As a homeowner, your know how crucial it is to keep your home secure. There aren’t many feelings worse than your home being severely damaged or destroyed. Besides being a valuable possession in its own right, your home is also the stage upon which you live your life. Continue reading to learn more about making sure your home stays safe and protected.
Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. Only select service people who are totally trustworthy. Make sure you check references. If they work through a larger firm, you can check up on the company with your local Better Business Bureau.
Why not give your trusted dog the job of holding onto your spare key? This approach is useful if your dog is a large breed that lives outdoor, or if your house has a doggy door. Place the alternative key on your dog’s collar in case of an emergency.
There are more features to a home alarm system besides making sounds when people break in. They can be programmed to alert the homeowner if a person enters the home. If you have little ones wandering about the house, this makes it easy for you to know if they have come in or gone out.
Always have the locks changed when you buy a new home. You simply do not know how many keys to the old locks are floating around. Have a locksmith install a brand new lock. This is also the thing to do if you lose the keys.
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 can be exciting to tell everyone about your vacation, but you could potentially be letting a burglar in on your whereabouts.
Look at the prices for all of the security systems that you are interested in. Wild variations in pricing can exist for similar security products. You really owe it to yourself to solicit firm quotes from three different providers before you sit down to pick one.
Talk to people you know for referrals when choosing home security systems. Most will be willing to share their likes, loves and loathes, especially as they realize how important it is to you. By asking around, you will gain information about the pros and cons of a variety of options.
It is important to invest in building supplies that are as fire resistant as possible. These materials will protect your home from both internal fires and the spread of fires that start on other properties. Investing in fire-resistant materials will help you save a lot since a fire can cause extensive damage.
Never open the door for a stranger. People often think of ways to trick others into letting them in so they can steal from them. Make it a habit to only open your home’s door to people you were expecting.
If you own a garage, be sure to use it to place your car, as opposed to using it as a storage. Having the car in the garage will prevent it from getting broken into or stolen. Storing your car in the garage will also make it difficult for anyone casing your home to figure out when no one is going to be there.
Avoid being shy. Converse with those living in your area. Watch their homes and ask them if they’ll watch yours as well. Don’t ignore the gossip. You may end up hearing about things such as odd folks roaming about the neighborhood.
People in rural areas are not usually as worried about burglaries as people in cities. The risk is still there, so a home security system is vital. You need to do some research on the areas where you live to get an idea of how frequent break ins are.
The first step in making your home more secure is to change out your locks. It might be that you have an angry ex-roommate or a bitter ex-partner, so changed locks will boost your security. Changing the locks can typically be done very cheaply and quickly.
Walls are great for hiding items. You should think about hiding certain small valuables within your walls. Just open up an electrical outlet or a phone jack that is not in use. Anything not used currently makes a good spot for hiding.
Always lock your house, no matter how briefly you expect to be gone. Break-ins are often the result of unlocked windows and doors. It does not take long for thieves to steal your expensive stuff.
After installing a security system in your home, make sure any wires are hidden. An intruder can cut the wires if he can find them. You don’t want to help them by doing this, so make sure you have the wires within the walls. It will keep your family safer.
Make sure to have flashlights with fresh batteries in all rooms within your house in the event of a power outage. Having a well-charged flashlight on hand is very beneficial in case of emergency. Teach everyone in your home to use the flashlights so all family members can see and help each other.
Screen the references of anyone who would have access to your house. Try doing a background check to look at their criminal history. You might not know that the maid or contractor entering your home is a crook, and this could be a very bad mistake.
Before letting someone from a security company into a house, get some sort of official identification. It is very common for thieves to pretend to be company reps in order to get into your home. This puts your household and valuables at considerable risk. Caution is always advisable if dangers like this are to be avoided.
You want to know what is included in a contract if you’re signing up with a security company. There may be hidden costs to doing business with them, including early termination fees and surprising equipment costs. It’s best to know about these fees in advance so that you can avoid them when possible.
If you get home and see the door is slightly open, don’t go inside by yourself to investigate. The burglar may be on the premises. You should call the cops and then wait for them before you do anything else.
See how long the home security company has been around before you make any decisions. A long-standing company has a track record in the industry that people can attest to. You should not trust a company that does not have a good record with your local Better Business Bureau or few years of experience.
If you are planning to be away, and you have someone picking up your mail, ask them to also double-check your door for fliers. Some intruders will place a flyer at your home to see if the flyer is removed immediately or not. If the fliers isn’t removed, the criminal knows that no one is home.
Before you go shopping for a home security system, take a moment to think about your specific situation and unique requirements. Although they can be very helpful, security systems aren’t always necessary. You could, for instance, invest in an alarm system, some outside lights, adopt a dog or take some self-defense classes. Be sure to assess the risk level you face before making big decisions.
If you purchase a new, pricey electronic like a TV or computer, don’t leave the empty box near your curb. If a burglar sees your empty box, he or she will know that valuable item is inside your house. That’s good motivation for a break-in. Cut the boxes up when they are empty.
If you come to your home and discover that your door has been left open, avoid investigating by yourself. The thief might still be inside, and you don’t have any idea whether or not they are armed. Request that the police come and have them go in and check it out, before you go in yourself.
If you are away, pull your shades closed. If you don’t, others can look in and see that the property is currently unoccupied. They may break in if they spot something that they like. You ought to keep them drawn while you are asleep.
Ask about different contract lengths that your home security company may offer. You will probably find there are many pros and cons associated with each different contract. You may pay less if you sign up for longer, but you might also get left with a contract if you have to sell your house. Shorter contracts have more freedom, but the monthly costs could be higher.
Ask if your company offers options to both buy and lease your security equipment. You can avoid interest rates by buying the security system right away. Leasing is cheaper, but there may be hidden fees and contracts. Look at both of these to see what works for you.
You should never use your birthday as the password for your numeric keypad. Anyone can find your birth date in your mail or on your social networks and can then access your home. Rather, use a number that can be determined through an equation that you can remember instead.
Do not store your car registration in your glove box. The reason is that anyone who sees them will immediately have your home address. You should carry them with you or find some other hiding place inside your vehicle. They have to be accessible in the event you are in an accident or receive a speeding ticket.
Program your lights to turn on and off at random intervals with a timer. A timer is very convenient and will give the impression that your home is occupied if you have to go away over extended periods of time.
If your door has a numeric keypad, don’t use your birthday as the password. People can easily access your birth date in order to gain entry to your home. Think of a number which is the answer to a mathematical question so you can just remember the answer to the question.
Keeping your house safe is not a difficult feat. All you need are some good ideas in home security. Give your home a security increase by using these ideas. Don’t neglect home security; stay safe.
Any priceless items need to be secured. Items like family photos, passports, legal documents and expensive jewelry should be kept in a safe place. Floor safes make for great places to hide such items. A better idea could be to store these inside a box outside of your house.
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