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Build your house with security in mind? If you are lucky enough to be able to build your home from scratch, there are a ton of things you can do to build your house with security in mind.
Ideally, if money were no object, just think of all the things you could do! As long as you focus on the big three things, you will be fine. Make sure it is easily protectable, has a good shelter, and that you build it with strong materials.
Preparing Your Homestead for Survival: Build Your House with Security in Mind
We have already talked about finding the perfect land, from location to what you need to look for, as well as making sure it isn’t too far from civilization, but yet far enough out to be safe.
When looking at actually building that home – or if you are looking at land that has one already, you need to think about defense.
Easily protectable
Home invasions are a very scary and very real thing. However, you can take steps to avoid having your home invaded in the first place, even if you’re bluffing. The first thing you want to do is try to ward off any would-be criminals – especially desperate ones during a SHTF situation.
This can be achieved by having plenty of warning signs out in your front yard such as “beware of dog” and “Protected by [security company].” There’s nothing a burglar hates more than a loud dog that draws attention to them, and can even attack them.
Even if you don’t have a dog, put that sign up. Similarly, even if you don’t have a security system installed, you can still put up a sign and they won’t want to try to call your bluff.
You can put up cameras to really make sure they get the message – even if they’re not real. You can buy fake cameras that have real recording lights and everything on Amazon for $8.
You just have to screw it on somewhere and put two AA batteries in it and it will ward off most criminals. You can get multiple ones by all of your windows in order to ward off attackers from any angle.
Of course, it’s always best to get the real deal when it comes to a protective dog or a security system. But for those on a tight budget, it’s better to invest in fake security than having nothing at all.
You should also make yourself a less assuming target. If you leave out tons of expensive potted plants, they might get the hint that you have extra money to spare, making you a target.
Some people mistakenly think that a welcome mat or funny sign warning, “This house is protected by the second amendment” will ward off criminals. In fact, criminals will only see this as a house with some expensive and easily pawned assets.
So, is that house going to be easily defensible? Should the SHTF and you need to be on your guard, there are a few things to consider:
Are there places to hide?
Sometimes, it is best to make yourself invisible when trouble comes. When things go bad, there will likely be more people who mean to do you harm than there will be people who are prepared. Having a panic room or shelter, that is fully stocked for short term, is something to think about.
Tons of preppers talk about hiding supplies – from food to guns. They bury them, build false walls, have huge safes, etc – but they forget to hide one thing; themselves.
Sadly, this is extremely important for females. Rape is no joke and it is usually a crime of both opportunity and control. Depending on the situation – women could become a commodity and the last thing you might want is your teen daughter being taken off to become someone’s wife or plaything with force.
Whether you go for the underground shipping container concept, or have a panic room, just make sure you are able to hide ALL the things (people included) that are important to you.
Is there plenty of cover?
Nothing screams target like a person walking in an totally flat and open area. We mentioned how you want to have land that isn’t too crazy or uneven, but a few trees, well placed ditches, even a few fences or stone walls can make all the difference if people are trying to take a shot at you.
Can you defend both inside and outside of your home?
In our talk about defending your property, we touched on snares, log traps, spike pit traps and more. These are things you can put in place for the outside of your home, around your property. Just make sure all of your group is aware of each and every location so they can travel your land in the dark safely.
If you want to Build Your House with Security in Mind, make sure you plan your landscape accordingly.
As far as the inside, if you are looking to Build Your House with Security in Mind, we need to focus on simple things like smaller windows, no sliding glass doors, a 360-degree view of the property, easy roof access, and more than one escape route.
That all allows you to eliminate easy ways for people to breech your doorstep, make sure you have a straight shot at any threat, and are able to bug out if it becomes absolutely necessary.
How to Fortify Your House
We have a FREE printable worksheet for you to add to your Homestead Binder – 5 ways to fortify your house!
A shelter always comes in handy
Not every prepper has an actual house on their property. Some use a cave, some create an in-ground shelter, some use the shipping container method.
Realistically, you need to consider your climate and the weather you are going to experience, and then create a large enough place to hide out bad storms or other serious events.
If you do have a house, you might want to create a shelter where you could ride out bad storms or other serious events that could harm your house – like a tornado shelter if you live in Kansas.
Build Your House with Security in Mind: Build it with strong materials
Whether you plan to Build Your House with Security in Mind or even a temporary or emergency shelter, you need to build with with durable materials.
You need to think of things that help increase the security of your house and can do several simple things to accomplish that.
We have talked before about how a majority of people will be deterred by signs that you have made an effort – you need to kick it up to the next level for those that aren’t so easily deterred.
Use steel door frames over wood. Wood is easy to break down, even if it takes a little effort, but steel is a lot more challenging to breach.
You can take inexpensive measures to ensure that your home is safe. For example, a Master Lock security bar can make sliding doors and hinged doors practically impossible to break into without causing a huge racket. They only cost around $20, and are a wonderful investment. You should always lock your windows, and you may even consider using one of the previously mentioned security bars to make sure they can’t open your windows without shattering them
Keep doors and windows locked, add security cameras, and consider solid police locks to bar doors and windows from the inside.
Not only can this help increase the security of your house, it is great at preventing common criminals from breaking in.
Don’t forget the garage! The majority of garages have a hollow-core door that leads right into the home. This might be one of the first things you want to check in to doing.
Being proactive is so much easier than being reactive in a bad situation so taking the time to plan ahead can make a world of difference for your safety.