Living in Nashville comes with a lot of rewards, but there’s also some risk as well. Consider securing your new home by installing a combination of security measures.
Things I Think Are Must- Have Security Measures
- Re-key all of your door locks. You just never know who still has a key to your new home. It could be a repair person, a babysitter, a dog walker- you have no way of knowing! Better to be safe than sorry. Call a locksmith and rekey the existing locks on all of your exterior doors. This is a MUST for all buyers. Many locksmiths can rekey all of the exterior locks so you only have one key which opens all of your exterior doors. I also recommend having a deadbolt on all exterior doors. Please schedule this as close to move in day as possible- as in day 1 or day 2 in the new house!
- Install an alarm system. There are plenty of options to choose from when installing an alarm or updating service. I use NCA on my own home. What I like most is that they don’t put you in a contract. Plan to spend at least $100 – $300 on installation depending on if you want motion sensors, door windows, glass break alarms, etc. In today’s world, I can’t stress the importance of an alarm enough. Be aware, it can take a week or more to get an appointment, so call now and set up the appointment for the day of or the day after closing. THIS IS IMPORTANT: You’re most likely to get broken into the first week you’re in a new home. Thieves look for people moving. They know this group of people is most often easier to burglarize because they don’t have many safety features set up yet.
- Put a peep hole in your front door if it doesn’t already have one. This isn’t hard to do and can normally be installed by a handyman.
- If you have a sliding glass door, buy a thick wooden dowel and keep it in the door track on the floor when the door isn’t open. I also recommend adding a jimmy plate and an auxiliary lock to any patio doors.
Things I Strongly Recommend But Are At Your Discretion
- Consider installing a Night Lock on back or side doors you won’t use every day. They are highly effective at preventing someone from breaking in. These are must haves in single family home basement and back doors.
- If you have any glass in your front door or windows at or below ground level, I recommend installing Shatter Safe on your windows. It’s a clear plastic film that covers the inside of your window (you can’t even tell it’s there) and makes it virtually impossible to break the glass and enter the home.
- If you’re buying a single family home, add a dusk to dawn lights over all exterior doors and consider a motion detector light on side areas or the garage area. Just search for Dusk to Dawn lights on Home Depot. If you’re buying in a condo building, ask the HOA to add these items if they aren’t already in place in the building.
- If you are buying a single family home with a garage or basement and there are windows, consider putting curtains over the windows or change the window to frosted or glass block so potential burglars can’t see inside your garage. Definitely add Shatter Safe to your garage window- it’s a prime spot for a break in.
Although you and I are out working to make an honest living, criminals are known to watch new people moving in to see what kinds of valuables you’re bringing into the home such as TVs, computers, etc. and then rob you shortly after moving in. Be aware and be vigilant in protecting what you’ve worked for.
Questions? call me @615-977-8444 or email whereyoulivetn@gmail.com