If you’re looking to what choices you have when it comes to home security, this article will give you great tips. It’s not that simple to make a big and costly decision. To make a wise choice, you need solid information.
Place your spare key securely on your dog’s collar. But, this is only effective if your home has a pet door or your dog stays outdoors when you are not home. Put a key on the dog’s collar so you have access to it when necessary!
Make your house look occupied all the time. You can buy timers to have radios, TVs, lights and other electronics go off and on at different times. This makes people think you’re home. This should help you make your home safer and not attract the attention of potential intruders.
Don’t give your keys to a house cleaner unless you totally trust them. If you do give out a key to such individuals, be certain you know their reputation for honesty. Check their references fully. If the person is an employee of a firm, call your local BBB to check their reputation.
There are more features to a home alarm system besides making sounds when people break in. They often even alert you to any time a door is opened. For families with young children, this is excellent for alerting when a child has entered or left the house.
Comparison shop when you are ready to buy a home security system. Prices vary greatly in regards to the same protection for each company. Ensure you talk to a minimum of three companies to obtain quotes before deciding the one that you believe is best for you.
Think very carefully about where to hide your spare key. Above doors or under doormats are much too common to hide them and potential criminals will check them first. Try hiding your key on a lawn statue or in a potted plant.
If you will be vacationing for an extended period of time, turn off the ringer on all the phones in your house. If a burglar keeps hearing your phone ring, they’ll know the home is not occupied, making it more likely for a break-in to occur.
Ask your friends for advice before you choose a home security system or company. Others have likely had both good and bad experiences that they can share with you that can then save you a lot of stress and time. Ask around so you’ll have as much advice as you need in order to make a sound decision.
Use your garage for your car, not just storage. If your car is in your garage there is less of a chance to vandalize or steal it. Hiding it will help to deter people from tracking the times you aren’t there.
Never open up your door to a stranger. Nowadays, thieves are creative when thinking of ways to get homeowners to open a door and let them in. Make sure everyone in your house knows not to open the door unless they know the person standing outside.
Be outgoing. Talk to your neighbors. Look out for their property, and see if they will look out for yours. Pay attention to gossip as well. You might hear helpful information, for instance if strangers have been hanging around.
Garage Door
The first thing to do is get your locks changed out. This could be an ex-spouse or roommate you got into a fight with. It is not expensive and you can do it in less than a day.
Check out your garage to ensure that it is secure. Intruders can enter your home through an unlocked garage door. Try putting a C-clamp on your garage door track. This will stop the door from rising if you want to keep it closed.
Be sure your expensive belongings are not visible from the home’s exterior. It may be great to have large windows with a view, but this means that people can look in. Be sure to put curtains on your front-facing windows so people can’t see your valuable belongings.
If your house has a garage, keep the car there, not just your junk. If your car is locked up inside, it cannot be stolen or vandalized. Keeping your car in your garage also keeps a thief from knowing whether you are at home or not.
Purchase flashlights that have good batteries, and keep them in every room in your home in case the power goes out. Flashlights are key because they allow you to move around if an emergency should arise. Be sure everyone in your family is aware of the location of emergency flashlights.
You need to have your security system checked once a year. Call the company and have them send someone to check it out. There are many things that can be problematic with regards to home security systems, like wayward wild animals and the environment. It’s quite possible for there to be a fault in your system even if you can’t see it.
Be sure to make good use of the Internet when you’re trying to select your home security company. You should look at testimonials from customers and different information you can find. Once you do this, make appointments with the three best companies you find so that you can compare pricing and other important details.
You can hide things in your walls. You can hide small valuables inside the walls. Just take advantage of the phone jack, electrical outlet or unused switch plate. If you have no unused plates, you can put in a fake one.
Be sure to get a home security service that will inspect your home and tailor a home security system just for you. You need some features which other families may wish to do without. Most companies will create an individual plan to meet your needs so you can have a high level of security to assure your peace of mind.
Be sure your expensive belongings are not visible from the home’s exterior. While it may be nice to look out, burglars will see your valuables inside. Make sure you keep your blinds closed or arrange your possessions in such a way that they can’t be seen from outside.
Are you able to see the numbers on your house from the street? If the numbers aren’t legible, police may drive right by. There is a cheap and quick fix if you see an issue.
Anytime a security installer comes to the house, make sure they display proper identification. Criminals can easily pretend to be from a security firm as a means to gain entry to the house. Intruders could disguise themselves as home security representatives to inspect your current security system. Be cautious to stay away from those potential dangers.
A great security system for your home is a dog. They are protective about their territory, plus they make noises that keep burglars at bay. A big, vicious guard dog isn’t necessary. Small dogs also help, because intruders don’t want people to notice the barking.
Ask your security provider about their history in the business. It doesn’t take long for a quality company to prove itself in the security business, and you should look for a track record of satisfied customers and successful work. Knowing that you are dealing with a shady company can keep you calm when making this crucial decision.
Make sure that your key is in a hidden place. It is easy to spot a rock that is fake. Another obvious location is underneath the doormat. This will be one of the first places that a burglar will look for your spare key. A safer option is entrusting a neighbor or one of your most trusted friends to keep your spare key. If that option isn’t available to you, be creative with your hiding spots.
Be sure your home is well lit on the outside. Burglars tend to commit crimes at night. Install lights by each and every entryway to your home. This extends to doorways, porches, garages and lower windows.
If you’ve got a type of numeric keypad on the front door, don’t use your birthday as the password. People can easily access your birth date in order to gain entry to your home. Make it a random number that you and your family can commit to memory.
When standing in the street, can you see your house numbers? If an emergency occurs, the police will not be able to find your home as quickly if these numbers are too small or are obscured in some way. This is easy and inexpensive to fix if you believe there could be a problem.
If your current door is anything other than solid wood or metal, swap it out for one that actually is. Doors made of these materials are sturdy. The heavier sturdy doors make it much harder for an intruder to gain access to your home. It shouldn’t be too expensive to replace all exterior doors, so do it immediately.
Credit Card
Investing in a home alarm is great, but only if someone calls the police when it goes off. 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.
Spring latch locks are not a good option. These type of lock is the easiest lock to pick, it could even be opened by a credit card. Intruders can pick these locks by wedging a credit card in between the latch and the door. If your doors sport spring latch locks, add deadbolts to beef up security.
While gossip and scandals aren’t the most wholesome neighborhood topics, it’s best to stay in the loop. They will be the first one to notice any strangers lurking near your home. Becoming friendly with them makes you more aware of the people they notice.
You’re ready to get started if you have been paying attention so far. You need to take steps to protect your home and your family, and there’s nothing more important than that. Use what you’ve learned to make this come true.
You should lock all your windows, even on the second floor. People often overlook their second floor windows, assuming that thieves won’t check them. This isn’t true. A burglar will attempt to get in any way they can.
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