Home security is more important than ever. With so many people, you want to ensure you have the safest landscape possible. There are ways to landscape with safety at the forefront of your mind. How do you landscape for home security? What does that look like on a standard house?
If you’re interested in learning more about landscaping for home security, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more about how you can transform your traditional landscape into one that will keep invaders and thieves at bay. The more you know, the safer your house will be. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started.
Avoid Large Landscape Features
To keep your yard safe, you want to minimize the number of places people can hide. The more exposed your yard is, the more likely you will be able to see intruders before they reach your house. Many studies claim home invasion crime rates drop as soon as the trees lose their leaves in the colder months.
Here are a few landscape features to avoid for home security purposes:
- Massive boulders
- Thick trees
- Large bushes and shrubs
- Big waterfall features
These provide too much room to hide on their way to your home.
The smaller the landscape, the less room a thief will have to hide. You might do well adding in short plants or even sharp ones. A cactus is more likely to get rid of an intruder than a pine tree. Consider hiding places carefully when determining the decorations you want in your yard.
Force Trespassers Into The Open
You should have a yard that forces trespassers into the open if they set foot on your land. Ensure you don’t have anything massive blocking the line of sight from the street to the home. You want to have witnesses if something happens, and you want to be able to see them coming.
You can force trespassers into the open by:
- Ensuring your plants have sparse leaves
- Keeping decor no more than three feet high
- Checking that you can spot everything from your windows and the street
It’s critical to have an excellent view of everything from everywhere.
Trespassers shouldn’t have the chance to feel comfortable in your yard. They should feel nervous they are going to be spotted at every moment. Ensure there are enough gaps in the yard to make that possible.
Use Proper Security Fences
A quality fence makes it trickier for a burglar to break in, but one incorrectly placed can make it harder for you to spot intruders. Ensure you have a barrier that keeps people out but doesn’t disrupt your line of sight. The more vision you have, the better.
Here are some things to keep in mind with a security fence:
- It should be shorter
- It should have slats
- It should wrap around your entire yard
- It should be made with vertical slats
These will ensure you can see everything from your yard.
If you want privacy in your home, screens or curtains will work best as a form of complete blockage. Fences should not be solid. It might seem safer, but it’s not. You can’t see intruders coming, and no one else can see what happens once they get inside. Go for a proper security fence.
Keep Everything Managed
Keeping your yard in check is a critical part of security. Actively keeping bushes trimmed and dangerous items out of your yard will make the area safe for kids and pets. It will also give passersby a quality impression of your home.
Trimmed branches also prevent additional access points for burglars. It clears hiding spots and makes it trickier for them to navigate your yard.
Keeping your lawn in check will also inform people that you are in your home. If you don’t mow your lawn, it will look like you are away on vacation. You don’t want to put any ideas in the heads of potential wrongdoers.
Add Lighting
Lighting is another excellent way to improve home security. Motion-activated lights are ideal for illuminating areas of your yard that get dark. If an intruder walks by, the lights turn on and put the individual in the open.
You can also add solar lights around the pathway leading up to your door. These provide additional illumination and prevent injury for visitors walking to or from your home at night. It will also discourage burglars from getting close to your home.
Look for porch lights that illuminate your entrance. Place this item on your front and back porches to discourage thieves from walking up to your front or back door.
Lock Up Tools
If you have a toolshed, the items inside can be used against you. Unlocked tool sheds provide thieves access to items like hammers, which can then smash your windows and allow easy access.
Lock up your tools with a lock and key only you have access to in your home. Then, put a lock on the front of your tool shed. It should be impossible for a thief to break into your shed and utilize your items for their gain.
Consider Walking Surfaces
Silent walking surfaces make it easy for people to walk up to the house without grabbing your attention. If you want to hear when people approach your home, you need to consider the walking surface around your home. Pick something that makes noise to keep you aware of the world around you.
Here are the best walking surfaces for a yard:
- Gravel
- Rocks
- Thorns
Ensure there are plenty of obstacles for someone to handle if they sneak into your yard.
The looser your walkways, the more noise your feet will make when pressed against the surface. You can have grass, but ensure you place gravel or loose rock around your home to make it clear when someone walks to your house.