You live in a nice quiet neighborhood and never advertise when you’ll be leaving town. You lock your doors and windows at night. You’ve even got the protection of a neighborhood watch group. With all of this protection, you may think your home is immune to burglars, but think again! Isolated from living areas, the garage is one of the least secure places in a home. Check out these five garage security tips now, before it’s too late!
1. Make Sure the Garage Door Leading to Your Interior is Kept Locked
If a burglar is able to enter your garage, they’re certain to check whether they can also make it into your house. Perhaps the most essential of these garage security tips is to keep your interior door locked at all times. It is also beneficial to install a deadbolt or door brace for some extra reinforcement. Make sure all members of the family know that it is their responsibility to lock the interior door after they’re finished using it. And, whatever you do, do NOT hide an extra key to any door in your home under your doormat or in a flower pot. These are the first places burglars will look in order to gain easy access to your home.
2. Keep Valuable Tools and Other Items Out of Sight
Burglars tend to “case,” or patrol, neighborhoods to find worthwhile homes to target. They look for valuable items like expensive tools and equipment, nice cars, and other items stored in garages. If you use your garage with any frequency, it’s impossible to shield these items from view without the help of some storage. Invest in lockable cabinets and storage lockers for your garage to keep valuables out of sight and out of mind. As an added precaution, don’t store boxes in your garage that held valuable items, like electronics, that you keep inside your home which would signal an even bigger payout for the burglar. If your garage has any windows, it is also a good idea to put some curtains up to block the view from the outside.
3. Don’t Share Your Garage Code With Others
When you go on vacation, it may seem like a good idea to give a neighbor or friend your garage code so that they can access your home in case of emergency. However, this can be risky. They’ll almost certainly need to write the code down in order to remember it. You may trust this individual, but do you also trust their son who has been hanging with the wrong crowd, or their sister who happens to be in a tough spot financially? Even the most well-meaning individuals can put your home at risk by leaving a Post-It note with your garage code in plain view. For this reason, you should limit the number of people you share your garage door code with so that you can maintain a safe and secure home.
If you’ve already given out your garage door code to anyone in the past, it’s not too late to protect yourself. Change your garage door code now and only share it with immediate members of your family.
4. Put a Motion Sensing Light In Front of the Garage
Burglars are often deterred by lights and noise that will attract attention. You should install bright, motion sensing lights at any entry point to your garage. These lights will then go off when others approach. This will make it harder for a burglar to stay under the radar, and may keep them away from your home altogether.
5. Install Security Cameras Pointed Toward Entryways to Your Home
Along these same lines, you should also install security cameras at each entry point. When the light goes off, you’ll be able to capture video evidence of anyone trying to break into your garage. If they are successful, you’ll have a much better chance of catching the burglar and recovering your items than you would have otherwise. Some home security systems may include security cameras along with their alarm system. The video would then be stored on a protected server with the home security systems company for a certain amount of time. This is a great fallback in case a burglar is also able to enter the home, in which case they can take your electronics (and all recorded evidence) with them.
With the help of these garage security tips, you can be sure to protect your assets from being stolen. As an extra preventative measure, it’s also a good idea to include theft protection in your home insurance policy so that you can recover your losses after a break in.
What are your best garage security tips? Share them in the comments below!
