All homeowners want a safe and secure home, but it is often hard to know how to attain that goal. It takes some research to learn exactly what steps are most effective in attaining and maintaining home security. Read on to learn how you can set up an effective home security plan.
Your dog can actually safeguard a spare key. This will only be ideal if you have a dog door or an outdoor dog. Store a spare key within your dogs collar so you always have access to your home.
You should only provide a house cleaner your key if you completely trust them. Be sure to check out the background of any housekeeper you plan to provide with a key to your home. Ask for references and check them thoroughly. If you’re hiring from a company, call the BBB for more information.
If you need to leave a key for a maid service, make sure that that whoever cleans your house is professional and trustworthy. 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. Go over their references and do some background research on the company they work for. If applicable, call the BBB to inquire about their reputation.
Shut off phone ringers inside the home if you’re going to be gone for quite a while. A loud ring that goes unanswered can alert people to the fact that you aren’t home. This makes you more likely to be the victim of a burglary.
Does your dog like to play in your yard? This is a good spot for keeping your spare key. Put it on their collar. If you have a pet that does not trust strangers, this can help you get into your house if needed.
Police Department
Buy a safe. If an intruder breaks into your home, at least these valuables will be secure. Keep your safe in your basement or attic to make it hard to find.
The police department in your area may offer a home protection program. There are lots of different programs, like home inspections, that will help you take the proper steps to make sure your home adequately protected. Contact the police department to see if they have something similar.
Your friends may have some great advice for choosing the right company. This will help you to reduce the stress that you have on your search for a good one. By asking around, you will gain information about the pros and cons of a variety of options.
Is your garage used for storage? Consider removing those items and keeping your car there instead. It will be far more secure against thieves. A car kept locked in a garage is much less likely to be stolen or damaged. When your car is hidden, it will be hard for intruders to tell if you are home or not.
Don’t allow anyone you don’t know to look into your house. Even if someone has a good story, requires help or has a great product to sell, ignore them. Some will come to your door just to determine how secure it is, and they may return later if they think they can easily enter your home.
No matter how good your security system is, it should be checked annually. Get a security comapny tech to check it. Many things can impact the performance of a security system, such as animals and weather. If you cannot see a problem, you might not know one exists.
You should never open your door to someone you do not know. Nowadays, thieves are creative when thinking of ways to get homeowners to open a door and let them in. Keep a hard, fast rule that says you only open the door for invited guests in order to keep your family safe.
Don’t just consider alarming your doors when you’re considering an alarm system. All windows can be entry spots for thieves. If you have an alarm attached to each of your windows and doors, you can keep track of all the entry points for your home. Doing this will help ensure the safety of your home and loved ones.
See if your local police department offers any home inspection or other protection programs. The police can offer you some great advice, help you engrave valuables and even come check out your home. Call and see what is available.
Security System
You should not be shy. Talk to your neighbors and those on your block. Look out for their property, and see if they will look out for yours. Don’t ignore the gossip. While this is unorthodox, it may clue you into a possible home security threat.
Make sure the wires of your home security system are completely hidden. An intruder can easily disable your security system by cutting the wires. Make sure the wires are installed inside the walls of your home. This helps keep you and your family safe.
Don’t think you’re not at risk just because you don’t live in a big city. People who live in the country may even be more vulnerable because they do not have nearby neighbors. Others hold that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.
If you have purchased any large and/or expensive items, do not throw the boxes away until the day before the trash man is scheduled to come. Having these boxes around will let thieves know the type of items that are inside your home.
Walls are a great hiding spot for your valuables. You can hide small valuables inside the walls. Just use an unwired electric plug, light switch or phone box. Even if every single plate in your home is being used, you can purchase a fake one purpose-built for concealing valuables.
Are you aware of the value present in the wiring in your home? People don’t realize this until it is stolen. The copper wiring can be stripped and be turned in for money. Hide your wiring for optimum security.
Avoid placing spare keys under door mats or in plant boxes. Though you might think that you’re giving yourself something you could use to get into your house when you’ve lost your keys, you’re actually inviting intruders inside your house. Thieves are aware of these hiding spots. A better solution is to give your key to a neighbor you trust.
Prior to allowing access to anyone, make sure you are shown proper identification. For a relatively small fee, you can also run a background check for their criminal history. Anyone you bring into your home to work could be your worst enemy.
No matter how soon you plan to return home, you should lock your doors. It may shock you to know this, but a lot of intruders get inside homes through open doors. It does not take long for thieves to steal a lot from your home.
Landscape around your home with an eye to safety. Don’t provide burglars with cover by planting big shrubs in front of your doors and windows. If they can be seen, potential burglars will not be able to use them as hiding places before breaking in. This will give your home additional safety.
If you scheduled an appointment for a member of the security company to come to your house, ask them to show you some identification first. It is easy for potential thieves to present themselves as representatives of a company in order to gain access to your home. This leads to danger. Use caution to stay out of danger.
Before signing up for home security, find out how long they’ve been in business. Many years of service bode well for the company’s performance. It will make you feel better knowing that the company you choose is not fly by night.
If you plan to be away and you have another person collecting your mail, have them double check your front door for fliers. Burglars have been known to put these up, waiting to see if they are removed or not. If it stays where they put it, they will know you are on vacation.
Keep the outside areas of your home well lit. Burglars tend to commit crimes at night. So it’s smart to put a light in typically darker corners around your home. This extends to doorways, porches, garages and lower windows.
See if your firm gives you the choice of leasing and/or buying security equipment. It may be more expensive to buy equipment at the outset; however, you may save money in the long run if you are free from monthly payments. On the other hand, while leasing is more expensive overall, it can get you a better system if you don’t have funds available immediately. It is worthwhile checking out both possibilities before you decide on which is best.
Inquire whether a security company offers variable contract lengths. There are of course pros and cons for each contract. A contract that is longer might offer lower monthly payments, but you may have to continue with these if you decide to sell the house or discontinue services. Shorter contracts may offer greater freedom at a higher cost.
If you must hide a key, hide it somewhere unusual. Is anybody really fooled by those fake rocks? Not likely. A doormat is obvious, and a burglar is sure to look there. Instead, you should keep your spare keys with a trusted neighbor. If you have no choice but to hide a spare key, apply some inventive, out-of-the-box thinking when you do it.
The glove compartment is bad place to store important documents like your car’s registration. This isn’t smart since anybody who gets them is going to know your address. Instead, keep the registration in your wallet or a lock box in the trunk. They have to be available if the cops pull you over.
If your door is not solid wood or metal, replace it! Metal or solid wood doors cannot be broken. A burglar could not kick a solid wood or a metal door. It shouldn’t be too expensive to replace all exterior doors, so do it immediately.
Do not hide your key in obvious places. Everyone knows about fake rocks. Doormats are the first place people look at. It’s best to ask a trusted friend or even a neighbor to hold the extra key. If you can’t do that, you must think creatively to find a good place to keep a spare key.
Buying home alarms is terrific, but only in the case where someone will contact the police when they sound. Get an alarm that automatically notifies the police. You don’t want to have to rely on just your neighbors.
Wireless System
Most people try to avoid the neighborhood gossip, but you should try to get them in your good graces. The nosy neighbor may be the one to alert you that someone was snooping around your house. When you’re on good terms with them, you are more likely to receive word of any unusual activity.
If you’re worried about how you’re going to be able to maintain a wireless system, you may want to opt for a wired one instead. A wireless system is a good option but you will have to replace batteries regularly. Your home security system will not function properly if you do not change the batteries. Replacing batteries can get costly.
The windows on the second floor of your house should always be locked. Many people think a criminal won’t check them. This is not always true. This is a common weak spot in most people’s home security, and thieves are very aware of this.
If your door is not made out of solid wood or metal, you should replace it. These doors hold. These materials make it difficult for a would-be thief to break down the door. It shouldn’t be too costly to replace your exterior doors, so go do it.
There are many security benefits to having a large dog. A large, vocal dog is an unwelcome sight to would-be home invaders. Think about owning a big dog that can protect your family while serving as a playmate for the kids, a walking buddy or a friendly companion.
Securing the home is something everyone wants to learn to do, but many do not know where to start. This topic needs to be the number one priority for all who want to keep their family safe and protected. Hopefully, you’ve learned what you need to know from this article and can now put the information to use.
Do not leave toys in your yard if the kids are in the house. This makes thieves think women live there. Because they tend to own valuable jewelry that’s ripe for stealing, women make a house into a more attractive target for burglars.
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