Most people think securing their home is going to be a real hassle. Actually, though, that isn’t the case. Keep reading to learn easy ways to secure your home.
Your dog could carry a spare key for you. This only makes sense if your dog is outdoors a lot or you have a pet door. You can attach a copy of your key to the dog’s collar, so when you need that spare, you’ve got one handy!
Only provide your house cleaner with a key if you trust him or her implicitly. If they will be there over an hour and you are thinking of giving them your home key, be certain they are honest, reputable and hard-working. Go over their references and do some background research on the company they work for. If your cleaning person comes from a company, check with the BBB.
Change all of your locks when you move in. You have no clue how many people were given keys by the former owner. You want to be sure that you’re the only one with a key. Also, you can contact a locksmith if you ever misplace your keys.
When looking for a system to secure your home, do comparison shopping. Prices vary greatly in regards to the same protection for each company. Get quotes from no less than three companies before choosing the best one.
Make sure you have a safe to keep valuable items in one place. This is important, since you don’t want your valuables exposed to a potential intruder. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.
Don’t let everyone in your social network know that you are leaving the home unprotected for your vacation trip; especially the people who you aren’t familiar with. If you do, burglars will know you’re not home and strike.
Look at the prices for all of the security systems that you are interested in. Prices can differ a lot among companies for the same type of protection. Look at a number of different companies and get at least three quotes before selecting what you feel is the ideal plan for your home.
Before agreeing to work with a security company, check with your friends and family for recommendations. Others have likely had both good and bad experiences that they can share with you that can then save you a lot of stress and time. Keep asking to get the advice that will help you make the right choice.
Do not open your door for people you do not know. Burglars are getting creative, and they will do anything they can to gain access to your home. Create a rule where you only allow those you’ve invited to your home inside.
Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. A burglar might hear your phone ring and ring and ring, then realize that you are not home to answer it.
Secure your garage. Some people are concerned about burglars entering through an attached garage. You can use a C-clamp to secure the door and prevent it from being opened by strangers.
Do not open your door for anyone you don’t know. Nowadays, people invent many stories of why they should come in. For instance, they may say they need to call a mechanic or the police. However, their true intent is to rob you. Make sure everyone in your house knows not to open the door unless they know the person standing outside.
Have lights that are motion-sensor installed. The lights will be triggered when someone gets too close to the house. Then you will know someone is present, and if the person is a burglar, he or she will be very likely to turn around and leave. Do not forget to change a bulb when it burns out.
Security starts with new locks. Perhaps your roommate left town or you have gone through a messy divorce, and you need to feel that the home is safe. It is not expensive and you can do it in less than a day.
Don’t put your extra key under you doormat, in a planter, or in a cleverly disguised false rock. You may believe you are making life easier for yourself, but you may just be giving thieves simple access to your house. Thieves know about all these hiding spots. Ask a friend, neighbor or relative to keep your extra keys for you.
After installing a security system in your home, make sure any wires are hidden. Easily-accessible security wiring is a definite weak point in your home’s protection; the best alarm system in the world is useless if it’s easily disabled. Instead, make sure the wires are hidden. This makes it much less likely that your system will be compromised.
Keeping your house bright and lit at night will deter many crooks. These crooks do not wish to be noticed or seen. Ample lighting makes it difficult for would-be burglars to approach undetected, and this turns your home into a less attractive target. Keep lights on during the night.
Replace rotten wood near door frames. Rotted wood causes a serious weakness in your home’s security because it makes it easy to pry open doors. Always replace rotting wood with fresh wood immediately to keep your house strong and secure.
Make an appointment with a home security company to evaluate the security needs of your home specifically. There are always going to be unique things about your home as well as your specific needs, so make sure you think about these things. You will get the best home security system possible if you use a service willing to work with you to create a tailored system.
Before you let security company representatives into your home, check their ID. Having the name of the technician coming to your house ahead of time can help to ensure you are allowing someone who really works for the company into your home. This proves rather dangerous for both your family and also your valuables. Be cautious to stay safe.
Make sure you have weighed the costs and risks when you are considering your security needs. Security systems are a proven method of reducing your chance of break-ins, but it is not always the right choice. In some neighborhoods, it may be better for you to have a dog, or even take self defense classes in order to protect yourself. You need to assess risks and choose a system adapted to the kind of situations you are likely to run into.
You can make your home safer by investing in some motion detectors and outside lights. In the evening hours, this lighting can provide extra security and an economical way to light your front entrance way when you arrive. Whenever you properly position these lights, they will make it almost impossible for burglars to sneak in.
If you’ve got guests that you don’t want in particular areas of the home, close the area off so it is not accessible. Install key-less locks instead. These locks use codes instead of keys. You can either install these locks by yourself, or have them professionally installed if you are not that handy yourself.
Invest in a high quality paper shredder. Unshredded documents can offer up a wealth of valuable personal information to thieves, including enough of your schedule to allow them to pinpoint the best time for a burglary. You could also simply take care to tear up your discarded papers.
Find out about the various lengths of contracts your chosen home security company has on offer. There are sure to be both good points and bad points about each option. You may pay less if you sign up for longer, but you might also get left with a contract if you have to sell your house. A short contract will avoid this, but may be more costly.
Always request that your house or pet sitter remove fliers from your door. Thieves have put them up in order to see if people are home to take them down. If the flier is not removed, they will know you are not home.
Do not use spring latch locks on your doors. These type of lock is the easiest lock to pick, it could even be opened by a credit card. Intruders simply use a credit card inside the latch, making the lock open. Add a deadbolt if you do not want to replace your spring latch locks.
A great way to deter criminals from getting into the garage is to make sure nobody sees inside it. Be sure and shade your windows with window frosting, something that you can purchase at any hardware store, so as to keep people from looking in your house. Don’t leave your front door unlocked or standing open when you are working in the garage or yard.
If your door has a numeric lock, make sure the combination isn’t your birthday. Your birthday is readily available for burglars to find. Rather, try and make your combination the answer to an equation so that you only need to remember an equation instead of an actual series of numbers.
A dog is an excellent burglar alarm. Dogs are very protective of their turf and usually make noises when something is amiss. You don’t even need a huge, vicious dog. Any size dog will drive criminals away, as the barking will be too much noise for them to be stealthy.
If you turn lights off and on at the same hours each day, you should use a timer. Not only does this save you a step, you can continue the routine even when you are not home.
You don’t have to have a giant key ring full of keys just because you want your home to be secure. Code or fingerprint enabled keyless entry locks are a great solution. You could install these locks yourself. Or, you may have a security company to do it for you.
If the living room window in your home is facing the street, you must keep the curtains closed. You never want to make it easy for folks to peer into your home. If the crooks can see what you own, then they are going to target you next. Try being discreet about what everyone sees to reduce the chances of being targeted by burglars.
If you possess a numeric keypad as a lock on your door, be sure not to make your birthday as your password. Your birth date is pretty easy to come by, especially for seasoned thieves. Use a password that you can remember but that no one else will be able to guess.
Figure out if motion sensitive lighting is an option for your home by talking to your home-security company. This is a common offering from most companies. These lights, affixed to your home’s exterior, illuminate whenever anyone comes within range. You will find your entrances are well-lit and safe, as will intruders.
Devote extra security to your irreplaceable possessions. This includes important documents, jewelry and keepsakes. Floor safes may come in handy for this purpose. A better idea is storing them inside a type of safe deposit box that’s outside your home.
Women are targeted for robbery more often, particularly if they have children or they live alone. Place something masculine in the front of your home to give off a tough impression. This will definitely deter criminals from entering your home.
If the living room window in your home has direct line of sight to the street, you’ll want to draw those curtains at night. You want to avoid having people peek in the windows. If one happens to be a criminal, they have an instant visual of many valuable items in your home, making you an easy target. Be discreet when showing off what everyone can see, and you can be more likely to avoid burglaries.
Don’t have any visible rooms in your home. If expensive electronics are easy to see from the outside, burglars will see them as well. Consider putting in drapes or blinds in order to prevent people outside your home from seeing your interior furnishings. If you can’t do that, put your valuable items into a more secluded room.
A formal automated home security system is just one of many possible solutions to consider when you are looking for options to keep your family safe. Start with a few tips you feel most comfortable with. Put these tips to use and enhance your home security today.
Make sure you clean carbon monoxide and smoke detectors often. Lint and dust can build up and this can affect the sensors. These devices could be rendered useless if not properly taken care of.
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