Security is a major concern for homeowners these days. Taking steps to ensure your real estate investment is protected from intruders won’t just make your home safer for your family – it will increase your property value as well. Here are some ways you can step up security on your real estate investment:
1) Invest in new locks. Not only is a lock upgrade one of the most affordable steps you can take to protect your real estate investment, it’s also one of the most effective. Nothing keeps a home safer than a new set of locks. You can pick up a new set for your house at any home supply retailer for less than $100. They’ll only take a few hours to install, and they’ll give your property value a major boost.
2) Light it up. Believe it or not, a good outdoor light setup is more important than just about anything – including visible security cameras – when it comes to deterring burglars. Mounting a few motion-sensing light rigs near your front and back doors is a great way to catch unwanted visitors off guard and to alert your neighbors that something’s amiss. On top of that, they’re also really useful for navigating in the darkness.
3) Get a security system … sign. Home security systems might be the ultimate in residential safety, but they’re also the ultimate in cost. If you don’t have a few thousand lying around to install one of these systems, a sneaky alternative is to just go ahead and post one of their signs in your yard anyway. Thieves tend to avoid houses that advertise their security, and they won’t know any better. On the other hand, if you have the money to install a real security system, you could see a nice rise in your property value when it comes time to sell the home.
4) Find a Fido. Dogs are excellent home security assets, even if they’re pint-sized. A dog’s keen ears and nose will detect an intruder long before a human would, and they’ll be sure to make noise – either joyful or vicious – as soon as they sense a disturbance. Like spotlights, a barking dog will alert a thief that he’s suddenly being watched, and that should be enough to deter most wannabe crooks.
Protecting your real estate investment isn’t just good for your family – it’s also great for your property value. Buyers like to know that their home is safe, and if you invest in these measures now, you’ll see a nice financial return on closing day. That’s definitely some peace of mind!
