Home Security Assessments That Lower Your Insurance Rate

home security assessment

Looking to upgrade your home security? Find out how a thorough home security assessment can lower your insurance rates while boosting the protection of your home.

How safe would you currently rate your home? Did you ever have someone attempt to break in? Do you regularly check the state of the locks on your doors or you have done it since you moved in? If you feel like your home is more vulnerable than you would like it to be, security-wise, or you simply wish to lower your home insurance rate, a home security assessment should come in handy. These assessments will help you identify the weakest points in your home in terms of security so you can have them fixed for extra protection, more peace of mind and lower insurance expenses.

If you cannot remember when was the last time you had your home evaluated from a crime perspective, or you have never done it before, it is high time you did. By knowing what the main threats that your home is subjected to, you should be able to provide more security for your family and possessions, keep burglars away and lower your insurance bills. You have every reason to do it. Here is how you can get started.

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The lower the number of security vulnerabilities inside your home, the smaller the security risk you are constantly facing. Below we are going to list a few of the most important elements that should be inspected for faults and vulnerabilities in order to boost your home protection:

Install Sturdy Locks on the Exterior Doors.

Create a routine consisting of a thorough door lock, hinge and frame checkups to see if any repairs or replacements are necessary.

Deadbolt locks are preferred by most insurance companies, so if you do not already have them fitted in all of your exterior doors, change that. While most homeowners have deadbolts on their front door, you may be asked to expand the installation to back and side doors as well. Practically, any entryway to your home should be secured with the help of a sturdy deadbolt in order to qualify for a discount on your insurance premium. While installing a deadbolt lock is a relatively simple DIY project, it is best to have an expert locksmith handle the job for you to avoid any malfunction or fitting errors.

If you already had deadbolts installed at the time your insurance agent assessed your home to establish your price quote, you can still opt for higher quality deadbolts that could replace the old locksets. Make sure you first check with your insurance provider to see if the locks you plan on buying will make a difference. Usually, the minimum requirement for a deadbolt lock is to have a minimum 1-inch bolt placed in the door jam, along with strike plates secured with screws that are at least 3 inches long.

Alarm Systems

Alarm systems are a must for any homeowner who wishes to boost security on their property. They do not only scare off potential intruders, but they can even influence the size of your insurance rate. See which systems your insurer prefers you should work with and have experts install them for optimum results. Remember to periodically assess the state of your alarm systems during your periodical home security assessments.

Check and Strengthen your Garage Door.

Security systems featuring surveillance cameras are the best fit for a high level of protection on any garage. Instant push notifications should warn you whenever there is a break-in or tampering attempt in the garage area. Plus, the recorded camera footage should also help you get the video evidence you may need in case the intruder is able to get in. Most insurance providers offer nice discounts for garage door fortification.

Lights

Lights are one of the best deterrents known to keep most opportunist burglars away from your property. Thieves tend to get easily discouraged when they notice both the interior and the exterior lights are on and someone is most likely in the house. Exterior lights play a critical role in this equation, as they can limit the number of shadows burglars can use as hideouts.

Light is known to raise awareness and adding motion sensor lights is definitely the better choice. On the other hand, a broken motion sensor light in your backyard or on the patio will fail to do the job it is intended to do. If you own dozens of exterior lights spread over a larger surface, you might have a hard time noticing if one or several lights are broken.

Professional locksmiths that specialize in residential services usually also handle home security assessments upon request. They oftentimes install security alarms that include sensor alarms and exterior lights and they can be hired to evaluate the state of these systems, lights included. They can also service broken devices and replace broken lights and sensors. Check with your insurance company if they provide any discounts for sensor lights parts of a professional security alarm system.

Door Peepholes and Doorbells

Door peepholes and doorbells are excellent security layers you could add to your home. They can help you quickly identify who is at your door prior to opening it and possibly endangering yourself and your loved ones. Give us a call, let us recommend the best peephole and intercom systems for apartment buildings and let us install them for you.

While your insurance provider might not be able to give you any (significant) discounts for having an intercom system or a peephole installed, you should still use these devices for your own peace of mind.

Security Bars on Windows

These devices could also contribute to lowering your insurance premium while making your home a lot less appealing to potential neighborhood burglars. These bars and grills send out the clear message that your home is properly cared for and protected. This is enough for most burglars to target a different property instead.

When it comes to your home's security, you don't want to cut corners and allow your home to remain vulnerable. Call On Time Locksmiths today and schedule a security assessment for your home.

What Customers Say About Us

Jannie W.
W. 29th street
 

Dave is great! He was punctual and professional. And after installing the new locks on all of our doors, he cleaned up after himself! The same cannot be said for the last service I hired… would definitely recommend and use again!

Adrian Stanton
S Kenton Ave
 

We live not too far from Chicago and I spend about a hour and a half to get to my office. Mornings are always in a hurry for me and a broken door would be the worst I could expect. However, this was exactly what happened. I had no time to lose and so I called 247 Ontime Locksmiths. The expert guy from Locksmiths could fix the problem and I could go to work.

Tim Lewis
E Van Buren St
 

My car door didn’t open at all. Just a phone call to 24/7 Local Locksmiths and in less than 15 minutes I could drive my car again! Good job!