When you're in the process of buying your first home, you might be eagerly thinking about the big expenses that you'll soon purchase. It's important, however, to strongly consider the things that will make your home safer before you put money toward things that aren't as important. You can't put a price on the safety of you and your family, and budgeting for a handful of security-related expenses will allow you to feel confident that your family is protected while it's at home — and also that your possessions are safe when the house is empty. Here are some security elements to budget for.
New Door Locks
You'll want to hire a locksmith from a company like First Quality Lock & Key to visit your home and change each of the exterior locks as quickly as possible. Ideally, you can arrange to have this done sometime on your move-in day. New locks will give you the confidence that only you possess the key to enter — when you use the home's existing locks, you never know who might have copies of the locks and attempt to enter at some point. In many cases, the locksmith will be able to simply rekey the existing locks, which is generally more affordable than replacing the entire lock.
Door Reinforcements
Another valuable investment in the safety and security of your home is to reinforce your front door. Many break-ins occur through the front door, but you can lessen this risk through a series of useful upgrades. For example, you can buy heavier hinges that use longer screws; together, these will make it more difficult for someone to kick down your door. A peep hole will allow you to clearly identify a visitor before you open the door, while a metal plate around the doorknob will make it nearly impossible for someone to break open the door around the lock with a sledgehammer or a foot.
Window Upgrades
The windows of your home can also be a potentially vulnerable access point, so it's a good idea to upgrade them in a variety of ways. Window locks are a good starting point, but you may also wish to consider durable metal bars for some of the windows — for example, those that lead to your basement. For windows throughout your ground floor, you might not favor the visual appearance of security bars. For these, adhering shatterproof film to the glass can make the windows impenetrable.
