If you own a home, you should learn how to protect yourself. However, you have to sift through the huge amount of information that is published on the matter. The following tips will help you figure out what you need to be doing so that you and your family are safe.
Man’s best friend can also be trusted to secure a spare key. In order to make this work, your dog either needs to stay outside or have access to a pet door. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.
Only provide your house cleaner with a key if you trust him or her implicitly. Only select service people who are totally trustworthy. Check references thoroughly. Contact your local Better Business Bureau to find out more about the reputation of the cleaner you hired.
When you buy a new house, change the locks. You simply do not know how many keys to the old locks are floating around. To make sure you have the only access to the home, hire a locksmith. Also, if you ever lose your keys, do the same.
Buy a safe for very valuable items in the house so you can keep them inside a single location. This is important, since you don’t want your valuables exposed to a potential intruder. Hide your safe in a place that is hard to get to, like a basement closet or an attic.
Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. If you plan on giving them the key so that they can work in your home for over an hour, make sure that they’re reputable, hardworking, and honest. One way to do this is to check their references. If you are using a cleaning firm, make sure it has an excellent Better Business Bureau rating.
Do not post on your social media accounts regarding when you will be away on vacation. Potential intruders could get a good idea of when you will be gone by monitoring what you share on social networks.
Be sure your roof, floors, and ceiling are fire resistant. Your home will get added protection, especially if your environment is dry and has power lines. Stopping fire hazards is a key precaution to take since the damage it causes can be considerable.
You need to be sure the attached garage of yours is secure. You can prevent this from happening easily. Try putting a C-clamp on your garage door track. This will stop the door from rising if you want to keep it closed.
Don’t overlook your garage as a potential access point for thieves. There is a way to stop thieves from entering your home from the garage. A C-clamp can prevent a garage door from even opening if the clamp is tightened on the door track near the roller.
Speak with the police in your town regarding the home security programs they have. Many programs include how to use some engraving tools to create code numbers for identifying valuables that are stolen, home inspection, and advice on protective measures. These programs can make a big difference to the security of your home, and they may just be a phone call away.
Check with the police department in your town for home security tips and advice. Many have quite a few helpful programs that you take, like on self-defense or other things related to your home. A quick call to the non-emergency number at the police station in your town will tell you all you need to know.
Regardless of the type of home security system you choose, be sure to have regular inspections and maintenance performed. Have a worker from the security company take a look at it. There are many things that can be problematic with regards to home security systems, like wayward wild animals and the environment. If it’s not visible, you might not even know there’s a problem.
Do not be reluctant to meet your neighbors. Meet your neighbors. Agree to watch each other’s homes while you are away. Also consider listening in on some of the neighborhood gossip. You may find out helpful information about strangers lurking around.
An extremely important tactic for keeping your home safe is changing out the locks. This could be an ex-spouse or roommate you got into a fight with. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.
Always go with your gut when it comes to choosing a security firm. You are giving someone unlimited access to your home, so be sure the installer doesn’t give you a bad vibe. If you simply are not comfortable with a company’s technician, request for another technician or simply hire another company. You want your new system to protect you, not be the way the thief gets into your home.
Place your valuables in cut-outs in your walls. This does not mean that you should make alterations to your walls. There are many places in your home that are pre-cut and available. An unused outlet can be taken apart, and the space used to create a tiny hidden safe.
Hide your valuables in the walls. Small valuables fit nicely inside walls. Target any unused phone jacks or electrical outlets for an easy hiding spot. If you use all of them, you can always have fake ones installed.
Security System
While choosing your alarm system, ask about protection for windows and motion detection as well as doors. It should protect the windows too. 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. This is just one more thing you can do to protect your home.
If you have a home security system installed, make sure the wires are hidden. Many intruders bypass a security system by cutting the wires. Make it hard for a burglar to avoid your detection. This will add security.
While an alarm system or other security measures can make your home much safer, you must be sure that your security wiring isn’t exposed. A burglar can easily cut and disconnect wires that are left visible. Make sure the wires are installed inside the walls of your home. This will make you much safer.
Obtain flashlights with solid batteries, and ensure they are kept in all the rooms of your home in the event of a power outage. 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. Keep in mind that your family might be separated during a power outage, and make sure you children know where to find and how to use your flashlights.
Replace rotted wood around entryways. Anyone hoping to enter your home can very easily do so by just prying away the rotted wood. Be sure and replace rotted wood with fresh wood in order to ensure home safety.
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 involved that you were not aware of. Avoid as many fees as you can by reading everything.
Make sure to ask for identification for any home security company representative. It is easy for potential thieves to present themselves as representatives of a company in order to gain access to your home. Intruders could disguise themselves as home security representatives to inspect your current security system. Proceed with caution.
Get your home security system custom built for your needs. Every family is different, and so your security needs will be unique. If you’ve found a company that can tailor a system to you, you can receive the greatest amount of security to make you feel much more comfortable.
If you sign a contract for a security company, read all the fine print first. Sometimes there are hidden costs involved if you decide to let your service go before the contract expires or add additional equipment at a later point. Avoid as many fees as you can by reading everything.
If you do not already have a paper shredder, you may want to think about investing in one. Thieves might go through your trash bags to find bills for valuables or personal information. If you can’t afford to buy a paper shredder, tear your papers up into tiny bits before throwing them away.
Having light on in your home at night will scare crooks away. Most intruders avoid anything that could reveal their identity. Good lighting in your home means that crooks have no hiding places. Secure your property by creating a well-lit area.
If you plan to be away and you have another person collecting your mail, have them double check your front door for fliers. Often burglars will place these at homes and wait to see if people take them down. The more flyers pile up or the longer they are there, the more likely it is that the house is empty.
If you don’t own a paper shredder, it would be a good idea for you to buy one. Your trash contains so much personal information a thief would love to have. You could also simply take care to tear up your discarded papers.
If you have roommates or kids who you do not want in certain areas of the house, you do not have to lock the doors and carry around a ton of keys. Instead, use a numeric keypad. You can either install these locks by yourself, or have them professionally installed if you are not that handy yourself.
Consider installing a surveillance system for your home. Placing hidden and visible video cameras is a good way to keep your home secure. Visible cameras can deter many intruders and if they disable them, the hidden cameras can still capture footage. Find a security system that gives you the option to view the video feed from your phone so you can check on your home at anytime.
Speak with your security company about contract lengths and any options available. There are going to be ups and downs for each one. Long contracts may cost less each month, but it could leave you with a larger bill if you decide to end your service. A short contract may seem more expensive each month, but you have more freedom.
Does your security company offer leasing and buying? Purchasing your equipment may cost more in the beginning, but this is a one-time cost which does not recur. Sometimes it’s more affordable to begin with a lease, even though a continued lease may be costly in terms of ongoing higher monthly fees. Check out both options and determine which is best for you.
Try to stay away from spring latch locks. These locks can easily be picked within a couple of minutes. The lock can be triggered to open by simply wedging the card in the lock. If you have spring latches already installed, consider adding deadbolts too.
Don’t hide keys in obvious areas. Everybody knows about fake rocks. The thief will check under the mat before anything else. It’s better to ask a trusted friend or neighbor to hold your extra key. If you cannot do that, at least find an unusual place to hide the key.
Homeowners have a duty to learn all they can about keeping their homes secure. Unfortunately, separating the good information from the chaff can be quite a job. When you do come across security info you find helpful, (hopefully, including the article you’ve just read) it’s a good idea to hang onto it for future reference.
A timer can help you regulate when you turn the lights off or on in the evening. This can simplify your life, but it also makes your home appear lived in if you are away.
Blue widgets is a complex topic, which is why you should take the time to research it some more. This article definitely has the wisdom that you seek. Now you can put the various things that have been gone over here to good use.
About The Author
