5 WAYS TO SECURE YOUR HOME PERIMETER

Homeowners serious about securing their homes should install several layers of protection. While door locks and an indoor alarm are important, you want to deter burglars before they even get to your front step. Here are five ways to secure the perimeter of your house.

1. Clear Shrubbery: High, dense foliage can act as a spotlight to burglars looking for homes to enter unseen by the neighbors or those passing in the street. Ensure that you keep shrubs and plantings well below window levels. The one exception is to plant prickly bushes under the first floor windows, but keep those well trimmed as well, or they too could be used to hide an intruder.
2. Use Lighting: Adequate lighting, like motion sensor and flood lighting can provide strong security against a thief looking for a house to break into. It’s also possible to find “smart” lighting choices that you can control remotely through apps on your phone or tablet.
3. Post a Camera: Another deterrent for many are security cameras. When purchasing, look for cameras that can sense and follow movement, the ones that connect to technology that allows you to watch what’s going on in real time. These give you the ability to call the police immediately if there’s a problem and provide you with peace of mind if the noise outside is merely a raccoon. Security cameras also make it easier to apprehend and prosecute criminals.
4. Keep Belongings Out of Sight: Stow away items neatly and out of sight. Items left out on the porch or lawn, or items inside an open garage door can attract thieves. Bicycles, cars, grills, tools, or top-dollar lawn equipment are all targets that draw attention.
5. Be Good Neighbors: Get to know your neighbors so you can all keep an eye out for each other’s homes and property. If your neighbors know you and your family, they can be aware of any unusual traffic around your home. Tell the neighbors when you will be gone for an extended period of time, like on vacation or a work assignment and have them keep an eye on the property for you.

Keep in mind that Först Consulting Group offers estate management services. We will come to your home on a regular basis to check for intruders and storm damage (we can schedule repairs on your behalf as well), and maintain your home with snow shoveling or lawn mowing (by season), replacing security light bulbs, picking up mail and packages, and much more.

Related: 8 Home Security Tips You Never Thought Of

5 MORE IMPORTANT WAYS TO SECURE YOUR HOME

In addition to securing the outer perimeter of your home, it is crucial that you install a number of immediate safety measures by the entrances.

1. Lock Up: Whenever you move into a new place, switch out all the exterior locks. You never know how many copies of the key or code the old owner gave out. Additionally, make sure window locks are quality made; many window locks are made of flimsy materials, making them more susceptible to break-ins.
2. Don’t Hide Your Key: It’s no secret where you’ve hidden your keys. Everyone knows to look under the doormat, in the mailbox or beneath the garden gnome. If you need to keep a spare outside the house, give it to a neighbor for safekeeping.
3. Install a Smart Doorbell: Smart doorbells, like Ring, allow you to see who is at the door in real time. This alone keeps some potential robbers away as they don’t want to be seen by anyone in any medium. Additionally, if someone rings while you’re away, you can watch to make sure they leave; if they don’t, you can call the police immediately, possibly catching the thief before they get away. Footage captured by Ring technology can aid police in apprehending suspects.
4. Cover Up: Place privacy curtains on your garage, basement and home windows, and in any other place that allows people to see in, especially in rooms that contain valuables. Sheer curtains add a level of security during the daytime hours while still allowing light into the home. At night, cover windows with curtains or blinds as it is especially easy to see into a home when it is lit from within.
5. Advertise Your Home Security: Post security notices on your doors, windows and property. Knowing that your house has a security system is often enough to send potential burglars on their way. Even if you don’t have a security system, it is still worth posting that you have one on your window or near your front door because the possibility makes your house less attractive to someone who just wants to make a quick grab. Don’t advertise the exact model or brand of security however, the potential intruder may know how to disable that particular system.

In addition to these and other measures you may consider when securing your home, look into smart home features that allow you to control the different lights, locks, cameras, and alarms you’ve installed. This way, you can protect your home from anywhere in the world.

Contact Först Consulting Group

When you are constructing a new home, or need advice on adding smart or security features to your existing home, rely on Först Consulting Group. As construction consultants and construction experts serving Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., we can help you design secure features or select the best ways to secure your home. And don’t forget about our estate management services for when you need to be away from home.

Don’t wait until after your home has been broken into to consider ways to secure your home, Contact Först Consulting Group today.

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What is a Green Home?

A green home used to mean one that was ecologically friendly. Now, it refers to one that either makes a minimal impact on the environment, or makes a positive contribution. According to an article posted on the balance, “There is more to going green than pure humanitarian reasons. In fact, there are excellent financial reasons driving the ‘green home’ trend.”

First of all, green home construction methods like recycling of certain materials and minimizing construction waste can save builders money when constructing a home. Building using local materials also save on labor and transportation costs, keeping pollution to a minimum. “Green construction solutions or home outfitting can save thousands of gallons of water a year and reduce power and gas bills by as much as 30%,” the author claims. And that translates to savings for the home owner.

Green methods in the home can include:

Heating and Cooling: Use insulation to reduce heating and cooling energy costs. Green insulation like wool insulation can also be used. Plant trees in strategic locations on the property to shade the home from heat and damaging sun rays.

Energy-Efficient Appliances: Install appliances that use lower power consumption. Look for those with the “Energy Star” rating. This will reduce the amount of pollution from the generation of energy, since “about 90% of electricity generate in the US comes from nonrenewable sources including fossil fuels and nuclear power,” states Mother Earth News. Look at options for major appliances like washers, dryers, refrigerators and dishwashers.

Water: If you don’t want to go as far as collecting rainwater for irrigation, opt for low-water usage appliances and fixtures like washing machines and toilets. Don’t let water run while brushing teeth or washing dishes.

Energy: Invest in solar panels to collect energy to provide power to run the home and heat water. Many times, those who use solar panels can sell their excess electricity back to the power company.

Green Products: Forego the use of chemicals for cleaning and look for green home alternatives. This will increase indoor air quality by reducing the amount of toxins in the air. Build with environmentally-friendly materials.

Green Building Standards

The National Green Building Standard™ certification provides “Independent, third-party verification that a home is designed and built to high performance in six key areas: site design, resource efficiency, water efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and building operation & maintenance.” It focuses on three attributes: healthy homes, lower operating costs, and sustainable lifestyle.

A green home home provides fresh air ventilation, limits pollutants and contaminants and prevents moisture problems. Lower operating costs provide cost-effective energy and water practices. Sustainable lifestyle preserves the natural resources surrounding a home, reduces home maintenance through durability, and promotes a walkable lifestyle.

Want to Know How You Can Have a Green Home? Contact Först Consulting Group.

We offered an overview of what is a green home here, and will discuss ways you can make your home greener in our next post. If you are considering building a green home and would like professional assistance on choosing products and selecting the right builder, contact Först Consulting Group. We provide independent, third-party consulting services to aid homeowners through the selection, negotiation and construction processes. Contact us today.

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Control Heating and Cooling

The easiest way to regulate your heating and cooling is to install a programmable thermostat. You can input the times for heat or air to come on and off, or raise and lower the temperature, as when you are away or asleep. Set your appliances like your refrigerator to the optimal temperatures for cooling. Make your home greener by lowering the temperature on your water heater. Open the curtains and let the sun heat rooms in the cooler months.

Related: 9 Ways to Make Your Home Greener

Insulate

Check around doors and windows for air leaks and apply weatherstripping and caulk. Insulate within walls and in attics, basements and crawl spaces. This will keep your HVAC system from having to work overtime to maintain a steady interior temperature, and reduce drafts.

Change Light Bulbs

Get rid of the old light bulbs and switch them out for energy-efficient CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) and LED (light-emitting diode) versions. These do not emit heat and will save money on electric bills over time. Make your home greener by turning off the lights when not in use.

Unplug

Even when electronic devices aren’t on, they still pull power. Those with lights, such as your TV and control box, computers and sound systems, and even your phone charger, can use almost as much energy in standby mode as when they are in use. Unplug them when you’re not using them.

Regulate Water Use

Instead of letting the water run when you brush your teeth or wash dishes, turn it off. Make your home greener by changing faucets and showerheads to low-flow versions, and taking shorter showers. Choose native vegetation outside your home and collect rainwater for irrigation or let nature support the native plants. Wash clothes in cold water and air dry them.

Compost

When you send your food scraps and food waste to the landfill, as it breaks down it creates toxic methane, a greenhouse gas. Compost scraps like vegetables, eggshells and coffee grounds and (not meat) in a composting bin to use for your kitchen garden.

Use Solar Energy

Consider installing solar panels for electricity, heating and lighting, or utilize an optional ‘green power’ service from your power company.

Use Recycled Products

Look for the recycled symbol on product labels, and recycle what you can back out. Look for ways to recycle cardboard, clothing, old electronics and appliances, newspapers and books, for example.

Create Clean Indoor Air

Don’t smoke or use aerosol products within the home, and grow plants that serve as natural air filters. According to WebMD, “Some plants are particularly effective absorbers of harmful pollutants emitted from carpets, furniture and electronic equipment, like spider plants, Boston ferns, rubber plants and palm trees.” Monitor your indoor air quality with a carbon monoxide detector and periodic radon checks.

Limit Chemicals

Make your home greener by shunning harsh cleaning chemicals. Either choose non-toxic organic options or make your own cleaners. Baking soda and vinegar are wonderful cleaning products. You may not need to use cleaners at all; simply wipe down surfaces with microfiber cloths that will pick up dust and dirt.

Plant a Garden

Why pay a premium for fresh produce when you can easily grow it at home?  Use your homemade compost to fertilize and avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Water early in the morning to preserve water.

Trust Först Consulting Group to Help Make Your Home Greener

Först Consulting Group wants to do its bit in protecting our environment, and our area homeowners make their homes greener. Check out our range of homeowner services, from consulting on building a green (or other) home, home testing and home defect inspections, and estate management. Contact us today.

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