4 Ways to Protect Your Austin, Texas Home
By Space Coast Daily // May 4, 2023
It only makes sense: when you invest good money buying a home in Austin Texas, you know that you want to protect that home. Not only is it where you keep all your own most sentimental treasures, but it’s also where your family spends their time, so you want to feel safe.
You’d be surprised though: much of what it takes to protect a home doesn’t have to do with buying more and more expensive security systems. It’s about awareness and thoughtfulness, two of the best tools against both natural disasters and home invasions.
Know Your Home’s Vulnerable Spots
It’s very strange to do this, but you need to look at your home like a criminal. Their priorities are getting as much as they can, as quickly and easily as they can, all while not getting caught. Once you think this way, you can start to notice weak spots in your home: is there an easy-to-ignore corner where people might slip up to the house unnoticed? Are their ground-floor windows or an easy tree to climb beside an upper-story window? This is where you begin locking windows, planting hedges, and any other creative solutions you can think of that simply make the house not as approachable (for people not invited in through the front door!). Same goes for natural disaster preparedness: keep an eye on dead trees or dangling branches, replace your roof as needed, and generally monitor for debris and damage.
Figure Out The Right Amount of Tech For You
Some people absolutely benefit from a security system, though it tends to be due to a high-crime area or a high amount of valuables in the house, something that is so important to protect. For an average home in a nice neighborhood, your best deterrents are nice automatic floodlights, a few cameras to check entrances and the basement, and maybe a camera doorbell. These items bring light to the moment when a stranger approaches and records a face if you run into an issue later on and need to confirm.
Coordinate Housesitting, Neighbor Connections, and More
Some of the best deterrents for intrusion, though, are simply the appearance of hustle and bustle. There is often less crime in areas where people spend time on their porches and in their yards, partially because there is just not as much chance to subtly approach a home. If you have neighbors who spend a lot of time at home, enlist them to keep an eye out for you during the workday or trips. If you can have a house sitter stay in your home or visit to care for pets, the movement around the home may cause criminals to move on as well.
Pay Attention When Things Change
One of the best ways to take care of your home and protect it is to keep an eye on crime stats, get to know new neighbors in a friendly way, and keep up with your home’s maintenance.
When something new happens, like a hurricane coming your way or a rash of burglaries nearby, you’ll already be paying attention and be ready to make adjustments as needed.
