We all need somewhere to call home. A place to rest each night, to put your feet up and relax. Somewhere to stream shows and movies, to dance in your living room with your family, to laugh and enjoy the company of your nearest and dearest. A sanctuary, a haven, a safe harbour where you feel secure, comfortable and content.

And part of ensuring you feel safe at home is by investing in modern home security. Unfortunately, nefarious sorts disregard the law and view other people’s prized possessions as a way to make a quick buck. Because of this, hard-working folk need to do everything they can to secure their home and all of their belongings.

This helpful article will share six key elements to consider when investing in not just the best home security system but also looking into modern options. Read on to equip yourself with all the foundational knowledge you’ll need to help protect your home and family.

1. Invest in deadlocks

First things first, you should enlist the help of your local locksmith to invest in secure deadlocks for both your front and back doors. Deadlocks are sturdy locking devices that are hard to open without their proper key, making your home more secure at its main points of entry. By design, deadlocks are also far more difficult to pick or force open than traditional locks, meaning you won’t have to worry about lockpicks or even forcible entry.

There are other benefits to deadlocks, too, such as the fact that they require a key to lock, making it hard to lock yourself out. In addition, if someone enters your home via a window, they won’t be able to leave via the front or back door due to the deadlock. All of these factors make deadlocks an essential home security investment.

2. Install a security camera system

Another excellent investment into your home’s security is installing a CCTV or smart security camera system. These will monitor your home’s entranceways, yard and garden spaces, and capture footage of anyone entering your camera’s field of view. Some modern smart home security systems also boast thermal sensing technologies so that they can detect heat signatures in low-light conditions. Smart security cameras are also able to communicate with your phone, sending you notifications in the event that a figure is detected around your property while you’re out of the house.

Even if you don’t manage to catch any crooks red-handed, a CCTV system will still be an excellent deterrent against burglary because any would-be thieves will spot the security cameras and decide to try for an easier target. In addition, if someone does rob your home, you will have footage of them that can then be turned over to the authorities, drastically increasing the likelihood of you being able to find the culprits and perhaps even retrieve your stolen property.

3. Consider outdoor lighting

Just as potential thieves may be deterred by the sight of CCTV cameras installed on your home, so too may they be deterred by automated lighting systems. These sensor-operated lights are designed to flick on when they detect movement, ensuring that you’ll be well aware of anybody approaching your home during evening hours. Automatic lights can also be highly convenient for homeowners, as you can return home from a night out and won’t have to fumble in the dark for your keys before heading in for the night.

And if automatic flood lights aren’t your cup of tea, then you can easily opt for other types of outdoor lights, like solar-powered lanterns to guide guests down your garden pathways, or strings of fairy lights to add an ambient glow to your patios or pergola spaces. Be sure to consider energy efficiency when making your final decisions regarding outdoor lighting, however! You don’t want your outdoor lighting system to be contributing too much to your household energy bills, especially when these outdoor lights are positioned to take full advantage of renewable solar energy!

4. Add an internal alarm system

Similar to retail store alarms or other business alarms, a home alarm system generally works by emitting a piercing, shrieking alarm when any doors or windows are opened or other motion is detected inside your home while the alarm is armed. The loud siren will serve two purposes – first, it will spook any intruders, and it will also alert your neighbours and perhaps even your local authorities in the event of a confirmed break-in.

Installing an internal alarm system in your home can also be a surefire way of bolstering your home’s security. Modern home alarm systems may even be able to send alerts directly to your mobile phone, allowing you to stay on top of your home security even when travelling abroad. If you have an older alarm that may be lacking this feature, then you might consider swapping this existing out for a smart home alarm system.

5. Set up a camera doorbell

Have you ever had a dodgy delivery, or perhaps even had a parcel stolen from your front doorstep? Although security cameras may be able to detect figures as they approach your front door, these cameras may not be installed in the best angles for capturing the faces of those who approach your door. That’s where camera doorbells can come into play.

Operating with sensors as well as a two-way speaker system and single button control, camera doorbells are a simple yet elegant innovation on the original home intercom system. Your visitor can simply press the button to ‘ring’ the doorbell, prompting your phone and sending a video feed of your front door directly to you. From here, you can tell if your guest is a friend, family member, delivery person, tradesperson, or even a door-to-door salesperson.

6. Invest in a valuables safe

Our final home security element to consider is a safe to keep your valuables hidden from grasp inside your home. You can purchase a sturdy safe with a pin or key lock and store your passport, cash, jewellery, and other valuable items and documents inside. This way, even if thieves gain access to your property, they will need to access your safe in order to get what they came for.

You can have a safe installed directly with a mount to your floor or wall for added security. In doing so, you can make sure that your safe won’t be removed by burglars looking to crack it open elsewhere.

Regardless of whether you use all six of these measures in your home or just two or three that work best for you and your household, you will still be improving the overall safety and security of your property. And do remember to communicate with your family members before installing any measures, if only to make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding the need for that security measure and how best to use it themselves.