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.
Janis from Scotland says
All great tips and congratulations on having Clara who looks beautiful.
We live in a flat and have deadbolts on the door as well as an alarm. I think, unfortunately, if someone wants to get into your house no matter what you do to try and make it safe they will get in. However, its great to take precautions to make it harder for them. I am told slatted blinds – we call them “venetians” in Scotland are good at deterring a would-be burglar. Also a security expert said to plant prickly bushes underneath your window making it very awkward for someone to climb them without actually drawing blood from somewhere on their body!!!
Amy E. says
regarding #11, it’s not just toxins to be worried about in the water. when we first brought home our 2nd kitten, she had the runs. we thought it was just stress, but when it persisted past the typical “settling in” time, we asked our vet. she had Giardia. they’re little parasites that cause the runs, stomach cramps, etc. the vet said she probably got it from the tap water, and giardia can also affect humans! after a few “EW!”s we went straight to HD and bought an under-the-sink water filter. we also saved up for a fridge with a filter. she hasn’t had any problems since then. (and neither have we!)
Caradi says
Love this post! Also love your closet shot, the sight of a nicely organized closet makes me feel more serene.
Claire P says
I am really torn on this safety issue when it comes to getting to know your neighbors. I really enjoy all of the comments which really gives me a lot to think about. I am moving into a condo in less than a month and I would really like to know my neighbors. Any suggestions as how to approach this? Should I knock on their doors with a plate of cookies? (I love to bake) or invite them over for a apartment warming party? How do I know these people are safe? I will only be living there for just over a year, but I know it makes me feel better when I know a few of the people around me.
YoungHouseLove says
Stopping by with cookies and introducing yourself sounds like a great start. Anyone else have any getting-to-know-your-neighbors tips for Claire?
xo,
s
Beth says
Too funny the timing of this post as I *just* purchased new smoke & carbon monoxide dectectors. Here’s a tip I read about smoke detectors: buy new ones every 10 years, even if the batteries are still good. Just wanted to share that.
Also I have a question, what sort of maintenenace/service do you do on your HVAC? Just curious as I hadn’t thought of that, d’oh!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Beth,
We have someone out once a year to clean and service our HVAC. It’s a 20+ year old system but they say it’s in great shape thanks to the maintenance, and since it would be around 5K+ to replace it, we think staying on top of it is the best approach. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Leia says
Claire, even though this is for new neighbors, some of the tips may apply: http://www.wikihow.com/Welcome-New-Neighbors
Don’t be afraid to say hello to people as you pass – you may find something to strike up conversation about. :)
Kate says
For people (like Lindsay) who are worried about leaving their windows open, they make little alarms for windows. One of the apartments I lived in college freaked my mom out so she bought me these alarms to put on my windows when they are open. (similar to this http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-SP440B-Wireless-Window-Alarm/dp/B000E8T8SS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276275811&sr=8-1)
You can just open your window a few inches, put the alarm at that point, and then if someone tries to open it anymore it’ll trip the alarm. When you want to close your windows you can just turn it off with a little switch on the side.
Sherry, I’ve also never had my HVAC system serviced. How much does it typically cost?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kate,
Ours guy charges around $65 or so each year. Totally worth it and he usually find some loose part that he tightens or something else that he tweaks for optimum performance. The one year that we didn’t have him come out was the year that we had a major issue down the line (which called for $200+ worth of repair) so now we call him at the beginning of the summer every year like clockwork. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mr. Decal says
Here is an idea purchase a CCTV sign with a fake camera if the neighbors think they are on camera it might give them pause.
Click on link for CCTV signs http://www.decalfactory.com/security-products.php
Julie says
Love this post, you can never be too prepared. My next door neighbor is a firefighter and he suggested that we relocate our fire extinguisher that was also located under the kitchen sink to the cabinet closest to the kitchen exit. He said that if a fire occurs you want to reach for the extinguisher while moving in the direction of the exit. Preferably this should be kept mounted to the wall but we we rent.
He also suggested Consumer Reports for their ratings on fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. In doing so I learned that most people own extinguishers that are so small they’re ineffective at putting small fires out!
Keep up the great work!
Julie says
After commenting my browser refreshed to show someone already commented on the location of a fire extinguisher. Oops!
Decor Girl says
Great tips by you and your readers. Some of these things are so simple but easy to forget. I’m sending a couple of new home dwellers your way (blog) to make a list. :)
Sue says
Our office security guy advised me that any home safe should be bolted to the floor if it weighs less than 500 lbs. The “closet safe” is one of the first things a thief will look for in a home, and they often bring help with them for heavy lifting! Most of us just keep “important documents” in our home safe, but they are valuable to us, right?
Katie says
I just wanted to let you guys know that I recently took my interior design licensing exam and one of the practice questions asked “which of the following would you not need a contractor for?” and the answer was radon testing! i instantly knew the answer because of your blog! If only the rest of the test was on white ceramic animals and YHL paint colors…. :)
Christie DeSilva says
Fire proof safe isn’t good enough depending on what you put in it. Make sure you have a HEAT-PROOF safe as well. They are not the same. My grandmother had a very expensive safe Yes, no paper documents caught fire, but EVERYTHING plastic melted (and made a big mess on the papers)…think precious family photo cd’s, real photo negatives, and printed photos too. They all melted in a house fire. If you’re going to keep back-up copies of photos or cd-rom’s in the fire proof safe, make sure it is heat proof. I’d hate for someone to lose their precious photos because they melt like my grandma did.
priscilla says
Thanks for the great tips! Please tell you readers NOT to rely on the epa radon map you posted. I am a realtor in Florida and we have LOTS of radon, even though the map shows Florida as low radon,those maps rely on reported testing and many states, including Florida have only just begun. 6ive years ago hardly ,y buyers would ask for or p) for testing, evev though I urged it. Now a lot of them are testing though still only about 50 percent. So all shoulf test, regardless of what epa maps show. Do it and be safe!
YoungHouseLove says
Great advice! The peace of mind is worth testing every house no matter where it is!
xo,
s
Carolyn says
We’ve just been away for a week, and here are some ideas we use when not at home:
*Have someone clear out the letterbox for you. Looks like someone is home when the letters and junk mail are collected every day or so.
*Ask someone you trust to house-sit when you’re not in town.
If we’re away just for one night we sometimes leave a light on, or keep the radio on, so that there appears to be someone home. Having said all this, it’s probably given any burglars reading this, some tips to look out for! ;)
Also, good to know your neighbours. We’re lucky that the people who bought the house behind us are actually good friends of ours.
Shanna S. says
What kind of baskets are those used inside the closet door for wrapping paper?
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s that post for you: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/03/tackled-together-closet-clutter-part-2/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
sophia says
Hi Sherry, I was wondering, what kind of shredder you guys own? I have bags and bags of paper to be shredded and I need a shredder pronto. Thanks for the advice!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sophia,
We have a Ativa LO 100 (from Office Max). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Missy says
Do you guys know anything about getting fire extinguishers tested? We just moved into a new house and the one under the sink was inspected in 2003. I’d hate to find out too late that it didn’t work! Thanks for all your great info. Funny that you guys were my first source to look this up! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Great question! We have no idea. I think we would just replace something that old if we weren’t sure (just to be safe) but perhaps someone else knows how to get them inspected? Anyone?
xo,
s
Missy says
Just talked with the guy at Lowes who confirmed as long as the indicator is still in the green, it’s good to go. They can last anywhere from 8-10 years. He said it would be smart to double check the valves and hose yearly and replace if they are corroded or rusting at all. Thought you guys would want to know! :)
YoungHouseLove says
So good to know! Thanks for the heads up!
xo,
s
Emily says
Youngsters, Checking your blog is the (not so) guilty pleasure of my day–I especially love the simple living and budgeting tips. Just stumbled across this post, as I’m wondering if you (or anyone) can recommend a good, affordable, compact paper shredder. I know it’s a must these days, but we’ve gone through two in the last few months: one we received as a gift, the other was a more expensive, “greener(?)” model we purchased to replace the first. Although we are diligent about staples, sticky goo, and feeding too many sheets at once, neither has lasted longer than a couple months. Ideas? It’s gotta be affordable and small to fit our budget and our cozy apartment. Apologies if the answer is buried somewhere within these comments and I missed it.
On another note, have you ever done a time-management post? I’m dying to know how you both work from home, take care of Clara, balance so many DIY projects, and yet still seem to squeeze in leisure time, too. How do you stay motivated? What’s your typical daily schedule like? Do you ever just veg in front of the TV on a lazy Sunday for a bad reality show marathon, or is it all work, all the time? I find your discipline impressive: We’ve lived in our current place 2.5 years and just got around to purchasing curtains for the living room! ;)
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Emily,
We’ve been enjoying current shredder so we’ll pass that info along. It’s an Ativa LD100. As for a day in our crazy life, we actually have a post about that going up next week so stay tuned- and as for if we ever just veg in front of the TV, we do! Usually after a lot of projects (we work til we’re exhausted and then we don’t feel as guilty when we veg). We definitely feel like we’re juggling a ton of things, but we love our life and we wake up every day excited and raring to go. Well, 9 times out of 10 we do…
xo,
s (& j)