Consider securing your new home by installing some security measures:
Things We Think Are Must Have Security Measures
Rekey all of your door locks. You just never know who still has a key to your new home. Better to be safe than sorry and have a locksmith rekey the existing locks on all of your exterior doors. This is a must for all buyers. Our recommended locksmith is Pacific Lock & Key at 206-784-2332. They can rekey all of the exterior locks so you only have one key which opens all of your exterior doors. We recommend having at least one deadbolt on all exterior doors. We highly recommend having this done the day you move in or the day after to be safe.
Install an alarm system. We recommend you find a reliable and reasonably priced alarm company. Another option is to use a DIY security system such as SimplySafe or Abode. Plan to spend up to $500 on a system depending on if you want motion sensors, door windows, glass break alarms, etc. We strongly recommend having a security system if you’re buying a single family house or a condo below ground, on the first floor or one which has an exterior staircase that people could climb up to get to your unit
Other Things We Recommend. 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. We also recommend adding a jimmy plate and an auxiliary lock to any patio doors.
Install Door Devils on each of your exterior doors. These simple strike plates are highly effective at preventing your front door from being kicked in, even if you live in a condo building. If you’re buying a condo in a small building that has a common door leading into the building, consider asking the HOA if you can install a Door Devil on the building’s exterior doors as well as on the door to your own unit. These items are simple to install with a drill. This is a must have for single family home owners and is a product we install on all of our homes and investment properties. Here is a great article about the effectiveness of Door Devils Please note that these items cannot be purchased anywhere locally (ie. Home Depot, etc) and must be purchased online directly from the Door Devil company.
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’re buying a single family home, add a dusk to dawn light over all exterior doors and consider a motion detector on the gangway or 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 and the garage has a window, consider putting a curtain over the window or change the window to frosted or glass block so potential burglars can’t see inside your garage.
