A resource for those seeking information on organizing and transforming spaces.

Home Ideas Ben Soreff Home Ideas Ben Soreff

Guest Post - Preventing Porch Pirates

Shopping can be a great mood booster. Coming home to items from an online shopping spree can feel like Christmas. However, you might not be the only one keeping an eye out for these packages.

Shopping can be a great mood booster. Coming home to items from an online shopping spree can feel like Christmas. However, you might not be the only one keeping an eye out for these packages.

As online shopping trends increase across the country due to the pandemic, there is an emerging issue that could prevent successful delivery of your purchases. Porch pirates are criminals who unlawfully enter property and attempt to steal packages. In one study, about 24% of adults reported themselves victims of these types of robberies, and 64% have since attempted to take extra measures when ordering online.

Without a safeguarded area for deliveries, you might be more susceptible to stealing. While it may be inconvenient to purchase a lock box or security system, the safety benefits could help protect you from theft. A video security system could offer visual confirmation of anyone who walks up to the door and proof if you ever need to file a police report.

Porch pirates tend to scout neighborhoods that have high delivery activity in order to avoid getting caught. In fact, with the large number of online shoppers, many stolen deliveries go unreported, primarily because many packages contain items that can be easily replaced. If you are a victim of a stolen package, it’s suggested to contact the seller of the item, file a report and implement new precautions to ensure your safety.

With the rise in online shopping, many burglars have discovered an easy way to steal items right off your porch. Make sure to check out the infographic for more information on porch piracy and tips to prevent it.

Author bio: Jerry McSorley is the owner of Eye Trax, the leading provider of solar-powered wireless outdoor security cameras. After working many years within the construction industry, McSorley needed a way to monitor and secure his multiple construction sites. Combining his mechanical engineering degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and extensive business owner experience, he invented an innovative surveillance camera system.


Guide created by Eye Trax

Read More
Home Ideas Ben Soreff Home Ideas Ben Soreff

4 Steps That Will Make You Feel Safer In Your Home

Your home is the place that you go to relax and wind down after a long day of work. It is a place you can truly relax and let all the stress of work or school simply melt away. That is, unless there are some things keeping you from feeling safe in your home.

Your home is the place that you go to relax and wind down after a long day of work. It is a place you can truly relax and let all the stress of work or school simply melt away. That is, unless there are some things keeping you from feeling safe in your home.

This could be a past break-in attempt, the fact that you live in a less-than-safe area of town, or even if you are a little bit paranoid by nature. Experiencing these things can certainly make you feel unsafe at times, which is never how someone is supposed to feel when they’re at home.

Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to make yourself feel as safe as possible in your home, and this article is going to go over a few of them.

Install a Security System

One of the first things to consider if you want to feel safer at home is to install a security system. These systems often come complete with sensors, alarms, lights and cameras to stop burglaries right in their tracks.

Not only can these systems help to minimize the damage of break-ins, but they can often deter them as well. Signage from a security provider and cameras above your door can be some of the best ways to keep burglars and other criminals away.

Also, be sure that you have alarm monitoring in place as well. This will make sure your system is monitored and proper authorities can be automatically reached out to if a breach occurs.

Despite all of these benefits, the number of homes that have a full security system installed is still quite low.

Don’t Advertise Expensive Items

While nice and large windows in a home look wonderful, they can also be dangerous. If you leave expensive items or valuables in plain sight, it can potentially make you a more attractive target for burglars. As a result, do your best to hide the valuables in your home and keep them away from places where a passerby could see them.

Also, keep them in unorthodox spots as well. If your home does get broken into, the first places many burglars will look are the dresser, closet, bedside table and other high-use areas. Even if you don’t have a ton of expensive items, it’s a good idea to keep your blinds closed at night. This will make sure that people can’t stare into your home easily. You should also make sure that your yard is free of things people might want to steal.

Let There Be Light

light

Having a well-lit house is another great way to keep it safer. Potential intruders, burglars and criminals love to stay in the shadows when casing and attempting to enter a home. If you have bright outdoors motion-activated lights, it prevents them from being able to get close without being caught.

Also, consider keeping the inside of your home decently lit up. Now, this doesn’t mean you need to keep lights on 24 hours a day. However, you could consider leaving a light or two on when you need to leave your home. You could also invest in a tool to automatically turn your lights on and off at specific times, as well. A dark house, at least to many criminals, is an empty house, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Get to Know Your Neighbors

street

Another way to feel safe at home is to get to know your neighbors. The better your relationship with your neighbors, the more they will look out for you. Having allies like this can help prevent burglaries as your neighbors will know who lives in your home, and thus can report any strange activity when you are gone. Having more eyes looking out for the safety of your home is always a good thing. In fact, many criminals have actually said that getting to know your neighbors is a great way to prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

Also, if you get to know your neighbors, you will know the people who are generally in your neighborhood. This can help you to identify when someone suspicious is around your home or neighborhood. For example, if you hear a car door close outside your home at 2 AM, this might bring about some fear for some people. However, if you know your neighbor works until 1:30 AM most nights, you will feel safer and less scared.

In conclusion, we hope that the steps in this article have been able to help you feel safer in your home. These are far from the only ways to feel safer in your own home but are some great and relatively simple options to consider.

Read More
Home Maintenance Ben Soreff Home Maintenance Ben Soreff

Guest Post - 13 Advice Tips From Locksmiths - How To Protect Your Home?

Front doors are the first line of defense for any home, but all the other doors and windows also play an important role in home security. Whether you have your own home or a rental house, you need to take care of the security to protect your valuables and family.

Locks play a crucial role in the security of a home, and locksmiths know many security tips that homeowners don't know. However, locks alone cannot secure home as other things like doors, windows, materials are also important.

Let us explore some tops advice tips from locksmiths to protect your home.

Front doors are the first line of defense for any home, but all the other doors and windows also play an important role in home security. Whether you have your own home or a rental house, you need to take care of the security to protect your valuables and family.

Locks play a crucial role in the security of a home, and locksmiths know many security tips that homeowners don't know. However, locks alone cannot secure home as other things like doors, windows, materials are also important.

Let us explore some tops advice tips from locksmiths to protect your home. 

safe

Keep the valuables hidden.

Homeowners should never leave the valuables in a direct view of visitors or guests. It is best to place the valuables in a safe or at a place that one cannot guess easily. Investing in a good quality safe is a good measure to enhance the security of your valuables. 

Don’t share vacation plans on Social Media

It's a common practice among people to share their vacation plans of social media. From the day they leave their house, they post on social media that they are traveling to a destination. Then during their holiday, people post pictures of the moments they enjoy with their friends or family. From here, the thieves get an idea that there is no one at their home, and they take full advantage of this time. 

fence

No trees near the fencing

It is quite easy for intruders to climb a fencing wall if there are trees near the wall. All they need is a hook and rope to climb your wall using a tree. Therefore, it is best to plant the trees away from the fencing of the house. 

Bins and ladders

Intruders can use the bins and ladders to climb the wall of your house and access the windows or gallery of the first floor. Therefore, you should never keep the bins and ladders close to walls or boundaries of your house. It is best to store these things in a shed or garage.

Doors and Windows

Doors and windows are the entry points from where burglars can enter your home. It is essential to install high-quality doors and windows that one cannot open using any unusual way. The glass bifold doors Bondi are highly durable and difficult to break by the intruders. Investing in high-quality doors and windows can enhance the security of your home multiple folds.  

Install security cameras

Not every home has security cameras, but they are gaining popularity in home security. It is important for every homeowner to install surveillance cameras in their home to record every activity, especially in the outdoors. Having cameras in your home makes it difficult for burglars to intrude into your home.

Install alarms and sensors

security

Although cameras can tell you about any activity like intruders entering your home, they cannot stop them. If the burglars wear a mask, it becomes for homeowners and police to identify them despite the camera recordings. Therefore, it is best to have alarms with sensors that can blow a loud alarm if they detect any uncommon activity. For example, if the intruders take an unusual way like climbing a tree or boundary wall, motion sensors can produce a loud alarm that can scare away the burglars of being caught. 

Leave the lights ON

Burglars always target the homes with no lights as they come to know that there is no one in the house. Leaving the lights on in your house always gives a message that there is someone in the home. Due to the lights, the chances of theft reduce to a minimum. If you worry about the energy bills, you should install the low voltage LED lights in your house and leave some lights ON (If not all) while you are out.

Inform the neighbors

If you have neighbors whom you can trust, you can inform them when you go on a vacation. You can ask them to take care of your house and check everything is right at least twice a day. Ask them to inform you on the phone in case they suspect any unusual activity in or around your home. If you trust your neighbors, you can also leave with them a key to the main entrance gate, so that they can check your home to ensure everything is right.

Keep the keys indoor

Many people make the mistake of keeping the keys of their cars in the garage or in a box near the vehicle. As the box is in an outdoor space, any intruder that enters the main gate or climbs your fencing wall can access the keys and fly away with your car.

Install high tech locks

It is essential to install the door locks with the latest technology available as burglars know the tricks to break conventional locks without a key. Installing the locks with the latest technology makes it difficult for intruders to enter your home. It is best to install the locks with biometric keys and passwords as they are the most difficult to open.

Have pets

dog

Pets like dogs and cats are very sensitive and start making noises as soon as they notice and unusual activity or burglars. Moreover, some aggressive breeds of dogs do not let any unknown person enter the house until a family member or pet sitter controls them. Therefore, having pets are highly beneficial for your house as they love your family and protect your home. 

Hire a security person

If it is possible, you can hire a security person to take care of the security of your home in your absence. Although you need to pay them regularly, one or two security guards can take care of your home all the time, and you can enjoy your work and vacation when you are out.

Final Words

These are some tips for professional locksmiths to protect any home. You can use these tips to enhance the security of your house and share them with your friends and relatives. 

Read More
Product Reviews Ben Soreff Product Reviews Ben Soreff

Product Review - Wireless Alarm Kit

Security systems are one of those weird things you don’t know if you need or not. And even if you feel you should have one, they seem expensive, complicated and necessitate a monthly commitment. However, recent advancements in technology have led to a rise in do it yourself alarm systems.

Sabre Security Alarm System

Security systems are one of those weird things you don’t know if you need or not. And even if you feel you should have one, they seem expensive, complicated and necessitate a monthly commitment. However, recent advancements in technology have led to a rise in do it yourself alarm systems. Some new products use your smartphone to monitor your home with real time video while others offer basic services. Sabre’s Wireless Alarm Kit is a popular option for those looking for a simple DIY solution. The alarm offers three modes Off, Chime or Alarm. Chime mode allows you to hear the kids come home or more importantly if they are sneaking out. Be aware the alarm decibel level is loud. I mention this to advise caution when setting up and operating. If you have never had an alarm system before it can take some getting used to the new habit.

The kit comes with a main unit and three door/window sensors. The battery powered sensors easily stick to windows and door (with adhesive similar to those found in baby safety items so be aware of the paint finish). Unlike wired systems because of the battery power you will need to pay attention to the low battery light. The main unit uses a 4-digit PIN to arm and turn off. As with anything that affects the whole house make sure every family member is aware and on board especially if you have never had an alarm before. Additional information about alarms can be found here and here.

Read More