Must Know Security Tips For A First-Time Homeowner

December 26, 2016 by Anas Mustafa

Purchasing your first residence is definitely a noteworthy occasion, but it’s also a time for sober thinking on the home security front.

While it might be easy to get caught up with important considerations, like the square footage of the home, the number of rooms and bathrooms, and the functionality of the kitchen or den, you also need to factor into the equation things like the potential security risks of any home on your shortlist.

So before you sign on the dotted line, read on to learn about must-know security tips for a first-time homeowner.

Consider Security Situation

Research shows that neighbourhoods with mostly single-family dwellings are safer than those with a lot of apartment buildings. So take this into consideration when looking to make your first home purchase.

Check Out Neighbourhood

It’s also a good idea to get into your car and drive through the neighborhood you’re interested in buying a home in. Do this during different times of the day to get a feel for things like the amount of vehicle and foot traffic, the demographics, and anything else that might factor into whether or not you table an offer for a house. You should also consider getting out of your car and actually talking to neighbours, which will give you a good feel of the place.

Research

Do some online research to get a feel for how safe the neighbourhood you may soon be a part of actually is. For instance, you can go to the website of the police department servicing the area and dig around for crime statistics pertaining to property crime rates and violent crime rates.

Security Audit

As a first-time homebuyer, you need to do a security audit of your home. This will entail considering the entry points of your home — windows, doors, and attached garage, for instance — to ensure that these points of entry are secure. Depending on what you discover, you might need to change locks or to reinforce what you already have in place. Another thing you should be mindful of is the need to install a quality home security system that will provide you and yours with some peace of mind.

Local Emergency Services

It’s a good idea to find out the proximity of local emergency services, like the fire department and police department, to where you might buy a home. Ask the people in the area about the response times and about how they would rate the local emergency services.

If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you need to be vigilant to ensure that you and your family are safe. There are lots of things to take into consideration if you want to reduce the odds of any security-related problems. The abovementioned tips will give you an idea of how to make your first home purchase a pleasant experience.