Arming yourself with home security knowledge is something everyone should do. There is a ton of information about home security, and it can be hard to sort through it all. This article can help you glean the most important pieces of information that can help you develop the most effective home security plan.
Only give your house key to a professional house cleaner if you trust them. You need to ensure that they are honest and reputable according to references before you have handed over the key. Go over their references and do some background research on the company they work for. If the cleaner is from a firm, try calling the local BBB to find out about the firm’s reputation.
Keep your jewelry, vital documents and other expensive items in a safe. Doing so can protect your valuables in the event of a robbery. Hide your safe in a place that is hard to get to, like a basement closet or an attic.
Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? Your dog is an excellent place to hide your spare key. Put it on your dog’s collar, making sure it is hidden. If your dog doesn’t like strangers, it’s even better.
If you want to have a spare key hidden outside of your home, hide it carefully. Too many people put their extra key under the mat in front of their door; burglars know to check there. Try hiding the key in your outside dog’s collar.
There are more features to a home alarm system besides making sounds when people break in. Most of them can be programmed to alert you to anyone entering your home. This is a good way to keep track of where your young children are.
Use your garage for your car and not for storage. It won’t be vandalized or stolen this way. Additionally, if your car is put away, burglars will not be able to tell whether or not you are home.
Compare different systems when looking into home security. Wild variations in pricing can exist for similar security products. Get quotes from no less than three companies before choosing the best one.
The first thing to do is get your locks changed out. It might be that you have an angry ex-roommate or a bitter ex-partner, so changed locks will boost your security. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.
Buy housing materials that are fire resistant. This is a good way to protect your home against fires, for instance if you live near power lines or in a dry area. You can enhance home safety with excellent fire precautions.
Don’t forget to secure your skylights too. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Your skylights need durable and reliable hardware for true protection.
Do not tell anyone that you are going on vacation out of your friend circle. It’s natural to be excited about your trip, but this is as good as throwing out the welcome mat for people who know your home is unoccupied.
Be cognizant of what others can see when they look in your windows. While having huge windows may be good for letting in light and viewing what is outside, it also gives potential thieves a good look in your own home. Blinds are a great way to allow the light in, without allowing people to see in at the same time.
Be sure to secure your attached garage. Intruders could easily break into your garage and access your home. A C-clamp can prevent a garage door from even opening if the clamp is tightened on the door track near the roller.
When choosing an alarm system, consider one that offers protection for more than just your doors. Your windows are easy entry points for crooks too. Get an alarm that will trigger if either the doors or windows are opened. This will help to keep your family safe.
In the summertime, you should rid your yard of dead bushes and vegetation. These could catch on fire during the summer, especially if you live in a dry area. Keep these cleared away regularly to maintain your home’s safety and to keep it in good shape.
Don’t leave the packaging from any electronics or expensive purchases sitting on the curb until trash day. Having these boxes around will let thieves know the type of items that are inside your home.
Take advantage of any and all security resources your local police force makes available to homeowners. There are many that offer programs that include items, such as home inspection, how to use engraving tools to mark code numbers to identify valuables if yours are stolen, and protective measures advice. Get in touch with the department to determine their offerings.
The wiring on your house is valuable to burglars. Many folks are not aware of this until a thief steals it. Copper wiring is quite valuable, and it’s quick and easy for criminals to strip it right off the outside of your house! Be sure that your wiring is concealed or difficult to access in order to keep your wires safe.
Hide your valuables in the walls. If you need to protect expensive items in your home, put them inside the walls. Use an old switch plate, outlet or phone jack. If you haven’t got any plates that are unused, simply install a false switch plate.
Moving into an apartment or home that you’ve lived in should involve changing the locks first to maker them safer. Even if you’ve gotten a key from the previous owner or tenant, there could still be a lot of people out there who have keys to your home. You can even buy and install the locks yourself so you know that you are the only one with a key.
Don’t put extra keys under doormats or in planters. A key that is easily found is a convenience for a burglar, not just for you. Burglars are well aware of such hiding places. Rather, give your key to a neighbor you find trustworthy.
A simple way to increase your home security is to add motion lights around the house. These lights illuminate your home during the night. As an added bonus, they are affordable and quite efficient. Positioned correctly, these lights can make it impossible for intruders to get on your property undetected.
The number one thing you must do if you’re moving into a new place is have the locks changed. Although the tenant before might have turned their key in, they might still have a duplicate key. You might even install new locks yourself so that you know you have the only keys.
Having light on in your home at night will scare crooks away. Most burglars rely on concealment to approach a home. With a well lit home there is no place for burglars to conceal themselves. So keep those lights on at night for a secure home.
Screen the references of anyone who would have access to your house. It wouldn’t hurt to also perform a background check. You never really know if you can trust a service person, and giving access to the wrong one can prove disastrous.
Homeowners need to learn everything that they can when it comes to security. However, distinguishing useful information from that which is unhelpful can prove challenging. It’s great to remember this information if you need to become more knowledgeable about home security.
When choosing between security companies, read everything on the contract. There may be some hidden fees, or a need to buy more equipment later. You can easily avoid these fees if you do your research.