A HIGHER STANDARD OF HOME SECURITY

Five things worth checking before the week is out

Your home is the largest investment you will ever make. Most people spend considerable time and energy thinking about what they pay for it, what it is worth and what it might be worth in ten years. Fewer spend five minutes walking around it with fresh eyes.

That is a habit worth changing.

Look At Your Home Like A Stranger Would

When did you last see your home the way someone else might? Not as the place you live, but as a structure with entry points, blind spots and vulnerabilities that feel invisible to you precisely because you walk past them every day.

Low windows that are easier to access than they look. A side gate that is rarely locked because it is rarely used. A door hidden from the street by overgrown shrubs that has not been properly checked in months.

Take five minutes. Walk the perimeter. Look at your home the way a security professional would. The things you notice will surprise you.

Your Garage Is Not Just A Garage

It is also one of the most consistently overlooked entry points to any home. And the mistakes people make with garages are almost always the same ones.

Leaving the garage door open while working in the garden. Failing to lock the interior door that connects the garage to the house. Leaving a garage door opener in a car parked on the driveway or the street.

That last one matters more than most people realise. A garage door opener left in a visible car is essentially a key to your home sitting in plain sight. Keep it with you or remove it from the vehicle entirely.

Light Does More Work Than You Think

A well maintained exterior is not just about kerb appeal. It is about visibility. And visibility is one of the simplest and most effective deterrents available.

Trim the landscaping that creates dark corners around entry points. Add lighting along walkways and at doors. Make sure the side of the house that faces away from the street is as well lit as the front.

Most unwanted attention is deterred by the simplest things. A dark corner eliminated is a risk removed.

Your Front Door Is Not Your Only Door

Home security in 2026 does not stop at the threshold. The connected home has entry points you cannot see and vulnerabilities that have nothing to do with locks or deadbolts.

Strong passwords on every device. Two factor authentication enabled. Software and firmware updated regularly on everything from your smart thermostat to your security camera system.

The digital entry points to your home deserve the same attention as the physical ones. Treat them accordingly.

An Empty Home Should Never Look Empty

Travel plans should not advertise an empty house. And yet the signs of an unoccupied home are remarkably easy to read from the street.

Lights that never change. Mail accumulating. Packages sitting on the doorstep. A driveway that has been empty for days.

Set lights on timers before you leave. Pause mail deliveries. Arrange for packages to be collected. Ask a neighbour to park occasionally in your driveway. A home that appears lived in is a home that is left alone. The simplest precautions are almost always the most effective.

The Engel & Völkers Home Security Guide

At Engel & Völkers we hold ourselves to a higher standard across everything we do. Including how we think about protecting the homes of our clients. We have partnered with Ring to produce a dedicated Home Security Guide with further tips and resources for homeowners across the North Shore.

Contact me directly and I will send you the link.

Because looking after a home does not end at the closing table. It is an ongoing conversation. And it is one I am always happy to have.

William Phipps
The Storytelling Realtor®
Engel & Völkers By The Sea
movemetothenorthshore.com
william.phipps@evrealestate.com
+1 857 205 1064