When moving into a brand-new home, security management should be a top priority, and you must know how to safeguard your home to give yourself the peace of mind you deserve. It is crucial to understand how to keep your house secure from intruders in South Africa to ensure both your safety and the safety of your possessions.
This will increase the value of your property and, most likely, decrease the rates that you pay for your homeowner’s insurance. Be sure that there are burglar guards installed on all opening doors and windows and preferably install an alarm system as well.
Try Not to Get Too Comfortable. If You Have an Alarm System, You Should Use It
In South Africa, ensuring the safety of individuals will always be a top priority. You should make safeguarding your new home one of the initial things you do – ideally before you move in – so that you leave nothing to chance or, in this scenario, an unscrupulous intruder who may perceive you as an easy target. Doing so will prevent you from leaving anything vulnerable to being broken into.
What Are the Most Efficient Ways to Keep Your House Safe From Intruders?
Not only will installing an advanced home security system protect you and your family, but it will also increase the value of your property. Because South Africans place a high priority on personal safety, any property that gives the impression of being vulnerable will be viewed as having a lower market value. Knowing how to safeguard your home in South Africa is essential for your sense of tranquility as well as the continued safety of you and your family in the years to come because prevention is the key to success in the battle against crime. When trying to enhance the safety of your home, the following are some of the areas you should concentrate on:
Fence Line
It is recommended that you start by securing the border of your property, which can be accomplished through a combination of electronic and conventional security precautions. A strong deterrent could be provided by an electrified fence or wall.
In the case that it is a wall, it is helpful to strengthen it with barbed wire or spikes on top; otherwise, thieves will easily be able to get over it. It is critical to have visibility around the outskirts of your property; therefore, you should install Cameras as soon as you are able. You will notice a significant increase in the value of your home as well as an increase in its level of safety when you install particular intelligent technologies that give you the ability to monitor your property from a distance.
Gate Security
The following are some of the possible flaws of a gate, as outlined by experts:
- Lifting – Intruders on the property can gain the property’s access by lifting the gate. You can stop this from happening by installing anti-lift brackets on the gate.
- The rack for the gates – When it comes to sliding gates, this can be dislodged from the gate itself (typically with the use of a crowbar), which will allow the gate to be opened. You can avoid this scenario by soldering a flat bar onto the rack to make it immovable and thus prevent it from being moved.
- It was an intercom – Intruders can check to determine whether the residence is inhabited by pressing this button. You can find out whether someone has pushed the intercom button by connecting your intercom system to your iPhone, which is made possible by several different intelligent technologies.
- The remote for the gate – You must make use of a contemporary remote that is equipped with cutting-edge technology because older remotes can have their settings replicated or copied.
Windows
Burglar bars are necessary, and they must be sturdy. Even though they might not be as visually appealing, Agnieszka Gryn, a regional executive at Fidelity ADT, recommends installing burglar bars on the exterior of the windows.
Doors
The primary entrances must be constructed from sturdy materials and be fortified, ideally with multi-point locks that can secure the door in multiple places simultaneously.
Dogs
According to the investigating officer Brigadier Piet Byleveld, dogs are among the most efficient methods of security protocols. They are not only effective in preventing criminal activity but also serve as an early detection system.
Alarm system
According to research conducted by researcher Rudolph Zinn of the School of Criminal Justice and Police Practice at the University of South Africa, alarms and security sensors are among the most effective deterrents for burglars. It is critical to test the alarm on a routine basis and make sure that it is well maintained. The alarm must be fitted by a company that specializes in armed response.
Household Helpers
In interviews conducted by Rudolph Zinn with thirty individuals who had been found guilty of armed robbery and were serving time in prison, the majority of the offenders admitted that they depended on inside knowledge when determining which residences to rob. Because of this, Piet Byleveld recommends conducting a background check on all of your employees, including domestic helpers and gardeners, and enquiring as to the reason why they left their previous place of employment.
Learn About Your Enemies
Make it a priority to educate yourself about the methods that burglars use. If at all possible, consult the guidance of the local police station. The majority of the time, low-level robbers will only attack homes that do not have any sort of security system installed, whereas “professional” burglars typically work in groups, are acutely aware of the reaction times of security systems, and will typically spend some time inspecting properties before attempting to commit a burglary. Based on the findings of Rudolph Zinn’s studies, burglars choose homes to break into based on the following factors:
- Affluence – The burglars chose their victims because they knew the victims’ homes contained valuables that they could steal.
- Knowledge gained from within – As was just mentioned, burglars prefer to break into homes about which they have prior knowledge.
- Proximity – Burglars typically target residences that are within ten to thirty minutes’ commuting distance of them.
- Low level of security – Homes with security that did not meet minimum requirements were an obvious target.
