Five Home Security Tips for Summer

The temperature is rising as the dog days of the year are nearly upon you and it’s time to consider the best home security tips for summer.

Home security is, of course, important year round, but your home’s specific security needs can vary depending on the season, and there are several things one can do to keep the home safe and secure when summer rolls around.

Given the habits of many homeowners, summer can be an unusual time for a house – kids are out of school and at home more, except, of course, when the entire family is out of the house, and out of town, on vacation, leaving the home entirely empty.

GIven the unusual circumstances that can arise with the middle months of the year, it’s important to take the right steps to make the transitional period as safe as the rest of the year for your home and property.

Here are five security tips for summer to prepare your home for the season:

• Keep an eye on the greenery. Lawns and shrubbery can grow fast in the summer, especially after a rain, and those thick bushes or tall grasses near the edge of the yard can provide would-be thieves places to hide when darkness falls. Trim back your bushes and any tree branches near the house and keep the lawn neat to deter home intruders from using your yard as a stalking ground.
• Don’t advertise your absence. If you’re heading on vacation, don’t let would-be burglars know. Wait to post all those vacation photos on social media until after you get back. Make sure you put a hold on mail and your newspaper deliveries while you’re gone to avoid tell-tell piles of papers and packages on the porch. An empty house is considered a target house by burglars, so don’t let them know it’s empty.
• Keep an eye on things. With integrated home automation devices, you can watch what’s going on at home while you’re gone. A video doorbell can show you who’s knocking at your door. Cameras can detect anyone in the area. Use automatic locks and lights to secure the home.
• Don’t forget to arm the system. If you’re going to leave the kids at home much of the summer, don’t forget to arm your system so they’re secure while you’re gone. If they’re going to be coming and going while you’re out, let the oldest and more responsible children know how to arm and disarm the system for such occasions.
• Secure your windows. On a hot summer night, you might be tempted to leave a window or two open to try and catch a breeze. If those windows are on the second floor or above, that’s likely not a concern (assuming there are no sturdy trees nearby). But always close and lock the windows on the first floor at night; leaving them open is no different than leaving the front door wide open as far as thieves are concerned.

Summertime is a natural time for thieves to go to work.

Keep yourself protected with BlueAccess security systems and equipment and make your summer a time to relax, not a time to recover from a burglary.