Buying

Secure your new home

Living in a great community like Shawnee has many rewards, but like anywhere, there are also some risks as well. I offer these tips to secure your new home by addressing some vulnerability issues:

Must-have security measures

  1. Re-key all your door locks. You never know who still has a key to your new home. You’re better to be safe than sorry and have a locksmith rekey the existing locks on all your exterior doors. This is a MUST for all homebuyers. My recommended locksmith is Jerry Loader 24 Hour Lockout Service, 405-214-6233. Jerry can re-key all the exterior locks so you only have one key that opens all your exterior doors. I recommend having a deadbolt on all exterior doors. Furthermore, I recommend having this done the day you move in or the day after, to be safe. You can remove the doorknobs yourself and save a service call fee, but they don’t charge very much to come to you.
  2. Install an alarm system. My preferred alarm company is Nathan Hodges Alarm Service Co, 405-273-7476 or 405-570-7634. Remember, a high-risk time to have a break in is the first week of being in a new home. Thieves look for people moving in and know they are generally easier to burglarize before they have many safety features set up.
    NOTE: soon after closing you may be contacted by someone saying they’re with ADT and that your real estate agent gave them your contact information. That is untrue. Please rely on me or a trusted friend or relative for a recommendation!
  3. Install a peep hole in your front door if it doesn’t already have one. This isn’t hard to do and can be installed by a handyman.
  4. If you have a sliding glass door, buy a sturdy wooden dowel to keep in the door track on the floor when the door is closed. We also recommend adding a jimmy plate and an auxiliary lock to any patio doors.

Digital Security (Smart Home Devices)

I bet this is one you hadn’t thought of! Have you heard the term Internet of Things? It refers to technology being woven into products more and more, and less about relying on actual computers. It’s devices like our Nest (or other connected) thermostats, surveillance cameras—maybe in your Ring doorbell, and devices like our smartphones or an Amazon Echo help us interact with them.

You may be moving into a house that has some of these or other connected devices. Download this smart home checklist to guide you through disconnecting the previous homeowners and helping you maximize your online safety and privacy in your new home.

Helpful Articles for Programming Digital Devices in a Move

Here are some recommended items but are at your discretion

  1. Install Door Devils on each of your exterior doors. These simple strike plates are highly effective at preventing your front door from being kicked in. These are simple to install with a drill. Please note that these items cannot be purchased anywhere locally (e.g. Lowe’s, etc) and must be purchased online directly from the Door Devil company.
  2. Consider installing a Night Lock on back or side doors you won’t use every day. They are highly effective at preventing someone from breaking in.
  3. Add a dusk-to-dawn light over all exterior doors and consider a camera or at least a motion detector on the garage area.
  4. If the home you’re buying has a garage and the garage has a window, consider putting a curtain over the window or changing the window to frosted or glass block so potential burglars can’t see inside your garage. Definitely add Shatter Safe to your garage window to protect this prime entry spot for a break in.

We strongly urge you to consider doing the above items as soon as you move in. Criminals are known to watch people moving in to see what kinds of valuables they’re bringing in to the home, such as TVs, computers, etc. and then burglarize the home shortly after moving in.

Questions? Call/text me at 405-585-6580 or email Steve@SoldonShawnee.com.