Raise your hand if you love checklists. I am not much for checklists myself, but I know people who live by them. I know people who have checklists for everything – even home security! There is nothing wrong with that. If checklists work for you, go for it. Just know that where home security is concerned, a checklist is just the starting point.
Vivint Smart Home has a pretty comprehensive home security checklist on their website if you’d like to take a look. Incidentally, Vivint is a nationwide provider of home security equipment and home automation systems. When it comes to investing in security equipment, they know a thing or two about checklists.
Checklists to Cover Your Bases
So, why do people use checklists? It is really about covering all the bases. When you have a lot of things to remember, a checklist can be extremely helpful in guaranteeing that you don’t forget anything. But perhaps when thinking about security, it’s not a matter of having too many things to remember. Maybe it’s really a matter of organizing your thoughts.
Creating a home security checklist does just that. It helps you step back and evaluate what you need to make your home safe. As you construct a checklist, you are ticking off items in your mind. Reviewing your list can make it easier to identify security weaknesses you need to address.
Follow Through on That Checklist
The point of this post is that putting together a checklist is just the starting point. Once your list is compiled, you need to follow through. Otherwise, you just have another list of things you haven’t gotten to. That is no way to beef up home security.
How you follow through depends on the items on your checklist. If one of your items is installing security cameras, then you need to start investigating the types of cameras you think you might want and where you might place them. You will buy the best cameras for your needs and budget. Then you need to install and set them up.
As a side note, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms should be on everyone’s checklist. Smoke and carbon monoxide are known as silent killers because they can do their dirty work without victims being the wiser. Needless to say that every home should have at least one smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm. Installing several of each is even better.
Evaluate Your Behavior
If a checklist is a starting point and following through is the second step, the third thing you need to do is evaluate your behavior. Why? The easiest way to understand it is to imagine spending a lot of money on a home security system and continually forgetting the arm it when you leave the house. A disarmed security system isn’t going to keep you any safer.
Creating checklists and installing equipment can only do so much. On the other hand, changing unsafe behaviors is the most important thing any of us can do to increase safety and security.
If you routinely leave the doors unlocked, start locking them. If you have a habit of leaving the garage door open, find a way to remind yourself to close it. Every action you can take to make your home safer will only enhance whatever security equipment and strategies you settle on.
Start With a Checklist
Checklists are great. A comprehensive checklist can be a starting point for making your home safer and more secure. Just don’t create one and stop there. Follow through and then modify your behaviors to enhance what you have already done.