There are all kinds of things you can do that may improve your home’s security, keep you safe while you’re remodeling, and make your house, apartment, or condo a safer place to be. 

What’s more, some of these home security ideas and residential safety tips could potentially be investments that raise your house’s resale value.

Ideas for Home Security Improvements

First, let’s go through some suggestions for improving home security, ranging from DIY renovation ideas to professional investments. Then we’ll go on to look at a handful of common home safety practices and suggestions.

Invest in Exterior Motion-Sensor Lighting

Exterior lighting that is motion-activated is a practical and secure investment for your home. Motion sensor lights turn on when there is movement near them—and intruders will be wary of approaching the house, because they know you will be aware of their presence when the lights come on.

Motion-detecting lights not only make your home more secure, they also improve the property’s exterior. This allows you to actually turn your lights off instead of having them on all night. As soon as something moves in front of the motion lights, they turn on. But when it moves away, they soon turn off. 

Consider a Home Alarm System

When your house is for sale, you should weigh the positives and negatives of owning a security alarm. You should especially consider an alarm system if the neighborhood crime rate is high or if the house is uninhabited.

About Replacing Residential Locks

When you need to replace a lock at home, you can opt to replace the entire assembly, or you can just replace the cylinder. The cylinder being the lock’s mechanism that completes the lock action. If you don’t have a key and you need your lock to be changed to be more safe, you can replace the cylinder. If you want to boost security, replace the whole lock.

Put Peepholes in Your House’s Front Door, Back Door, and Side Doors

Install peepholes in your exterior doors. Know who is outside before you open the door! Installing a peephole is a simple, inexpensive home improvement project. You just need a drill, a peephole and a bit of time. It is well worth it, especially because a peephole can give you greater peace of mind.

Home Safety Tips and Suggestions

In addition to the above ideas for making your home more secure, there are a number of steps you should bear in mind about safety. So we’re going to suggest a few common home safety tips you shouldn’t forget about.

Safety When Doing Home Renovations

First, we will talk about safety guidelines for home remodeling and residential renovation. Then, we’ll consider a few common ways to make your house, condo, or apartment safer for children and adults alike. 

In Home Renovations, Safety First!

When tackling any home-improvement project, it is important that safety is considered before anything else. Any project you are working on involves some level or risk, so follow instructions for power tools and ask a contractor or renovation professional for help if there is something you do not understand. A quick search of the Internet will provide you with how-to videos to make your project a little easier. You can often find good tutorials online that will help you with your tasks.

Always Shut Off Home Electricity Before Doing Electrical Work

Before you do anything with electrical outlets or lighting fixtures, you need to turn the electricity off (shut off the breaker). Electrocution is a real risk. This is such a simple thing, and it can be the difference between life or death. 

Always Shut Off Gas Before Kitchen Renovation Work (or Residential Demolition Near Natural Gas Pipes)

If you are updating or improving your home’s kitchen and will be working in the vicinity of a fireplace or gas line, it is extremely important that you shut off the gas before starting your project. You also need to be extra careful with these types of projects. There are dangers involved when working with gas, and you don’t want to cause a fire or injury.

Always Shut Off the Main Water Supply Before Working on Home Plumbing

If you are starting to redo your bathroom or kitchen, you have to ensure your water valve is off so you do not flood the room! Before you start working, locate the shutoff when you’re working around your house’s water supply or pipes. That might seem obvious, but many people forget that step and end up having a big flood that requires even more renovation. 

Beware Theft of DIY Home Renovation Supplies

Building supplies are often stolen because they are valuable. Keep all building supplies in a safe place when you’re not working on something. If you have a secure indoor place to put them, do it. If the house is not secure, however, consider renting or leasing a storage container to use instead. 

Ideas to Make Your Home Safer

And finally, in addition to the above common practices for DIY renovation safety that you should remember, here is a mixture of common home safety tips that could make your living space less dangerous. 

Protect Sharp Corners/Edges from Children

Use padding around the edges of sharp furniture in your home to keep it a kid-friendly zone and prevent any possible accidents. Corner protectors are available for this purpose at any home improvement center, or you can purchase foam tape to cushion corners. Another thing that you need to do when taking on a remodeling project is to fasten down loose wiring when working, to make sure your children are safe from a potential hazard.

Always Shorten Long Blind Cords for Safety of Children and Pets

If the cords of your blinds are very long, cut them or tie them up. This will help ensure the safety of children and pets. You should ensure that you have enough cord length to raise and lower the blinds properly, but there is no reason to have exceedingly long cords. Give it a snip or tie it off to avoid accidents.

Fix Roof Leaks Immediately

If you have a leak in the roof, fix it right away. If you let it pass, it could really lead to problems. You should find a roof specialist who can help you with the needed repairs. Be sure that the contractor is fully qualified.

Never Ignore Mold or Rust

Don’t overlook issues with rust or mold, no matter how small. These can quickly develop into much bigger problems for the homeowner, especially in older houses. It’s quite easy to deal with these problems before they snowball out of control. If you wait until they’re huge problems, it can be time intensive and costly. A bit of bleach can work really well on mold problems. Minor rust issues may generally be sanded off.

Save Money on Homeowners Insurance by Checking Smoke Alarms Regularly

Having smoke alarms in your home that are checked frequently can lower your homeowner’s insurance. The effect is more pronounced with older houses, because insurance companies assume—rightly—that more modern homes are built with more fire-resistant materials. You should have good alarms anyway – they could save your life someday.