a great help to the police because having a serial number or personal number engraved on the item (i.e. Driver’s License number…NOT your Social Security number) will be the only way to track it if it shows up in a pawn shop later.
JenS says
Great post! Thanks for all the tips. I’ve seriously been thinking about the fire/flood safe for sentimentals too – maybe I’ll have to get on that.
A second for safemart.com – my husband bought all the parts for our awesome system – both at our new/current house and in our old house. It’s monitored and he installed all the wireless pieces himself – including glass break sensors, motion sensors, door and window sensors and even a water sensor for the basement. And the monitoring is something like $12 a month, which is a lot less than systems like ADT.
Catherine @ waking up with you says
Interesting to hear that you had your house radon tested and you have a carbon monoxide detector. I’ve only heard of CO detectors in US media or blogs. Your post prompted me to look into it further. Thankfully, CO poisoning is extremely rare here in Australia so CO detectors are not considered necessary. It may be that we use less gas appliances that in other countries. Same thing with radon- tests have shown that radon levels in the average Australian home are similar to radon levels outside.
We are very fortunate to live in a court of homes inhabited predominantly by ballsy older ladies. They are the best guard dogs!
Amie says
I totally agree about not broadcasting your whereabouts to the world – I always cringe when I see other bloggers say…’I’m off for the weekend!’ or ‘I’m going on vacation to … for a week!’ Maybe it’s because I grew up with crazy paranoid parents, but it’s definitely better to keep these things quiet until after. Thanks for all the tips!
Carolina says
Great Post! But I would just like to know how you created that storage on the back of the closet door. Is that on your “How To” page?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Carolina,
Here’s that post for you: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/03/tackled-together-closet-clutter-part-2/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
Okay, I have a question for everyone. As a fairly new home owner I am SUPER paranoid about leaving windows open when I’m not home during the day. What does everyone else do when they are not home, but want their pets to get some fresh air?
We don’t have central air and only have an A.C. running every now and then. I hate to leave our dog and indoor cat cooped up, but I am so nervous someone is going to climb right in.
Does everyone shut their windows during the day when they are at work?
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone have answers for Lindsay?
xo,
s
Karen J says
Great tips. I would add: If you have an alarm, USE it EVERY single time you leave the house … even if it is just for ten minutes to drop the kids off at school. No point in paying all that money for it if you don’t use it 100% of the time.
Also, make sure you have a CORDED phone in the house. When the power is out, your cordless phones won’t work.
Melilssa says
Great post! I have heard that a sticker and even a fake security box are just as effective as an actual security system, BUT, we have our security system wired with smoke detectors and a basement water bug (near our sump pump), and the water bug went off when we were away and our sump was not working properly. We called a neighbor who went and got it going again and saved our finished basement! Our homeowner’s policy gives us an extra deduction for the wired smoke detectors.
Melissa
http://www.houseography.net
Lila Ferraro says
I totally agree with the “befriend your neighbors” advice. Seriously, I have one neighbor who we’ve had issues with their dog dumping on our yard. Since I confronted them they’ve become rude, our satellite has been acting up, there’s a ton more dog crap, and I’m nervous to go out of town! They’re all great tips!
Lila Ferraro
Condo Blues says
I use the shredded paper from my paper shredder for browns in my compost bin since I don’t have access to grass clippings. I read that if you shredded all of your paper instead of recycling it you should have more than enough brown materials in the mix for you compost to come out correctly.
charlotte says
Lindsay, how about a veranda window house for the cats?
http://www.catsplay.com/bci535741.php3
Then install a motion sensor that monitors for above 80lbs. It doesn’t have to be a monitored system, just an audible alarm. If there is a break in, the sound will hopefully be enough to scare off the offender.
aarohi says
Lindsay..u could get a security camera installed..I know a family who has done that. They can log on to a site and c activities at their home.. also there should be a clear sign showing that there is a security camera in the house..that could discourage intruders.
Chitra says
I have heard that Burglars use metal detectors to find the jewelry.No place is safe in that case huh?!
Thanks for the tips S..We moved into our new house recently and would ensure we have all those things in check:)
~chits
Rachel P. says
Hey, Lindsay.
I too do not have central air and love leaving my windows open for a cool breeze even when I’m not home. Depending on what kind of windows you have try installing a security bar. Our windows slide open sideways so we had my dad cut us some boards that let the windows only open a few inches. This way we know it is impossible for an intruder to get in through the open window. For windows that swing out (casement style) use a chain that stops the window from coming completely open. That’s the best tip I can give you on the matter.
Dena says
For Lindsay…we had new windows installed at our previous home and they had safety locks so we could open the window a couple inches, set the lock, and the window wouldn’t open any further. One could argue that the robber would then try to break the window, but if they are going to do that, it wouldn’t matter whether or not you have a safety lock.
You could also create a diy version…think the boards often used in the track of a sliding door as a security feature. Cut a length of board the same measurement of the remaining track when the window is open a couple inches. Make sure the size of the board fits snuggly into the track space.
You should have these security boards for any window or door that slides open side to side. Some windows/doors (esp older ones) need only to be pushed on & lifted to by-pass the hook lock and be opened. These security boards effectively prevent this.
We *experienced* two drawbacks to having our security system that bothered us so much (we like security and don’t like wasting money) that we ended up cancelling our security service…
1. One drawback to many security systems that many people don’t know about…is if your phone or cable line (depending on your system) can be accessed from outside your home (ours is), all the robber needs to do is cut that line to prevent the alarm message from reaching your service provider…no one is notified…no police come.
2. Depending on your area, some police departments do not consider home alarms a priority because they are so often false alarms…wasting time the emergency services could be using to get to the “real” emergencies.
To leave you on a happier note…maybe you could make one of those security boards and bedazzle it to give it some style. :D
CJ says
Awesome post!!! I love all of these tips, thanks so much for sharing. I am taking notes and I especially like the idea of keeping all important service numbers and schedules on one handy sheet. Being a new homeowner, it’s so tough to remember what needs to be done and when. It’s not like you can get a little reminder sticker on your window as you would for your car’s next oil change!
I wanted to share a few tips…One scary thing we learned when we moved into our condo was they had actually PAINTED our dryer vent shut on the outside!!! So after a TON of lint backup and poor drying action in our new dryer, we went outside “chiseled” it open and found years of built up fuzz. Holy fire hazard! Other tip: I like to keep a few flashlights by the bed. Kooky, but could help for women: put men’s used work boots or shoes outside your door or entryway-to give the appearance you are not home alone (or at least shows a male presence.) For floods: Put as many items up on blocks or on shelves in basement and garage.
And on a pet safety/health note: We just learned this the hard way… our chihuahua suddenly had hives and his face swelled up so much he looked like a boxer, he could barely breathe…although we could not pinpoint the exact culprit, we later found out they had been spraying WEED KILLER all around our condo and did not mark or flag any of the areas. Most pesticides are harmful to pets so it’s good to keep them away from that stuff or avoid using them altogether for a pet & child friendly yard.
Thanks again for the info! Congrats on the little one!
All the best to you!!!
Erin @ Letter Soup says
This is such a great list of suggestions and reminders! Thanks you! I LOVE the idea of giving a fire safe as a wedding gift. They’re a boring item to spend money on, but so worthwhile to have. Genius!
Erin @ Letter Soup says
Oops. I hate when I forget to proofread my comments! Sorry.
Briony says
I have another safety tip. Change all of the locks immediately when you buy a new house. Someone that worked with my husband had the old owners go in when he was away (a neighbour mentioned it and assumed he was friends with the previous owner and he was not). He changed the locks and found a broken key in the lock. Who knows how many times they had been in! The past owners may have given their friends or neighbours a key as well. Also if you ever have a roommate or ex partner leave change the locks immediately.
Lindsay if I were you I would leave a window open on the highest floor of my house provided the alarm had a motion sensor for movement inside the house. If anyone broke in they would walk by the motion sensor (it can be placed high enough so the animals won’t set it off).
Amanda says
Lindsay- I have been in that situation before with my animals. Before the wonderful thing known as central air came into my life, we had an attic fan. They’re pretty great for reducing energy costs, and we even have one in our ‘new’ house. The setup is pretty easy, installation is pretty easy, and it’s not really expensive either. Between the fan we have now and the cover and all that hoop-lah I think we might have paid a couple hundred dollars. It took us a couple days but we got it all done by ourselves.
Another option that my old dog Khaki loved was some frozen water bottles. He had a bed that he would lay on in the living room, and during the day or extended periods away from home we would take a couple of 2 liter plastic bottles, fill them with water and freeze them (Leave the cap off until we took them out.) We’d unzip his bed and stick them in there. If he was ever hot, they were always there.
Also, animal grooming is a good idea. Khaki is a border collie mix, and we have a Pyrenees mix puppy now. But we shave them in the begging of the summer. They look a little goofy at first, but it’s less bulk for them to carry around, and they never seem to mind it. (Also helps with fleas and ticks. As we live in tick country. So if they happen to get one we can spot them pretty easily.)
And of course lots and lots of water. Since our dogs are fairly large breeds, and we have a couple cats too, we have a pretty neat little water bowl that kind of resembles the ‘water cooler’ at an office. We didn’t opt for the expensive one that will actually cool the water, but a few ice cubes and a fresh bucket of water seem to do our pets for the day.
Hope this helps.
Heather says
Okay, so this has NOTHING to do with the topic of the post but I’m digging the baskets that your wrapping paper is in on the inside of your closet. Where did you get those baskets and how did you attach them to the door? Other than wrapping paper, what else do you keep in them?
I’m always in awe of your organizational skills!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Heather,
Here’s that post for you: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/03/tackled-together-closet-clutter-part-2/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy says
Those are all awesome tips. My family has always had dogs growing up – my mother breeds labrador retrievers and we’ve always had at least 4. No theif could get in and out of our house without losing a limb. Eventually we’re going to spruce up our yard enough to fence it in so we can get a dog from her as well. While our neighborhood is one of the safer ones in our area – you still can’t be too careful. Our upstairs tenant is a good friend of ours and if we are on vacation or are away all day she looks after the place for us. It’s nice having someone “on-site” just in case.
Something else to consider is wildlife (even if you live in suburbia there are plenty of critters out there). Making sure that there isn’t access under your house, in your roof, basement or chimneys is really important. Critters can cause serious damage to your home if they find a way in (and especially if they can’t get out) and the repairs tend to be very costly.
Right now the converted triplex my fiancee and I manage (and live in) has a squirrel situation – they’ve found their way into the walls of the house through an access we haven’t quite found yet. It’s been better since we moved in February, but we had to replace parts of the ceiling in the upper-most apartment because of excessive squirrel droppings. :(
Kim says
It’s always great to be prepared and protected, so thanks for all of the info and tips here.
I do have one tidbit of information regarding your fire extinguisher. When we purchased our home, a representative from our insurance company came to do an inspection to ensure that we had no liabilities. Like yourselves, we had our fire extinguisher located under our kitchen sink which is not far from the stove. We had placed it there using the logic that if a fire broke out, we’d want the extinguisher close at hand. The inspector advised us that it would actually be safer to keep it a little further from the stove. That way, if there was a fire, we wouldn’t have to stay in the vacinity of the stove and risk being burned while reaching for the extinguisher.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Kim! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s