Securing Your Mobile Home: A Quick Checklist Everyone Needs

Everyone likes to feel safe.

Safety isn’t just about warm fuzzies, it’s a basic human need. Feeling safe is a prerequisite on the way to learning, love, and personal growth. A family home with a strong sense of security will protect you long after you move out of its walls. 

Consider your home security like a DIY ice cream sundae bar. There are a lot of options for you to choose from and you’re going to have to make some decisions. There’s also nothing wrong with walking away with a single scoop, whipped cream, and a cherry.

Let this checklist help you increase the security of your mobile home!

Bare Minimum Boundaries

Start by thinking about the level of protection you want. Maybe you’ve always comfortably relied on locks and bolts or can’t feel safe without security cameras outside. The home protection industry has products, companies, and solutions to fit every size budget, home, and family. Knowing your basic goals and boundaries will guide your research and help you compare options more effectively.

Sorting Through Security Systems and Solutions

Shopping for a security system can be overwhelming. It’s a broad and deep market with a lot of variety and innovation. Despite all the options available, pretty much every product on the market can be sorted into three groups:

1. Professionally Monitored

• One-stop shopping
• 24/7 monitoring and protection
• Expert-chosen devices, gapless coverage and customer service

2. Smart Home/Device Monitored

• All devices are connected to each other through your home internet
• Includes basic security devices like door locks, smoke alarms, security cameras
• Ties in other automation and environmental controls like lights, appliances, windows, temperature, audio, and more

3. Self-Monitored/Hybrid

• Simple solutions from tried-and-true hardware or devices
• Install, maintain and monitor yourself (or with an app)
• No-tech options provide privacy and security without electricity or internet access
• Low-tech options like security cameras supply better monitoring and are easily managed with the tech skill of the average homeowner

Basic Safety Habits

Increase your mobile home security by implementing just a few preventative and proactive measures. These are practices that should be put in place every single day and become part of your regular home routine.

Keeping What’s Inside Safe

Keeping your family safe inside your mobile home is all about planning. Review escape routes and drills with your kids. Talk about family rules for answering the door. Check and change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors regularly. Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen and at least one other place like a bathroom or hall closet. Store valuables in a safe or lock box not easily seen.

Keeping What’s Outside Out

If the exterior of your mobile home features lights, locks, and looks like it’s cared for it will be less welcoming to predators. Keep tools, ladders, and bikes locked up and stored out of sight if possible. Close and lock doors and windows at night. Leave an outside light on at night. Use motion sensors. Clearly display your address to help law enforcement locate and identify your home quickly in times of need. These no-frills safety practices are quick, straightforward ways you can provide more reliable protection for your mobile home. 

Access Points

Whether you’re trying to keep someone out or they’re trying to get in the focus is access points. These points of entry are also points of weakness. Add extra protection and monitoring in these areas to discourage criminals.

Doors

Use deadbolts and security plates/bars in addition to the knob and keylock. If your mobile home has an outward swinging door install door lock hinge protectors to prevent tampering. Video doorbells or security cameras are a great preventative measure and source of information in case something goes wrong.

Windows

Don’t leave valuables lying around and easily visible to people outside. Using security grills or security film will make it harder for criminals to break into your home. Contact alarms are surprisingly cheap, and their shrill surprise should send intruders running.

Home Safe Home

Keeping your mobile home and family safe is a big responsibility. It should be intimidating to intruders but not to you. Knowing your bare minimums and your personal preferences will help you narrow down products on the market.

Lights, locks, and looks are the most effective countermeasures against burglaries. Practicing safe habits can bring peace of mind and confidence to your mobile home’s sense of security. And no matter how you choose to build your DIY sundae, there will be pleasing results.

Whether you’re an app-loving techie or are only hardcore hardware it’s easy to build a strong sense of security in your mobile home and protect what matters to you most for the future.

Your security system isn’t defined by the products you buy, so much as it is on the steps you take and measures you put in place to feel safe. You can’t really choose wrong; you just choose what you like. So will your sundae have chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cream?