It is up to homeowners to take proactive steps to ensure the safety of the home and its inhabitants. Regretfully, home invasions are common. Read on to learn some useful advice to keep your family and home safe from nearly any threat.
When you buy a new home, be sure to have the locks changed. This is because you really have no idea who has keys, and therefore access to your home. Hire a locksmith so that you can be sure you are the only person who can access your home. Do the same thing if you happen to misplace a key.
Only provide your house cleaner with a key if you trust him or her implicitly. Before you give a cleaner full access to your home for extended periods of time, you have to be certain that they’re trustworthy and reliable. It is best to do a reference check on them. If the house cleaner is employed by a company, check with the BBB of your area to determine their reputation.
Does your dog stay outside while you are gone? If so, you can use your dog to hide your spare key. Attach your spare key inside the collar of your dog. This is an especially good idea if your dog doesn’t like strangers, and gives you easy access to get in your home.
If you retain a space key for when you get locked out, consider the place you hide it carefully. You don’t want to put them in common spots, such as above the frame of the door or under the doormat. A possible solution is to attach a key to your outdoor dog’s collar.
If you want to have a spare key hidden outside of your home, hide it carefully. Doormats and door frames are predictable places that burglars will always check. One good place to hide a spare key is in the collar of a dog that does not take kindly to strangers.
Ask your friends for advice before you choose a home security system or company. Your loved ones likely have dealt with this situation before. Ask a few different people to help you make the best choice.
Fire-resistant building materials are the way to go, both inside and outside the home. These materials will protect your home from both internal fires and the spread of fires that start on other properties. Avoiding fire hazards is a great way to keep things safe.
Don’t let strangers enter your home. Remember that intruders have a lot of experience with tricking people. These people might want to actually do you harm or could be casing out your house for a future break-in.
You should talk to your friends and family about advice concerning certain home security companies. Others may have had bad and good experiences that they share with you so that you may be able to save time and stress. Ask a few different people to help you make the best choice.
Security System
Rid the outside of your home from dead wood, vegetation and overgrowth during the summertime. When summer heats up, such debris can catch fire. Make sure your yard is clean for the sake of your safety – and that of your family!
You need to have your security system checked once a year. Get someone from the security firm to inspect it. Your security system’s quality can be impacted by numerous factors, such as the weather and wild animals. It’s quite possible for there to be a fault in your system even if you can’t see it.
Install lights that use a motion-sensor. If someone enters their proximity, they will light automatically. This lets you know something is moving and also drives off criminals. Replace bulbs regularly and check the sensors once a month.
Put up motion activated lighting. The lights will be triggered when someone gets too close to the house. This will discourage would be thieves and alert you to any movement on your property. Just do not forget to replace the bulbs periodically to keep them functioning at all times.
Do you live outside the city? You might be less worried about home invasions than if you lived in an urban area. Some maintain that rural dwellers have greater risk since their neighbors live farther away. Still there are those that think that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.
If your home has skylights, don’t neglect to secure them. While they are nice and help with lighting, they also provide the burglars help with access to your home. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.
Make certain no one can see your valuable belongings through windows and doors. Having large windows in front of your home may be a great way to see what is happening outside, but it can also give crooks a view inside your home. Keep your windows covered and your belongings private.
Walls can serve as a handy hiding place. This is a great way to hide jewelry, for example. Just access unused switch plates, outlets or phone jacks. If you have no unused plates, you can put in a fake one.
Lock the house, even if just going away for a short time. Surprisingly, lots of burglaries occur because the burglar was able to simply walk in without having to actually break in. It won’t take long for thieves to steal lots of expensive valuables.
You can hide your valuable items inside your walls. You do not have to damage your walls to keep your valuables safe. There are many spots in your home that already have areas that are pre-cut. Why not take the guts out of an electrical socket you’re not using? You can convert it into a convenient and covert little wall safe.
Keep your home security system’s wires under cover. A burglar can easily cut and disconnect wires that are left visible. You don’t want to help them by doing this, so make sure you have the wires within the walls. This makes it much less likely that your system will be compromised.
Do not let people on the street see valuable items in your home. Open curtains allow people to see inside your home and see exactly what you have. Blinds are a great way to allow the light in, without allowing people to see in at the same time.
If you are moving into a home that had a previous owner, then you should immediately change the locks. While you may trust those who lived there before you, you have no idea who lived there before them. You can do your own installation to make sure that no one else has a key.
When seeking out home security firms, the Internet is an indispensable tool. Read through official websites for different companies and look for reviews written by customers. Once you do this, make appointments with the three best companies you find so that you can compare pricing and other important details.
A great way to achieve extra security is to install exterior lighting equipped with motion detectors. This is a fairly inexpensive way to provide light and security to your property. If strategically placed, motion detectors ensure that it’s difficult for intruders to break into your home sight unseen.
If you think something looks odd when you get back home, don’t go inside. You have no way of knowing whether the thieves are still inside. The best thing to do is call the police and wait for them to arrive before doing anything else.
When you are trying to hire a home security contractor, read all the small print on your contract before signing it. There may be hidden costs in the event you wish to cancel before the end of the contract. This may also be true if you need more or different equipment in the future. Avoid nasty charges or fees regarding early termination, contract expiration and additional features or equipment.
Personal Information
Use the Internet when you are seeking a new 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.
If you don’t own a paper shredder already, you might want to get one. Your trash contains so much personal information a thief would love to have. You can also simply tear papers with personal information into small bits before you discard them.
Talk to any companies you’re considering hiring to install a security system about how long the company has been around. A long-standing company has a track record in the industry that people can attest to. It also ensures they’re not a fly-by-night firm.
If you’re planning to be out of your home for a period of time, have a neighbor remove any fliers placed on your door. Sometimes burglars leave fliers in an attempt to see if anyone is home to remove them. If their fliers are not moved, the crook knows the home is unattended.
Prior to purchasing a security system, think about what you need it for. Security systems are a proven method of reducing your chance of break-ins, but it is not always the right choice. Some individuals are more comfortable with a canine alarm, while other people enjoy the feeling of security that a sophisticated alarm system can bring. Be sure to assess the risk level you face before making big decisions.
Don’t get spring latch locks. These are the easiest for criminals to open with a credit card. Intruders just have to slide a card in between the latch and door for the lock to pop open. Add a deadbolt to existing spring latch locks for maximum security.
Do not use spring latch locks. These locks can easily be picked within a couple of minutes. Intruders simply wedge a credit card between the door and latch, triggering the lock to open. Add a deadbolt to doors with spring-latch locks.
Ask whether companies offer options to lease or buy your security equipment. Buying outright costs a lot more in the beginning, but one time costs might lower or eliminate some monthly fees that add up over time. Leasing usually proves cheaper at first, but it comes with strings attached through contracts or continuing fees and charges. Look at both of these to see what works for you.
If you aren’t at the house, keep the windows and curtains closed. You don’t want potential thieves knowing you are gone. Potential intruders will see what you are doing and get an idea of how many valuables you own if you keep your blinds open. You may have things inside that will tempt them to break into your house. You ought to keep them drawn while you are asleep.
Put some extra thought into concealing your spare keys. An easily moved object close to the door is the first place a burglar will look. Someone is going to look under your doormat. A better idea is to have a friend or neighbor keep your emergency key. If you want to keep it at your house, find a spot that’s not obvious.
When you’re dealing with a security company that provides you with significant equipment to install, ask about the benefits and drawbacks of buying versus leasing. You can avoid interest rates by buying the security system right away. Leasing is cheaper, but it can involve contracts and pricier monthly fees. You need to think about each option to think about what is right for your home.
If you turn lights on and off around the same time, try using a timer. This is quite convenient because you won’t need to turn the lights off and on, and you won’t need to worry if you go away for a spell.
Avoid keeping your key somewhere expected. Fake rocks are very easy to spot. Many people also know to check under the welcome mat. A safer option is entrusting a neighbor or one of your most trusted friends to keep your spare key. If that isn’t an option, be creative with a hiding spot.
When you own a home, you must focus on securing it. This very article will contain several different ideas and suggestions that will help protect your family and your home from these threats. Use these ideas to boost your home’s safety.
Devote extra security to your irreplaceable possessions. It is best to keep items such as passports, legal documents, photos and financial records in a spot that is secure. A fireproof floor safe is ideal for this. Or, a better idea, is to place them in a deposit box outside of your home.
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