If you are a homeowner, you realize the necessity of security. When you home is damaged or destroyed, you can feel very violated. The home in which you live is usually your most substantial investment, and it’s where you conduct your life. Read on to take better care of your home.
Do you have a dog that stays in your yard when you’re not at home? Your furry friend is also a great storage place for your extra key. The key can be attached to the collar of your dog. This will ensure that burglars cannot see it. Especially if your dog is not very friendly, this will help keep your key safe.
Setting off an alarm during a burglary is just one of the valuable functions a good security system can perform. The majority of systems will give an audible alert when someone enters the house. This could be valuable for parents who have small children, making them aware when their kid has closed or opened a door.
Home security systems have different kinds of features that can sound an alarm when someone breaks into your house. Modern systems are often capable of detecting any open door or window and announcing that fact. This is useful for parents who have small kids, as it helps keep them from leaving the house.
Look at the prices for all of the security systems that you are interested in. You would be surprised to see that the prices are much different for each company, even though it’s for the same type of protection. Get a quote from several companies before making a final decision.
Buy a small home safe that you can use to keep your valuables in. You would hate for your expensive jewelry, personal family belongings, etc. to be stolen in case a burglar breaks into your home. Keep your safe in your basement or attic to make it hard to find.
Make sure that you hide your spare key in a good spot. Above a door frame or under a mat are not smart ideas. Try hiding your key on a lawn statue or in a potted plant.
If you want to have a spare key hidden outside of your home, hide it carefully. It is very common for homeowners to hide them under a mat or above the framing of their door, and intruders know this. Hide your alternative key on your dog’s collar.
It can be a good idea to only leave one ringer on in your home when you are away. A constantly ringing phone lets thieves know that you are not home and could increase the chances of you getting robbed.
Buy roofing, flooring and interior paneling that is flame resistant. This will add an extra protection layer for your house, particularly if you live near power lines or in a dry location. Because of the amount of damage fires can cause, it is important to protect your home from them.
Security System
Try not to have a shy attitude. Talk to the people who live in your neighborhood. Watch out for their homes, and ask them to do the same for you. Listen to gossip also. Important security details (like the presence of strangers in your neighborhood) can come out of the most innocent conversations.
It is important that you check your home security system periodically, at least once a year. Ask a home security employee to give it a look. Wild animals, domestic pets, and weather are all factors that can affect the reliability of your home security system. Sometimes, you may need a professional to locate the problem.
You need to change our locks as your first step to ensuring your safety. There are many different people who might have keys from your past, and removing the potential of them accessing your home can be a very good idea. Most locksmiths can accomplish the job within 24 hours.
Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. Skylights are excellent for beauty and light, but it’s easy for burglars to gain access to your home through them. Your skylights should have strong components that can withstand tampering.
If your home security system is installed, be sure its wires are well-hidden. Exposed wires make it easy for an intruder to cut them and disable the alarm. Hide them in the walls or bury them underground to keep people from tampering with them. You will be much more safe.
You could hide some valuables within your walls. It is not necessary to cut out pieces from your wall. Instead, you can use the small spaces that are already there. An unused outlet can be taken apart, and the space used to create a tiny hidden safe.
If you have any boxes to discard from large, expensive items, wait until the evening before the trash is scheduled for collection. These types of items are appealing to thieves, and you may as well put a sign in your yard inviting them to steal yours.
Are you aware of the value contained in your home’s wiring? A lot of people do not know this until a thief steals them from the house. 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. To protect this expensive asset, hide your wires or make them hard to get to.
If you’ve recently moved into a house, get any locks changed out. Even though the person who sold your home to you may seem honest, you simply can’t know for certain. Keep in mind that other families might have lived with them, too.
If you move to a place that was occupied before, you should change the locks right away. You do not want anyone to have a copy of the key. You might even purchase and install your own locks so that you are assured of having the only keys.
The wiring outside of your home can be valuable. Many people have their wires stripped each year. The copper inside the wire is very valuable and may be stripped off the exterior of the house in a short time span. Therefore, ensure you hide your wires so that burglars cannot see them, or make the wires extremely hard for the burglars to get to.
When allowing a representative from any security company to enter your home, look for someone in uniform and ask to see an identification. Many thieves use this tactic to enter a house. This is a danger to your belongings and your family. Take care to steer clear of danger.
Your door frame should be replaced if the wood around it is rotting. Anyone who wants to get into your home can easily pry away rotted wood and slip right into your home. Always replace rotting wood with fresh wood immediately to keep your house strong and secure.
Whenever you sign with a home-security company, it is important that you thoroughly read the contract. There may be some hidden fees, or a need to buy more equipment later. Be aware of these particular fees so you can steer clear of them.
Before allowing anyone into your home, check their references carefully. You should do a background check as well to find out their criminal history. It is not a good idea to give anyone a key to your home, even contractors or repairmen.
When seeking out home security firms, the Internet is an indispensable tool. Review different websites and review comments from previous customers. With that information, you can make your appointments with the top three companies you’ve chosen so that you can compare pricing and look at specific monitoring and plans.
Keep your home’s exterior well lit. Burglars like the cover of darkness to commit their crimes. Be sure all vulnerable exterior areas of your home are equipped with good lighting. This includes doorways, windows, and your garage.
Purchase a paper shredder to prevent your discarded papers from providing burglars with valuable information. Thieves may look through your garbage for information. If you can’t get a paper shredder, try ripping papers into smaller pieces.
In the event you find your door open upon arriving home, you should never enter and investigate yourself. Your home and the area surrounding it may still be in danger. Your best bet is to contact the authorities and wait outside for them to get there.
Keep burglars on the outside of your garage by making sure nobody can actually see inside the garage. Add frosting to your window glass to keep folks from looking in the house. Don’t let your door hang open for lengthy periods of time.
Your dog is a great tool for protecting your home from intruders. Dogs protect your home by barking if something is wrong. You will get good results even if you do not have a large or vicious dog. A terrier will make enough of a fuss to stop someone from breaking in.
Can you read your house numbers clearly from the street? If there’s an emergency, it will take longer for the police to locate your home if the numbers are concealed in any way or too small. This is easy and inexpensive to fix if you believe there could be a problem.
Keep your windows covered if you’re out. Intruders can see into your home if they are left up. If they notice something valuable, they’re more likely to invade your home. You should keep them closed while you are asleep.
When you are out of the house, your drapes and blinds should be fully closed. You don’t want potential intruders to be able to look inside. They may break in if they spot something that they like. It’s good to have them down at night, too.
Do not store your car registration documents in your glove compartment. This will prevent anyone from knowing where you reside. Ideally, you should carry your registration in your wallet or bag. If you must leave them in the car, pick a less obvious hiding place. They’ll always need to be close by in the event you get pulled over.
Think about getting a hard-wired home security system if maintenance costs are an issue for you. Wireless systems, while convenient, will require much more maintenance. Not replacing the batteries keeps your system from working properly. Replacing several batteries will quickly add up.
Are you worried about the costs of ongoing maintenance? Then, consider using a security system that is hard-wired. Wireless systems are of course convenient, but unfortunately you have to change numerous sets of batteries regularly. Your home security system will not function properly if you do not change the batteries. It’s also very costly to replace a lot of batteries at once.
Purchase a timer to put your lights on and off during the day. They will go on when you need them, plus they’ll also go on when you’re not home.
If you often turn your lights off/on around the same time, consider using a timer. This makes your life a bit easier, and it means that your lights will still be lit even if you are away from long periods of time.
Exterior Doors
Women are much more likely to be targeted for a home invasion, especially if they live by themselves or with children. Place big muddy boots near the front door so it looks like a male lives there. This is sure to scare criminals off from your house.
If you want maximum security, make sure that your exterior doors are either solid wood or metal. These doors are much more sturdy. If a burglar were to try and kick his way inside, he would have a lot of difficulty doing so. It shouldn’t be too costly to replace your exterior doors, so go do it.
Go through a company to buy your security system. Resellers are interested in profits, not continued long-term service relationships. When dealing directly with the company, you can rest assured that you are not paying additional fees, and also that the company will be there to continuously service your equipment.
It doesn’t have to be the most difficult thing to keep your home protected. Take the time to learn as much as you can about home security. Use these great tips to maximize your home’s security. Don’t neglect these tips since they can ensure your home’s safety.
Your trash could compromise your home’s security. Thieves will notice empty boxes for expensive electronics or bills for valuable items if you throw them away. Even if it is only an appliance, the appearance of money may be created, which is something that can attract burglars.
Blue widgets can be confusing. Thankfully, you now have a basic idea of this topic. Keep looking for more great information, and use it to your advantage.
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