A home security assessment is an inspection of your home and its surroundings to identify security risks and vulnerabilities. This may seem like a daunting task, but the good news is that it’t not as complicated as it seems. A home security assessment checklist will help you ensure that all potential risks have been identified and dealt with accordingly. An effective home security assessment should be logical and straightforward, identifying any weak spots or areas of risk in your home and garden, whether that’s from intruders or the threat of fire. It should also highlight any maintenance tasks that you need to complete sooner rather than later — for example, fixing broken locks on windows or doors, updating old outdoor lighting or fixing rotten fascia boards around the house.

Step 1: Identify entry points for intruders

The first step in a home security assessment is to identify potential entry points for intruders. This will help you to identify where you need to focus your security efforts in order to make it more difficult for intruders to break into your home. Start by checking the perimeter of your property. Have trees or shrubs been left to grow too close to the house? Is there a broken fence or a gap where an adjoining property meets yours? Is there a loose board or a broken window that could be used as a way in? Be sure to check the roof, too. If a ladder has been left propped against the house or a window, it could be a quick and easy way for an intruder to get inside.

Step 2: Check your home’s perimeter and boundaries

The next step in the home security assessment is to check the perimeter and boundaries of your home. This will help you to identify whether you are at risk of a break-in through a window, door or path, as well as whether you are at risk of intruders cutting your home’s utilities. Begin by checking your doors. Are they reinforced so that they can withstand a kick or a shoulder shove without budging? Are they heavy enough to prevent them being easily broken open with a crowbar or being smashed in with a sledgehammer? Are all the locks working properly? Are the hinges and handle still secure? Is the door at risk of being pried open with a screwdriver or a pry bar?

Step 3: Examine the inside of your home

The next step in the home security assessment is to examine the inside of your home for any potential security risks. This will help you to identify whether you have enough security measures in place to deter intruders from targeting your home, as well as any maintenance issues that need attending to as a matter of urgency. Begin by examining your locks. Are they sturdy enough, or are they flimsy enough to be broken with a screwdriver or a credit card? Are they old-fashioned locks that can be easily picked with a bent paper clip? Are they old-fashioned key-operated locks that can be broken open with a hammer?

Step 4: Check for fire risks

This may seem like an odd thing to include in a home security assessment, but it is an extremely important part of the process. Fire is the number one cause of home deaths in the U.S., and it is critical to identify any potential fire hazards in your home as part of a security assessment. There are a number of fire hazards that you should be aware of and that need to be addressed as part of a security assessment. These include:

Key takeaway

A home security assessment enables you to identify the potential dangers that are associated with your home. The assessment will help you to identify potential risks and vulnerabilities that could be used against you by burglars or fire hazards. With a good assessment, you will be able to take steps to improve the security of your home so that you can protect yourself and your family when you are at home.