Fall in Memphis can still be quite warm, with temperatures in the 80s during the day, but nights can get chilly, and colder days are ahead. With the change in seasons, you should reassess your home’s security to make sure that you are protected all year long. Read on to find out how to keep your Memphis home safe this fall!

Light it Up

The days get shorter in the fall, which means more hours that your home is bathed in darkness and shadows. Because of this, your home is vulnerable more hours during the day to break-ins. Keep your home well-lit, both indoors and out to dissuade potential thieves. Indoors, put your lights on timers, or use a newer wireless security system that allows you to control your lights from anywhere. Outside, make sure that you have lights illuminating any areas that could be points of entry to your home, and lights on any shrubbery or bushes around your home to eliminate hiding spots. Keeping your home lit makes it less attractive to a burglar, and lights indoors make your home look lived-in and occupied.

Quick Changes

Make your home security known, with prominent yard signs and window decals to show that your home is protected. You should also be careful with any expensive items that are in view of the front door, like a large T.V., computer, or clear view into a bedroom with jewelry or money lying out. Don’t make your home look enticing for a potential burglar.

Yard Tools

Fall can bring with it a lot of yard work, which means your lawnmower, leaf-blower, and other yard implements are seeing heavier use. Make sure you are putting them back after using them, and securing them in a locked garage or storage shed. Oftentimes, people use a flimsy lock on their sheds, or neglect to lock them at all. If you have expensive yard equipment, your shed is an easy target for a thief. Don’t think that just because something is in the backyard, behind a fence, that it can’t be stolen. Any items lying out are just an invitation for someone to take them, and then look at what else of value you may have. Secure all of your yard tools after you are done with your fall cleanup!

Windows

Because the weather in Memphis can still be quite warm in September and October, having windows open during the day is a great way to enjoy the fall temperatures. A window that is left unlocked while you are gone, or overnight, is an easy way for a burglar to enter your home. A security system can be equipped with window sensors that alert you when a window is left unlocked, and prompt you to close and lock it. Make sure that this fall, with the changing temperatures, you keep your windows secured.

Salespeople

Because the weather can get chilly, and especially rainy, during the fall in Memphis, you might be tempted to invite a door-to-door salesperson into your home. This is extremely dangerous, and you should never let strangers inside your home. You don’t know whether salespeople are trustworthy, and whether they may be checking out what is in your home for a potential burglary. Don’t let people into your home that you don’t know, regardless of the weather, and don’t feel that you have to answer the door to every salesperson that knocks. Keeping your home safe should be your first priority.

Fall Travel

The fall season, and especially Thanksgiving, see a lot of traveling. If you will be out of town visiting friends or family, make sure you aren’t broadcasting it on social media. You don’t want potential burglars to see exactly when your home will be unoccupied and vulnerable. You should also make sure that you have a reliable home security system, and ideally one that can handle keeping lights on and giving you remote access.

Home Security, A Call Away

So if you want your home to be safe this fall, you should call Fifteen Alarms! We provide home security systems to Memphis and the surrounding areas, including Bartlett, Cordova, Lakeland, Southwind, Germantown, Whitehaven, and Arlington. We would love to help you get your home protected — reach out to us today.