15 Easy Ways to Boost Your Privacy and Upgrade Your Home’s Security
If you want to improve the levels of security at your home, but you don’t want a hard-wired system installed, you could always invest in a DIY home security system of your own. You shouldn’t have to fork out megabucks to have reassurance that your home is protected. Thanks to fast, reliable Wi-Fi connectivity and the advent of smartphones, it has never been easier to set up a smart home security system that offers genuine peace of mind. For inspiration on how to improve your property’s privacy and upgrade your home’s security, check out these 17 Hometalker projects that have helped to create safe sanctuaries in all kinds of neighborhoods.
Cute Ways to Cover Your Peepholes When Not in Use
Counteract the threat of thieves placing cameras onto your peepholes with this clever home security hack. Hometalker Mother Daughter Projects opted to hand-craft a DIY home security solution with a rustic mini-barn door that is fun and functional. It can be placed over your peephole before you leave the house to make it harder for potential burglars to know when your property is empty. Get tutorial here
Defensive Garden Plantings Can Discourage Burglars
One instant deterrent for would-be burglars is defensive garden plantings that make it harder to escape. Hometalker D.I. Yankowski does not believe home security has to be all about expensive, technical security systems. Simple landscaping, using thorny, thick or intimidating shrubs can go a long way to decreasing a home’s probability of being burgled. When burglars look for an easy target, they want a property that has easy access. Yards with sharp foliage or thorns are big no-nos! Get tutorial here
DIY Birdhouse Slipcover for a Smart Home Security Camera
If you have recently installed a smart outdoor security camera, these slipcovers are the perfect camouflage. Hometalker Mother Daughter Projects recently installed Ring Outdoor Security Cameras to improve the surveillance of their property. These battery-operated cameras aren’t the most subtle of gadgets, but these DIY birdhouse slipcovers can help you position your new home security cameras in trees out of the eyesight of burglars. Get tutorial here
Wind Chimes can Make for Ideal DIY Home Security Protection for Spare Keys
In BrightNest’s article suggesting for smart places to hide keys, they talk about the “Wind Chime Method”. What do burglars hate most? Noise, and lots of it. They want to get in and out of their unsuspecting properties as quickly and quietly as possible. If a prospective thief wants to search for spare keys, the last place they will look is within a set of wind chimes. It’s a recommended place to hide spare keys for friends and family members in an emergency. Get tutorial here
Smart DIY Home Security Systems That Can be Controlled Via Smartphone
Smart home security systems don’t have to cost the earth, says Hometalker, Architectural Audio Integrators. There are some smart security solutions that can give you instant control of your heating, door locks, lighting and home security alarm. All of which can be accessed via your smartphone. The touch-screen Security Panel-Z Wave System pictured above is recommended by this Hometalker for the ability to arm your home security settings using a single button. Get tutorial here
Use a Security System Sign to Raise Awareness of Your Setup
Hometalker Kara Masterson proves that your home doesn’t need to be Fort Knox to deter burglars. Kara recommends placing a sign in your front yard, making neighbors and any unwanted intruders aware that your property is protected by a security system. This is often enough to deter burglars as they know you are savvy about protecting your home and its belongings. Even if you don’t have a security system installed, these signs are still a red flag to criminals. Get tutorial here
Front Gates can Deter Burglars From an Easy Entrance
If you want to feel truly safe in your home, secure entrances and gates are very important. Hometalker RS discusses the importance of secure, dominating front yard entrances that provide an effective barrier between criminals and your household. High gates such as those pictured above are a big red flag to intruders. That’s because they typically look for properties with easy ways in and out. These locked gates restrict access, keeping intruders at arm’s length. Get tutorial here
Get Live Video of Your Property Streamed Directly to Your Smartphone
Hometalker Protection 1 recommends home automation systems to secure your property on the move. If you are a busy professional that tends to spend more time in the office than you do at home, an automated home security system could be ideal for the safety of your property and your belongings. You can remotely activate and manage the locks on your doors and the arming of your property’s security alarm. Get tutorial here
Cancel Your Mail When You Are on Vacation
One effective burglar deterrent when you are away on vacation is to cancel your mail. Burglaries are at their highest point during the holiday season. If a potential intruder sees stacks of mail in your mailbox, it can indicate an empty home. To stop this from happening simply call your post office and ask them to hold your mail at their depot during the dates you are on vacation. You can pick it all up when you return. Get tutorial here
Secure a Safe to the Ground or Wall for Valuables
Placing precious valuables in a safe that’s secured to the ground or wall offers genuine peace of mind. Hometalker Kara Masterson recommends placing jewellery, family heirlooms, social security cards and bank details in a safe. Safes that are fastened to the ground or wall are best, preventing them from being carried out by intruders. You can’t always stop burglars from gaining access to your property, but a safe can stop them from taking your belongings. Get tutorial here
Fit a Smart Home Security Doorbell
Smart home technology is hugely effective at helping homeowners to monitor visitors to your property. Hometalker Mother Daughter Projects recently installed the Ring Video Doorbell Pro to her daughter’s home. It notifies her daughter when the smart camera detects motion by the front door. It also allows her daughter to view a live stream of the front door to assess the situation. The kit came with a screwdriver and a drill bit for anchor holes, if needed. Get tutorial here
High Fences Offer Privacy, Security and Style in One Neat Package
Hometalker Landscape Studio believes good fences make for good neighbors and home security. The front entrance and iron fencing displayed above offers the perfect blend of privacy, security and style that most homeowners crave. These domineering wooden gates make it difficult for would-be intruders to see through into the property, while the spiked perimeter fence also demonstrate to burglars that access to the property won’t be straightforward. Get tutorial here
LED Landscape Lighting Can Make Homes Seem Busy (Even if They Aren’t)
Burglars like to target properties that are dimly-lit, making it easier to move undetected. Hometalker Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls recommends outdoor LED lighting as part of any outdoor landscaping and your home security setup. This outdoor light system pictured above helps to illuminate all entry points to the property, providing an instant deterrent to possible intruders, whether you’re at home or not. Get tutorial here
Privacy Fencing Can Make it Hard for Burglars to Gain Entry
Kelley recently installed a new privacy fence in her back yard, replacing their dated metal cyclone fence. This Hometalker had a dated back yard fence that was no more than three-and-a-half feet high, like most suburban neighborhoods in the 1950s and 60s. Their new privacy fence not only provides much-needed protection for their severely autistic son, it also makes it significantly harder for intruders to consider using the back yard as an entry or escape route. Get tutorial here
Taller Structures Within Your Garden Can Add Privacy
Is your garden fence at the maximum height allowed? Try installing taller structures in your back yard. Hometalker Melissa recently solved an issue where their existing back yard fence was at the maximum height allowed. To create further privacy and deter would-be burglars further, they installed a lattice structure in their yard that was taller than the fence to obscure the view into their garden further from the townhouses in the yard behind. Get tutorial here
