It's important for your emotional well-being to feel safe and secure in your own home. While bad things can happen unexpectedly, you shouldn't have to live in fear of criminals breaking into your home, stealing your valuables, or potentially harming you or your family. Luckily, there are proactive steps you can take to make your home more secure and safe. Here are six ideas to consider:

Add an Electric Gate

If you have a long driveway or large front yard, there is a large area for criminals to roam on your property before getting up to your home. The best way to stop them from ever stepping foot on your property in the first place is to have an electric gate installed. With electric gates, only those people you choose to let into your property are allowed.

Many electric gates can have intercoms or even cameras installed too, making you even more secure. As an added bonus, you will no longer have to get out of your car to open and close the gate, which is especially convenient in bad weather.

Consider Installing a Security System

A security system protects your home and family in a few different ways. Sometimes just seeing that your home is protected by an alarm system is enough to deter a burglar. If someone does break into your home, however, your security system will set off a loud alarm and also alert the authorities to immediately come to your home. Plus, many modern security systems incorporate smart technology, allowing you to monitor the safety of your home even when you're at work or out of town.

Add Deadbolts to All External Doors

Deadbolts are more effective than flimsier types of locks at keeping intruders out, making it much harder to force a door open. All exterior doors should have a deadbolt lock, and if your old deadbolts no longer function properly, they need to be replaced immediately. Luckily, adding a deadbolt is a moderately simple project you can usually tackle yourself instead of having to hire a locksmith.

Install Motion-Activated Outdoor Lights

If your home's exterior is completely dark, would-be burglars may feel more comfortable breaking in, as it will be much less likely for a neighbor to spot them. Motion-activated outdoor lights are a great solution since they will turn on when someone approaches your home and hopefully scare away anyone with bad intentions.

Never Hide a Key

It may seem convenient to keep a key hidden under a doormat, flower pot, or rock in case you or a family member gets locked out, but the truth is that these may be the first places a burglar looks. Many criminals would much rather find your spare key and use it to let themselves in than break a window and risk alerting your neighbors. A better option is to leave a spare key with a trusted neighbor.

Try to choose someone who is usually home, like an elderly neighbor or one who works from home. Alternatively, you may decide to invest in "smart locks" which are opened with your cell phone rather than a traditional key.

Don't Let Your House Look Abandoned

An unoccupied home is much more tempting to most burglars. When you go out of town, ask a trusted house sitter or neighbor to open and close curtains and bring in the mail and newspapers. You may also wish to add timers to your internal lights, making it look as though someone is home in the evenings.

By investing a little time and money upfront to make your home more secure, you can help avoid the terrible feeling of violation that comes from a home break-in. Be sure to teach your family members how to use these security features so that everyone is on board.