Every homeowner needs to understand how they can keep their home and family secure. Sadly, home burglaries are very common, in addition to the extensive risks posed by floods or fires. Keep reading to find out more about home security and how you can protect yourself.
Be sure that your home is always occupied. You could purchase timers and have your TVs, lights, radios and other types of electronics to go on at various times. This will make it look like someone is home. This is an excellent method for avoiding burglary and keeping your home secure.
Buy a safe that you can conceal your valuables in it. The safe should be kept hidden in an inconspicuous area of your home.
Purchase a safe to lock all of the extremely valuable items in your home in one place. You would hate for your expensive jewelry, personal family belongings, etc. to be stolen in case a burglar breaks into your home. Hide the safe in a very hard to reach place like the attic or a closet in the basement.
Don’t post information about your vacations on the web. It’s great to see new places and take a lot of photos, but this is as good as throwing out the welcome mat for people who know your home is unoccupied.
Buy fire-resistant building materials. Your home will get added protection, especially if your environment is dry and has power lines. Home security also includes taking steps to prevent a fire from completely destroying your home.
They pose a fire hazard during warmer months. Clear your yard so it looks good and is safe.
Don’t allow anyone you don’t know to look into your house. There are some people who are very convincing and good at getting you to let them into your house. Some people will knock on your door simply to see whether you have a security system.
Check with your local law enforcement agency about home security tips and advice.They may offer things such as home inspections, home inspections, and other guidance about securing your house. Contact the police department to find out if they offer this type of program.
Don’t let strangers into your home. Burglars are getting creative, and they will do anything they can to gain access to your home. Enforce a rule within your house that no one opens the door to unexpected people.
Motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home is a great investment. These are lights turn on if someone walks near your home. Just do not forget to replace the bulbs every so often so the lights remain in working order.
See what your local police department offers in terms of home protection programs. They often offer home inspections, seminars and even the ability to purchase items. Speak with the police in your area to see if they have these things.
Most burglars gain entry to a home through an intruder just walks in. A thief can steal your valuables in a few minutes.
Your home security system ought to be checked each year. Ask a qualified worker who specializes in security systems to take a look. Many different things can make problems for your security system. If you cannot see a problem, you might not know one exists.
Are you aware of the value of your home’s wires are worth something? Many people do not realize this until a crook steals it off of their wires stripped each year. The wiring contains valuable copper than can be quickly taken off a home. Make sure your wiring is concealed or difficult to access in order to keep this valuable property safe.
Be brave! Speak to your neighbors. Keep an eye out for their houses, and request that they return the favor. Pay attention to gossip. You may stumble across valuable security information, like if someone has noticed a stranger lurking around the neighborhood.
It is very common for thieves to present themselves as representatives of a company reps in order to gain access to your home. This is dangerous for your belongings and your valuables. Be very careful with who you want to avoid danger.
Use exterior lights that have motion sensors. The lights will be triggered when someone gets too close to the house. These lights will make you aware of, and can also scare off, potential burglars. Be sure to keep these lights working, though.
Always get references before letting anyone work inside your home. A background check is also be a criminal history. You never really know if you can trust a service person, and this could be a very bad mistake.
Alter the combination of the locks in your home. If you have boarders, former live-in partners, or others who once had access to your home, this is especially important. It doesn’t cost much and they can usually show up within a day.
A simple way to achieve extra security is to install exterior lighting equipped with motion lights around the house. If they are positioned correctly outside of your home, motion detectors ensure that it’s difficult for intruders to break into your home sight unseen.
Skylights should be secure. Skylights are nice to bring extra light into your house, but they are also easy ways for burglars to enter your home. Your skylights need durable and reliable hardware for true protection.
Be certain to read the fine print to any contracts you hire a home security company. There could be fees if you break a contract or acquiring additional equipment. You should avoid these fees as much as you can; therefore, so read everything.
Don’t give outside people the ability to see into your home. Though it is nice to have big windows to get a great view of the outdoors, it is also easier for burglars to look into your home. If you have windows that face the street, always keep them covered and keep your valuables safe.
Use the Internet to find a new home security company.After reading about these services, you can then take the next step by contacting each one.
Before letting a home security representative inside, ask for identification. Potential burglars can easily claim they are security company representatives so that they can enter your home. This is dangerous to your valuables and your family. Caution is always advisable if dangers like this are to be avoided.
Make sure no one can look inside your garage isn’t visible. Don’t leave your front door unlocked or standing open for long lengths of time when you are working there.
Having your home lit up and bright at night is a great deterrent to crooks. They don’t wish to be seen. By minimizing dark and shady areas, you are taking away a potential burglar’s hiding spots. If you want to stay secure, keep your house brightly lit.
Don’t leave the boxes for big-ticket purchases outside on your curb. Burglars will notice these boxes and realize that there are valuable things in your home for them to get. Cut the boxes and wait until the writing when you put them outside.
Always keep your home’s exterior well lit. Burglars prefer the cover that night provides their criminal activities. So it’s smart to put a light in typically darker corners around your home. Be sure to consider your front and back porch, garage, ground floor windows and any basement entryway.
Never hide keys in an obvious spot.It is easy to find fake rock. The first place an intruder will likely look is a doormat. A friend or neighbor can be a much better plan is to ask someone you trust to keep your extra key holder than an inanimate object. If you can’t, you must think creatively to find a good place to keep a spare key.
A wireless home security system could be just the option you are looking for. While wired systems may seem cheaper, they need your home to be rewired and they can fail due to a power outage. The easy of installation and maintenance when it comes to wireless set-ups makes them the best bet.
Think about getting a hard-wired system if you have concerns about long term maintenance costs. It can also be pretty expensive to replace a ton of batteries.
If you don’t own a paper shredder, get one. You’d be shocked at how many times thieves search trash looking for personal documents to see when you’re not home so that they can get into your home. You can tear your documents up by hand before disposing of them if a shredder is out of your price range.
Legal Documents
Always keep your shades, curtains and blinds closed when you are not at home. By failing to do so, you are granting a prime view of your house and your belongings. They may break in if they spot something that they like. Keep them down when you’re asleep, too.
Secure valuables in an area that are truly irreplaceable. Items such as family photos, passports, legal documents, expensive jewelry and legal documents are best kept in a secure location. A floor safe could be a great place to keep these items within the home. You could also look into getting a safety deposit box.
Be sure not to use your birthday as the password on your door lock’s numeric key pad. Anyone could get your date of birth from Facebook and could have access into your house. Make it a random number that you and your family can commit to memory.
Replace flimsy doors with solid wood or metal. Metal and solid wood doors cannot be broken. A would-be intruder will have much more trouble getting through one of these than a solid wood or a metal door. The cost of replacing your doors is very minimal if they were to break.
Home alarms are a good investment, but only when someone who hears it calls the cops. You want a system that is monitored from a central location that can call the police when the alarm goes off. You can’t necessarily rely on the neighbors to call.
Ask the security company if they offer motion sensors. This provides added security when you from having unwanted guests enter the premises and can be a great burglar deterrent.
Sliding doors are a huge security issue. It’s easy to break into a sliding glass door by just lifting it up and shaking it. You should install a security system on your sliding glass door or place a pipe segment to fill the door channel. This will make the door a lot harder to force open.
You want to always make sure your second story windows locked. Many folks forget this point and believe that burglars checking these windows. This could not the case. Criminals know that this vulnerable area.
It is important that you do not leave any wiring exposed outside of your house. Electrical wires contain copper, which is extremely valuable. Keeping your wires hidden prevents the thieves from seeing them and wanting to take them.
The best locks you can get are deadbolts that includes a captive keylock. These locks have a thumb latch that prevents others from reaching around and opening the lock via a nearby broken window pane to reach in. If you are going out, have a key inside the lock so you can easily exit if a fire breaks out.
Do not leave toys in your yard if the kids are in the house. Intruders will guess that women are living in this home. Women have expensive jewelry more often than men.
Women who live alone or with only children are easy targets for burglary. Place something masculine in the front of your home to give off a male lives there. This will give criminals think twice before breaking into your home.
Make sure anyone approaching your home is aware you have a security system in your home. Window decals, yard signs, and noisy alarms are better at preventing people from breaking into your house. If they don’t know about this until they get inside, they could still grab something on the way out.
Always change the keys and locks when you move in.This is definitely true when it comes to rentals and new home purchase, so discuss it with your landlord, or you can just do it on your own.
Change the code on your garage door opener! When you install a new garage door opener, it will have a factory default code shared by every other model the manufacturer makes. Thieves patrol neighborhoods until they find a garage they can open.
Due to the numerous threats that can damage a home, it is important for every homeowner to do all they can to ensure their home’s safety. You’ve just been giving some great home security tips. Use all of the ideas here to maximize the amount of safety you have.