Secure Locations to Store Your Keys for Minimizing Misplacement
Improving Home Security and Key Safety: Top Tips for Victorian Homeowners
In today's world, ensuring the safety of our homes and belongings is paramount. Here are some practical tips to help you secure your property and manage your keys effectively.
RACV Senior Product Manager for Trades, Nathan Tayeh, recommends using the Emergency Home Assist service for lockouts or urgent-access lock repairs. In case of emergencies, it's important to have a reliable locksmith on hand.
Key Safety
Spare keys should be stored securely to prevent theft. Leaving them in obvious places like mailboxes or under doormats is not advisable. Instead, consider using a lockbox designed for spare keys or entrusting a neighbour or friend with a copy.
Home Security
Home security systems such as security cameras, alarm systems, or smart-home technology can significantly enhance your home's security. Smart locks, for instance, can auto-lock doors after inactivity, send reminders if doors are unlocked, and allow temporary access codes for family or guests.
Regular lock maintenance is also crucial. Lubricate locks periodically and check for wear to avoid mechanical failures that might lead to lockouts or compromised security. Keeping garage doors closed and secured is another effective measure, as open garage doors are easy entry points for thieves.
Valuable Items
Stash important valuables like jewellery, cash, and documents in a home safe to protect them even if a burglar gains entry. Building neighbourly relationships can also deter crime by fostering community vigilance.
Preventing Burglaries
Most burglaries are carried out by opportunistic thieves, so taking away the opportunity and keeping your home and belongings safe is critical. Keeping garage doors closed and secured, using deadlocks for all external doors and windows, and avoiding leaving spare keys near windows are all effective deterrents.
The How Safe is My Place app is a useful tool for determining how safe your home is from burglary and for improving overall security. It's also important to remember that in case of a forgotten or lost key, it's unwise to try to break into your own house, as this could result in personal injury and costly house repairs.
In the financial year 2023/24, RACV Trades organized locksmiths to attend between 240 and 370 jobs every month across Victoria for lockouts and urgent-access lock repairs. During this period, there were almost 20,000 burglary or break-in offences at private dwellings in Victoria, according to the Crime Statistics Agency. The items stolen over that period were valued at over $104 million.
In summary, the best practices for key safety revolve around thoughtful spare key management combined with upgraded door security technologies and good maintenance habits. Adding comprehensive home security systems enhances protection while providing convenience and peace of mind.
Maintaining a secure lifestyle is important, and this includes both home security and key safety. Alongside traditional methods like lubricating locks and securing garage doors, employing modern tech such as smart locks and home security systems can offer enhanced protection for your property and valuable belongings. These systems can not only auto-lock doors, send reminders, and provide temporary access codes, but also deter opportunistic burglars who are often responsible for most break-ins.
