Home security is often misunderstood. To properly protect your items and home, you need to study home security. Read on for some excellent tips on ensuring your home’s safety.
You should always change the locks after purchasing a home. This is because you really have no idea who has keys, and therefore access to your home. Changing the locks will give you peace of mind that you and your family are the only ones who have access to your home. Also, if you ever lose your keys, do the same.
Any time you buy a new home, have the locks changed. You simply do not know how many keys to the old locks are floating around. To make sure you are the sole person with access to the home, engage the services of a locksmith. Be sure to cal a locksmith if you were to lose your keys as well.
Look at the prices for all of the security systems that you are interested in. Prices vary quite a bit. Before choosing which company to go with, ask for quotes from a minimum of three companies.
Beware giving keys to your maid unless the service has your absolute trust. Be sure any home cleaner you give your key to is trustworthy and reputable. Make sure you check references. If this professional is from a company, it’s best to check with the Better Business Bureau to see what kind of reputation they have.
Use the spaces in your home’s walls to store valuables. You do not need to remove segments from your walls. There’s plenty of places in a house with pre-cut areas that can be used. For example, you could take the wiring out of an electric socket that is not in use and put your valuable jewelry in there.
Turn the ringer off on your telephone if you are going to be away. If your phone rings and is not being answered, criminals will realize that you’re away.
Do not place your spare keys under your mat or even in plant boxes. While it may seem like a convenient way to give you access to your home, intruders are aware of this practice. Burglars are well aware of such hiding places. Ask a reliable neighbor or a friend to keep your spare key.
Don’t make a habit of giving strangers access to your home. Stay true to your safety, even if it appears the person has legitimate reasons for wanting entry. Even home security representatives could be intruders who want to check the kind of protection you have.
Make sure that none of your valuables can be seen from the outside. Although large windows in your home can provide your home with a lot of light, they can also provide burglars with an excellent view of the inside of your home. Keep your curtains drawn to keep your valuable items safe.
See if your area police department has any home security programs. Several in various jurisdictions have programs which entail providing a home inspection, what protective measures will help your home and even how to engrave valuable items to make them easier to recover. Talk with local police to see if they offer these programs.
If you have a home security system installed, make sure the wires are hidden. You don’t want a burglar to get access to them and disable your system. Don’t let this happen; bury or hide the wires. Your safety will increase.
Be bold. Engage your neighbors in conversation. Ask them to look after your home, and in return, look out for theirs. You never want to ignore gossip. You may end up hearing about things such as odd folks roaming about the neighborhood.
Your door frame should be replaced if the wood around it is rotting. Rotten wood can be removed in order to get inside your home. Replace dead wood with thick, firm pieces to maintain a high level of security.
Avoid placing spare keys under door mats or in plant boxes. You are allowing people to invade your home when you make it easy for them. Thieves are tricky, diabolical, and familiar with any and every hiding place. Ask a reliable neighbor or a friend to keep your spare key.
If you move to a dwelling that has had prior occupants, make sure you get the locks changed. Even though the previous tenant may have turned in their key, you never know if they have a copy. You can do your own installation to make sure that no one else has a key.
Lock your home when you leave, even if you don’t think you will be away for long. Many burglaries happen because the intruders can just walk right inside. It does not take a long time for a robber to pilfer items worth thousands of dollars.
Make sure that the person analyzing your home for a home security system is who he says. Criminals can easily pretend to be from a security firm as a means to gain entry to the house. This proves rather dangerous for both your family and also your valuables. Be very careful with who you let into your home.
You should change all the locks if you just bought or rented a new home. The old owners may seem nice, but you don’t know everything about them. Keep in mind that other people may have lived in the home prior to the seller.
A great way to achieve extra security is to install exterior lighting equipped with motion detectors. These lights not only give off light at night, but can also offer security around your home. When placed appropriately, no one will be able to break in unannounced.
Your flashlights should always be equipped with good, working batteries. They give you and your family the opportunity to move around should the electricity go out. Your kids should know how to work the flashlights so that everyone can help.
Having a well-lit home that’s bight in the evening can really deter crooks. That’s because they want to remain hidden. By minimizing dark and shady areas, you are taking away a potential burglar’s hiding spots. Secure your property by creating a well-lit area.
If you are moving into a home that had a previous owner, then you should immediately change the locks. The previous owners or tenants might have made some copies of the key. You can purchase and install locks yourself to make sure only you have the key.
Keep safety in mind when doing landscaping. Make sure that there is nothing obstructing your doors and windows. If windows and doors can be easily seen from all areas, then burglars cannot hide as well, which will hinder their plans. Landscaped features should be set further away for safety, yet keeping beauty in mind.
Before letting someone from a security company into a house, get some sort of official identification. You would be surprised how many thieves will impersonate security representatives to get into your house. This can lead to harm befalling your family and possessions. You want to use caution to prevent danger.
Make sure your home’s exterior is well lit. It will be easier for intruders to keep an eye on you and approach your home if they can hide in the dark. Motion sensor lights can work great because they can also alert you when someone does come onto the property. This will include doorways, porches, your garage, and ground floor windows that criminals can use.
Don’t let any service people into your home without checking their references completely. Perform a background check to learn about their criminal history, too. It is not a good idea to give anyone a key to your home, even contractors or repairmen.
Consider a wireless home security system. Although wired systems are usually more affordable, they usually involve changing out the wires of your home. As a result, if a power outage occurs, these wires will probably not be effective. Also, you will have a very easy time installing them.
Use the Internet to find a reliable home security company. Read through official websites for different companies and look for reviews written by customers. After that, choose your top three for consultations.
Can you read your house numbers while in the street? During an emergency crisis, smaller numbers prevent emergency personnel from finding your home quickly. Fortunately, it doesn’t require much to fix this problem.
If you don’t own a paper shredder, it would be a good idea for you to buy one. Many thieves sift through trash for personal info and to figure out when you plan to be away. You could also simply take care to tear up your discarded papers.
There’s an easy way to secure interior doors (if there are areas you want to keep housemates and children out of) without obliging you to carry a key-ring around at all times. There are locks that use a code for entry, rather than a key. You can have your home security company install it for you, or you can do it yourself.
Make sure that your garage is not visible from the outside in. Add some frosted glass panes to your windows to keep strangers from looking inside. It’s also a good idea to avoid leaving your garage door open for any longer than absolutely necessary, even if you’re at home.
Ask about the different contract durations that a security company can offer you. They probably each have their pluses and negatives. 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 may seem more expensive each month, but you have more freedom.
Don’t leave the boxes of any high priced electronics on the curb of your house. If thieves see these type of boxes outside your home, they may want to break in to steal the items. Cut the boxes up when they are empty.
See if your firm gives you the choice of leasing and/or buying security equipment. Buying will save you a ton of money over time. Leasing is cheaper, but there may be hidden fees and contracts. Look at both of these to see what works for you.
Using a timer on lights is a great idea. Not only does this save you a step, you can continue the routine even when you are not home.
Don’t keep your car registration in the glove box of your car. This is not wise since anyone who has access to them will know where you live. Keep them in your wallet or in another safe place in your car. They have to be available if the cops pull you over.
Just about everyone understands the key role of home security. Many feel lost when it comes to choosing a home security system. Armed with the information presented here, you have the resources you need to secure your home 24/7.
If your door has a numeric keypad, don’t use your birthday as the password. Personal information, such as a birthday can be acquired on the Internet. If you use this as your password, you may make it easy for a burglar to rob you. Choose a math equation and make the answer your code, and make sure to keep the equation in mind.
ergonomic pillow
Hospital mattress protector
About The Author
