Most people don’t know enough about the important topic of home security. Making a thorough study of the topic is a good idea if you want to maximize the security of your home, your family and your possessions. Keep reading to learn some valuable pointers on securing your home.
Always make your house appear to be occupied. Invest in timers to automatically turn on and off any electronics at various times. This way, your house will always look occupied. This is a simple way to improve your home’s safety and make it less attractive to criminals.
If you retain a space key for when you get locked out, consider the place you hide it carefully. People will check your doormat and frame first. A better place to keep your key is inside your outside dog’s collar.
You can hide your spare key on your dog. Outdoor dogs or pet doors make this possible. Put a key on the dog’s collar so you have access to it when necessary!
If there are folks you don’t know or trust in your social network online, don’t let them know you are going away. It’s great to see new places and take a lot of photos, but posting them while still overseas lets thieves know your home is empty.
When you buy a new house, change the locks. The previous owners or tenants might have made several copies of the key. Call a locksmith as soon as you can for maximum security. Do the same thing if you happen to misplace a key.
If you will be vacationing for an extended period of time, turn off the ringer on all the phones in your house. A constantly ringing phone can signal to a burglar that the house is vacant, making it an easy target for their criminal activities.
Purchase ceiling, flooring and roofing that is fire resistant. This will help you protect your home under all circumstances. You can enhance home safety with excellent fire precautions.
If you’ve got skylights, don’t forget about it when it comes to home security. Skylights are a wonderful addition to any home, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of. Be certain that skylights in your home can be locked securely.
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. You may be very excited about your impending vacation, but there is no need to let potential burglars know when you will be gone.
A secure hiding place can be created in a wall. Concealing small valuables in your walls is an easy and highly effective way to protect them. Just access unused switch plates, outlets or phone jacks. A security store will sell fake plates you can install anywhere.
Do not open your door for people you do not know. Nowadays, thieves are creative when thinking of ways to get homeowners to open a door and let them in. Establish a rule where you and your family only open the door for expected visitors.
Conceal valuable spaces within your walls. It’s not necessary to cut out parts of your wall to do this. Most homes are pre-equipped with these handy spaces. Perhaps you could deactivate a few unused electrical sockets to use as a place to store stuff.
When summer comes around, eliminate all vegetation and dead wood from your yard. These could catch on fire during the summer, especially if you live in a dry area. You can prevent disasters by keeping your yard clean.
When moving into a house, ensure that each lock has been replaced. You have no way of knowing whether the previous homeowner is trustworthy. And, other people could have lived in the home previously to them as well.
Changing the locks is a fundamental part of adding security to the home. It might be that you have an angry ex-roommate or a bitter ex-partner, so changed locks will boost your security. It shouldn’t cost too much, and the process can be completed very quickly.
When moving into a previously owned home, change the locks. Previous tenants may have given the keys back to the landlord, but it is always possible to make copies of keys. You can change the locks yourself if you’re feeling really industrious.
You can hide your valuable items inside your walls. You don’t have to cut pieces out of the walls. Many spots are already cut that can be used for this purpose. 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.
Check references before giving anyone access to your home. Do not hesitate to hire someone to run a background check if you have doubts. It is not a good idea to give anyone a key to your home, even contractors or repairmen.
No matter how soon you plan to return home, you should lock your doors. It might shock you to learn that most break-ins occur due to unlocked doors. Thieves can make off with large amounts of valuable merchandise very quickly.
One of the best things you can do to protect your home at night is to deter intruders with plenty of exterior lighting. Intruders will avoid being noticed. With a well-lit home, thieves cannot hide or break in unnoticed. If you want to stay secure, keep your house brightly lit.
Don’t leave the packaging from any electronics or expensive purchases sitting on the curb until trash day. Having these boxes outside of your house will give robbers the temptation of robbing your house.
When you landscape your house, make it safe. All doors and windows must be unobstructed by shrubs, trees, fences, or plants. If windows and doors can be easily seen from all areas, then burglars cannot hide as well, which will hinder their plans. This will give your home additional safety.
Make sure your flashlights have charged batteries and are found throughout your home. It is extremely important that you have flashlights because they allow you to move around easier in the dark, which is especially useful in an emergency. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the flashlights are.
Think about getting a home security system that is wireless. A wired system should be less expensive but you might have to spend your money on getting your home rewired. The wireless systems are simpler to maintain and install and they don’t need power from the home to run.
Whenever you are landscaping your home, you should consider safety. All doors and windows must be unobstructed by shrubs, trees, fences, or plants. This way, no one can hide there if they are attempting to break into your house. If you want to have a garden around your home, keep trees and shrubs away from your house.
Just about everyone understands the key role of home security. They don’t understand how to protect their homes, though. Hopefully, the tips included above will help you move toward a more secure lifestyle.
Try to stay away from spring latch locks. These locks are easy to break into since they may be opened up with a credit card. Intruders can pick these locks by wedging a credit card in between the latch and the door. A deadbolt should be added for security purposes if you have locks that are spring latch.