6 Essential Home Safety Tips for 2024 from PhoneWatch

To help you keep your home safe in 2024, we have prepared the below home safety tips whether you are home or away:

1. Do not publicise when you will be “away” or going on holidays. No updates to social media or Facebook and instead wait until you return before uploading the holiday pics. You never know who is watching. Check out this guide to protecting your home from burglary before your summer holiday for more expert tips on keeping your home safe.
2. Hide valuables and keep expensive items out of site. If you are going away for a prolonged period consider storing expensive garden furniture in the garage. Do not place jewellery or other wealth indicators within view of a window.
3. Arm your home alarm: Turn on your house alarm whether you are “just popping out” for a few minutes or are at home. Most break-ins happen in the middle of the night so it's important you’re protected even when you're in the home. 
4. Do not store car keys or other in easily accessible areas. It can be a common mistake to store a car key just inside ones home for ease of accessibility. But remember this also makes it easy for a burglar to easily locate the car keys and steal your vehicle if they gain entry to the home.
5. Garages are often overlooked when it comes to home security. Our guide on how to secure your garage from burglary outlines how to keep this vulnerable area protected.
6. Nominate a friend or neighbour to keep an eye on your home while you are away longer term. Ask them to maintain an appearance that the home is occupied – smart home systems can also help with this where you can turn a light on from your phone.
7. Keep doors locked and windows closed when you are not at home: One in four burglaries happen due to entry through an open door or window, consider adding window/door alarm sensor to windows to protect against this. If you have school-going kids, we have created a safety rules at home guide to keep your family safe during school periods.

If you are interested in improving your home safety further, PhoneWatch offer a number of home safety solutions Ireland’s most trusted home alarm company. Browse our website to see the range of different home security products and services available including home alarms, fire & smoke alarms, smart home products, wireless video doorbell, water leak detectors and more.