Continue reading to learn more about your options concerning home security. It’s never easy making tough decisions that are expensive. You can’t make the right decision if you haven’t educated yourself on the subject properly.
Make your home look occupied at all times. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. This makes people think you’re home. This is an excellent technique that helps avoid robberies while keeping the property safe.
Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. This is very important, as you do not want your gold, diamonds and personal items exposed if someone were to break into your house. Keep the safe hidden somewhere remote.
Your dog can actually safeguard a spare key. This will only be ideal if you have a dog door or an outdoor dog. Simply affix a spare key to the collar of the animal. You’ll always have a backup plan if you lose your key!
Comparison shopping is essential when seeking a security system for the home. The prices can vary a great deal for the same level of protection from company to company. Be certain to obtain multiple quotes prior to making your choice.
If someone comes to clean your home, only give them a key if they’re trustworthy. If they need the keys and plan on being in there for more than an hour, try to ensure that they are honest, hardworking, and reputable. All references should be checked. If the person is an employee of a firm, call your local BBB to check their reputation.
Don’t just hide your spare key anywhere. Under the doormat or above the door frame are all too common spaces that will be checked first by potential intruders. You could hide the key with your dog on the collar.
After installing a security system in your home, make sure any wires are hidden. You do not want the wires exposed for easy manipulation. To provide maximum security, wiring should be laid underground or installed safely within the walls of your house. Keep yourself safe.
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. 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.
If you make a large purchase, like a big screen television, don’t simply set the box out in front of your home. They show the world you have money and lots of valuables inside.
Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. A home phone that rings and rings is a good way for a potential thief to know if anyone is home.
Before you give a security company employee access to your home, make sure they’re in uniform and that they present acceptable identification. Thieves may say they are from a certain company to get into your home. This represents a danger to your possessions and your family. You want to use caution to prevent danger.
Check with your local law enforcement agency about home protection plans. 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. Your police department will be able to help you find out what is available in your town.
Check references before giving anyone access to your home. Be sure to perform a background check and look for any criminal history that might be in evidence. You might not know that the maid or contractor entering your home is a crook, and this could be a very bad mistake.
Avoid coming across as overly shy. Talk to your neighbors and those on your block. Ask them to watch your home if you are on vacation. It does not necessarily pay to steer clear of gossip. You could learn important security information, such as if strangers have been lurking around the neighborhood.
Always go over the small print on contracts offered by your home security company. There may be hidden costs involved that you were not aware of. These are costs you’ll want to avoid.
Install lights that have motion sensors. These are lights that turn on whenever any living thing gets too close to your home. These lights will make you aware of, and can also scare off, potential burglars. Remember to keep working bulbs in them at all times.
Keeping your home very bright during the night hours is an excellent way to prevent thieves. This will deter crooks from trying your home. A well-lit home will make it hard for intruders to hide and take your valuables without being detected. Make sure the lights stay on to keep your home safe.
Changing your locks first can help make your home much more secure. Changing the locks will ensure that you are the only one who knows the combination. Changing the locks can typically be done very cheaply and quickly.
Use the Internet to find a reliable home security company. You can check out their packages and rates and also read some customer reviews. Once you have selected a few potential home security providers, set appointments to interview them and find out what they have on offer.
Hiding Places
As you work on your home’s landscape, don’t forget about safety. Keep your doors and windows clear of any shrubbery. These types of places provide the perfect cover for prowlers. Plan your greenery and shrubbery for areas away from the direct path to your home to add beauty while still keeping your house safe.
Don’t put extra keys under doormats or in planters. Remember that you are not the only one who is aware of these sorts of hiding places. Burglars are well aware of these hiding places. You should have a trusted neighbor keep a spare key.
Are your house numbers visible from the street? It is important for the authorities to find your address in the event of an emergency. Thankfully if you notice a problem it’s an easy and cheap thing to fix.
After making major (i.e. expensive) purchases, don’t dump the packaging out front if your next scheduled garbage pick-up is several days away. They show the world you have money and lots of valuables inside.
Don’t get spring latch locks. Just one credit card can get a burglar access to your home. Intruders simply wedge a credit card between the door and latch, triggering the lock to open. If you have spring latches already installed, consider adding deadbolts too.
Are you aware of the value contained in your home’s wiring? Many people do not realize this until a crook steals it off of their home. The reason they are valuable is because of their copper. A burglar can easily strip off your wires from the outside of your home very quickly. This is why the wiring should be hidden or difficult to get to.
Inquire into both purchase and lease options for your security system. It might cost more at first when buying the equipment, but you don’t have the extra cost each month. While leasing might be less expensive, it also comes with high monthly fees and contracts. It is worthwhile checking out both possibilities before you decide on which is best.
Rotted Wood
Avoid keeping your key somewhere expected. It is easy to spot a fake rock. The doormat is the first place someone will look. It is best to simply ask a neighbor or trusted friend to hold on to an extra key for you. If that option isn’t available to you, be creative with your hiding spots.
Your door frame should be replaced if the wood around it is rotting. Rotted wood causes a serious weakness in your home’s security because it makes it easy to pry open doors. Therefore, replace rotted wood with fresh wood to ensure your home’s safety.
If you are concerned about the cost of maintaining your security system, then you may find that a hard-wired solution is a good option. Wireless systems are of course convenient, but unfortunately you have to change numerous sets of batteries regularly. Not replacing the batteries keeps your system from working properly. Replacing batteries can get costly.
If you get home and see the door is slightly open, don’t go inside by yourself to investigate. Your home and the area surrounding it may still be in danger. Request that the police come and have them go in and check it out, before you go in yourself.
Find out if you can get motion sensitive lighting from your security company. A lot of them have this, and they cause outside lights to come on when people approach your home. This can provide extra security when you enter your house, and can also hinder an intruder.
If someone looks after your house when you’re gone, have them remove fliers from the door. Canny burglars will often produce and distribute their own fliers so that they can see whether or not anyone takes them down. If a flier remains on a front door for a number of days, the burglar knows the homeowner is away.
Buying home alarms is terrific, but only in the case where someone will contact the police when they sound. The best bet is to invest in an alarm which is centrally monitored so you can be sure that any time it goes off, the police will show up. You can’t necessarily rely on the neighbors to call.
If you have learned something from this article, you are prepared to proceed. You must know how important this is and how it involves maintaining your family’s safety inside the home. Be sure and implement the tips you’ve just read.
A lot of people try avoiding the neighborhood gossip. Try to listen to them when you need to. If there are unfamiliar people hanging around, the busybodies in your neighborhood will notice. As a friend, they will be sure to notify you.