City living is the wonderful—you’ve got access to the best restaurants, events, and spots all at your front door! But city living also comes with some inherent risks. Simply put, living in a large city is less safe than living in the suburbs. When it comes to looking at rental apartments and condos, safety is a top priority.  

To keep you and your home safe and secure, we’re come up with a list of factors that you should consider when condo or apartment hunting in Boston.  

Secure Entryway

Thieves aren’t as creative as you think. A thief is more likely to come through the front door of your building than down the fire escape. In fact, the first thing many thieves and burglars do is check the front and back doors. 

If you’re living in a multi-unit building like a brownstone, the first thing you should check is the security of the entry. Make sure that the front and back doors to your apartment or condo building are secure. Look to see where the doors open up to—do they to a secluded alley? Is the alley well lit? Is the door frame in good condition or is it worn down? Push against the door to see how secure it is. Each major entry to your home must be outfitted with a deadbolt lock. If the integrity of the door or frame is questionable, it’s a security risk.

Intercom System

Apartments which require visitors to be buzzed up are great for security so test it out before you sign a lease or close on a sale. If you’re renting, be sure you get that system up and running or replaced as a condition to your lease agreement. If you’ve purchased a place that doesn’t have this pre-installed, it’s not too late to get one. You’d be surprised how much peace of mind you’ll have knowing who is at the door before allowing them into the building. 

Window Security 

Not a lot of Boston apartments and condos have good natural light, so it’s exciting when you find one that does. Before you relish in the sunlight, make sure the windows are secure. Take your time and check each window in the unit. Each and every window each should have a separate lock that works. Just seeing the lock with your eyes isn’t enough—check the windows to make sure the locks work!

Peepholes

Peepholes at on your apartment doorway are a major plus when it comes to keeping yourself safe and secure. Although the entry system to the building might be safe, if you life in a multi-unit building, there’s always a chance that one of your neighbors can let someone in. Always use your peephole before opening the door, especially if you live alone. Make sure that you can see through the peephole, as they can often get cloudy with age.

Location, Location, Location

Sure, the geographic location in the city is a huge factor. Putting that aside, take a close look at how your unit is situated because breaking and entering frequently starts with window shopping. If your unit is positioned in such a way that the inside is easily visible from the street, extra precautions need to be taken. Install curtains, even sheer ones, or place valuables out of sight of passersby. This is especially important if your unit faces a back alley—allies are easy places for burglars to scope out an apartment with valuables in sight. If you don’t want the threat of a possible theft to dictate your home decor, then a safe for your home is another way to secure your valuables. 

Trash and Recycling

With trash pickers running rampant in the city, it’s essential to know what your waste disposal situation is. Best case scenario, you’d be in a place that has garbage inside the building, but with rats and mice, that’s hard to find. A safe building will have trash barrels or dumpsters that are only accessible through a locked shed for residents.

If your dream apartment happens to have outside garbage, it’s not the end of the world. No matter where the garbage ends up in your building, as long as you are mindful and shred documents with personal information before chucking them, you’ll be that much safer.

No matter where you end up, there are ways to protect yourself and make your home more secure. For help securing your new Boston condo or apartment, contact us today. 

Whether you have a mansion in the fancy part of town or live in a five-story walk up, you are at risk of having your home broken into. Unfortunately, there is no place on earth that is immune. The only thing you can do is try to make your home a less desirable target than the guy next door. Here are some helpful tips to keep yourself and your home out of harm’s way.

Keep High Value Items Out of View

You don’t have to give up your expensive Red Sox jersey collection to deter criminals—but you do have to keep them out of sight. Take extra special care to place the most valuable items in your home somewhere other than on display in your front window. If you keep these high tickets items in plain view, you may as well place a sign on your lawn that says “Expensive Things Inside – Help Yourself”.

Choose Your Doors Wisely

If you own your home and have a say as to the types of doors you have at entry/exit points, try not to let your aesthetic eye do all the picking. Choose doors that are solid wood or metal without decorative glass panes. Doors with glass panes near the door knobs or locking mechanisms are an easy target for theft. It’s all too simply to break the glass and reach around the inside to let yourself in.

Landscaping Tips

Don’t make it easy on the neighborhood burglar. Although shrubbery around your home is very appealing, you’re essentially providing a privacy screen for someone looking to sneak in undetected. Avoid large plants near your doors and windows. You’ll make your home that much more difficult to get into.

Exterior Lighting

Porch lights are great but the best lighting source to help keep the bad guys out of your yard are motion sensor spotlights. Nothing quite screams “there’s someone lurking around my property” quite like the bright, fluorescent glow of a flood light. Make your home as secure as you can – these lights are a small investment compared to the added security you’ll receive.

Personal Safe

If you have precious items that you don’t want stolen, lock it up. Personal safes come in many shapes and sizes to protect your most valuable possessions. We recommend a fireproof safe for your most important papers and items. Read this post for more information on how to choose a safe for your home.

Change the Locks

If you own your home or are allowed to change the locks to your apartment, it’s a good idea to change the locks when you move in. The previous owner or tenant might have given out extra keys to family and friends so it’s best to start fresh with new locks. Changing the locks on all exterior doors is a quick and inexpensive way to protect your home.

Don’t Do Other People’s Advertising

You may think that having a sticker on your window that says “Protected by ADT” but you could be providing important clues to the tech savvy criminal. Many times, the person breaking into your home isn’t just a drifter who happened to walk by your place. They prepare themselves and part of that preparation includes boning up the latest home security systems. Stating the type of security system you’re armed with will help the burglar that’s done their homework.

You can’t completely protect your home from an intruder but these steps can help you keep your home more safe and secure.