Working on a house has its glamorous moments. But if you’ve read my blog in the past, you’ll also know that it takes a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ work too, to make sure it stays looking pretty.

This time around I’m talking about security. Early 2014, someone took our pets. Don’t worry, they were eventually found – read about what happened here – but the fact that there had been people just wandering around my property when I wasn’t there gave me the heeby jeebies. We didn’t like it and we’ve been working since to deter anyone from doing something similar in the future.

Joe loves this kind of thing and he also loves gadgets, so take a look below to see what he’s added since, in his own words.

CCTV

Since the ferrets were taken from their hutch whilst we were having our kitchen extension done, we have felt so exposed and I didn’t like it one bit. Immediately on return of the ferrets I went into home security mode and invested in CCTV. I bought a QVIS 4 channel DVR with a 500gb Western digital hard drive. I bought 4 1000tvl Sony dome cameras and a lot of cable. I won’t disclose where all the cameras are for safety reasons! But let me tell you, it would be pretty hard to be on our premises and not be picked up on. Without getting too technical (although I love this stuff) I got to work port forwarding on a home router and have managed to get my CCTV camera connected to my phone via an app, and I can also watch the live feed on a web browser externally so If we are out of the house, I can check in when I want. Either that or just wave hello to Karen while she’s on maternity leave. Wink wink…

PATLOCK

French doors are an entry point. (Or, if someone is trying to get large items out of your house, an exit point.) In fact, it’s only recently when we got curtains on the French doors to our kitchen extension that we felt more safe. Don’t you hate that feeling when it’s dark and you can see your own reflection in the window and know that someone could be there? *shudder* To counteract this we have a Patlock. It’s a lock (clue is in the name) that sits comfortably over the handles of your door to make it a nightmare for any potential intruder. From what I’ve heard, to break into a PVC door is quite easy. I know how it’s done but don’t want to spread bad ideas! A Padlock seamlessly fits in, design-wise, over the handles of French doors, meaning entry or escape is pretty unlikely. Now I just have to remember to always have my keys on me!

HOME ALARM

In addition to the home video surveillance, I purchased a pretty awesome home alarm system by Miguard. I think a lot of people think the only way to alarm your house is by an external provider, but this is one you could easily DIY. So, the way it works: upon entering the house a siren will go off  that is so annoying, even WE don’t want to stay in the house! (unless you enter the correct key code to deactivate of course). This can also be done with a key fob if you’d prefer, and what’s really awesome is that you can program the system up to have ‘users’, and it will text you when certain actions are taken. For example, if you were at work and you wanted to know when your kids safely got home, you can set up an alert. The Miguard uses GSM to do this – which is what is used in mobile phones – so a SIM card is required; I got a great deal on a Tesco pay-as-you-go sim where texts are 1p. Also, the alarm panel adds a bit of a futuristic vibe to the hallway. Rock on.

COMPOSITE DOOR

Also adding to the security of our home we have a Composite door from Yale. We’ve already spoke about the door on this blog which you can read about here. Composite doors are renowned for their sturdiness. We opted for police approved toughened glass to give it that extra certainty that there will be a massive struggle to kick the door in, especially with the 3 dead bolts and intricate locks.

So there you have it. Security is an ongoing thing in this household and whilst it might seem like a lot, and that we’re a bit paranoid, our house is our biggest investment to date and we want to make sure it stays safe. What do you do to keep your home secure?

Disclaimer: The Patlock was sent to us for purpose of review and all opinions are our own. In fact, my mum loves it so much, she’s off to get one herself as she doesn’t have double glazing. Thanks so much for supporting brands that support Well I Guess This Is Growing Up.