Is your new home a prime break in target?

Moving house is an exciting new chapter for many families, but how do you know if your new home is safe and secure? Here are the ‘must do’ tasks that smart homeowners always undertake when they move into a new home.

Secure the perimeter

According to data collected by Crime Stoppers, just four in 10 people change the locks when they move into a new home. This simple but often overlooked job is essential when moving house, whether you’re renting or buying.

Not changing your locks means if previous owners still have keys they have full access to the house, leaving your family and belongings at risk. Changing a lock is quick and simple, either contact your local locksmith or do it yourself.

Another smart home update is to fit every external door with a lock that has either a built-in deadbolt or a separate deadbolt. Deadbolts are harder to manipulate with makeshift lock-breaking tools, protecting you against unwelcome visitors.

Don’t have traditional key locks? Be sure you change the code of your smart key system and test its compatibility with your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Crime Stoppers also uncovered in their report, that only 33 per cent of homeowners have alarm or monitoring systems installed. There are hundreds of high quality and well-priced home security systems at your fingertips.

The best places to position your security cameras include the front door, easy access points like a backdoor or first floor windows and garages and driveways.

Ensure your camera can capture footage unobstructed by keeping bushes and trees well maintained and having them placed high and angled down.

Stay on guard

When it comes to home security, it is just as important to reset the garage door opener. Luckily, this is an easy and quick process with all Chamberlain garage systems. In three simple steps, you can reconfigure your garage, improving your home security instantly.

Gather all garage door opener remotes that were handed over at settlement.
Press and hold the yellow learn button on the garage door remote until the unit flashes. This step will wipe the remote’s memory of all transmitters.

Press and release the yellow learn button, then press the remote button on one of the remotes you wish to use to operate the garage door.

Safety protocol

When you move into a new home it is important to take some extra time to test your garage door system to ensure it is safe and compliant. Protect your family and friends by running a safety reversal check, just follow these steps:

Place a 40mm high object under the door (like a block of wood).
Operate the door to come in contact with the object.
The door should bounce back from the object in less than a second (or two seconds if Safety Beams are installed).

Make sure to perform this test every few months to make sure your garage door opener is working correctly all year round.

Want to take it one step further?

Consider installing safety beams. Designed to increase the safety and functionality of automated garage doors, safety beams are an additional feature that garage owners can add to their doors to protect their family and belongings.

Safety beam systems use invisible light beams that extend across the opening of your garage door. If this beam is broken during operation, the door will stop and immediately reverse to avoid injury or damage. Safety beams, such as the Chamberlain The Obstruction Detection Beam system, can be easily installed.

Start this new chapter with peace of mind by updating all locks as well as the garage system. With Chamberlain, you can relax and enjoy your new home knowing that your family and belongings are safe and secure.

For more information about Chamberlain’s range of garage door openers and accessories, visit our website or call 1800 665 438.