There should be nowhere as safe as your home. Whenever the family is away from home, it is important that they home be safe upon their return. The best way to start out in protecting your home and its contents is by reading this article for the best advice available.
Look for ways to make your home seem occupied. Have electronics and lights with timers and set them to go off at various times. This gives off the appearance that someone is home. This should help you make your home safer and not attract the attention of potential intruders.
Spare Key
When you buy a new house, change the locks. Many people may have been given keys by the former owner. Call a locksmith to make sure you’re the only one with access to your home. Give a key to someone you trust in case you get locked out.
Why not give your trusted dog the job of holding onto your spare key? Really this works only if you have a pet door or if your dog is an outdoor dog. Place a spare key on the collar, and when you really need a spare, you know where to go!
When you set out to purchase home security equipment, remember to comparison shop. Prices vary significantly, even for similar levels of protection. Be sure and get a minimum of three quotes from different companies prior to choosing one.
Before selecting any home-security company, talk to your friends to see who they suggest. 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. Do your research; it will help you make a good decision in the end.
Aim to purchase fire-resistant ceilings, roofs and floors. This will add an extra protection layer for your house, particularly if you live near power lines or in a dry location. Lowering or eliminating the risk of a fire is an extremely important home security strategy because a fire can cause extreme destruction very quickly.
See if your area police department has any home security programs. These programs may include engraving identification codes on your valuables, home inspections, and advice about home security. These programs can make a big difference to the security of your home, and they may just be a phone call away.
Do you live out in the country? If so, you might not be as worried about burglars breaking in as those people in the city are. Nonetheless, people in the country may be at greater risk due to being far away from neighbors. However, understand that regardless of where you live, a theft can occur anywhere. Therefore, you need to be prepared.
Keep your car in the garage. Protect your car from vandals by keeping it in the garage. This can also keep people from knowing your schedule.
Be on the lookout for rotten wood anywhere near your doors or windows. Rotting wood is easy to remove and take apart if someone is trying to get in. Replace any wood that has begun to rot with new wood so that your house stays safe.
Annual check-ups are important for alarm systems. This is a job for professionals; get a security firm to inspect your equipment. Wild animals, domestic pets, and weather are all factors that can affect the reliability of your home security system. The problem might not be obvious to you, though.
If you allow a security company to come to your house, make sure they appear professional and can present identification. Criminals can easily pretend to be from a security firm as a means to gain entry to the house. This proves rather dangerous for both your family and also your valuables. Be careful to avoid any potential dangers.
Be more proactive when you are determining the safety of your neighborhood. Talk to your neighbors and those on your block. Watch their homes and ask them if they’ll watch yours as well. Don’t ignore any gossip either. Important security details (like the presence of strangers in your neighborhood) can come out of the most innocent conversations.
Before you let anyone go into your home, look at their references thoroughly. For a relatively small fee, you can also run a background check for their criminal history. You can never be certain if the contractor, repairman, maid, etc. that you hire to do services in your home is honest. If you let these people in without knowing anything about them, you could experience significant losses.
A skylight is another area that needs to be protected for home security. They look great and provide light, but also are another access point. Be sure that the skylights for your home are durable and reliable.
If you are seeking home safety ideas that are simple and inexpensive, you should buy outdoor lights with motion sensors. During the night hours, these lights help light up the outside of your home, which makes them an excellent addition to your home security strategies. In addition, they are very affordable. If positioned correctly on the exterior of your home, the motion detectors make it virtually impossible for an intruder to sneak onto your property.
Get creative and hide valuables inside your walls. It’s not necessary to cut out parts of your wall to do this. Most homes are pre-equipped with these handy spaces. For example, you might remove the cover of an electrical outlet, disconnect the wires, and use the space to hide small valuables.
A bright home is a safe home. They prefer not to be seen. Ample lighting makes it difficult for would-be burglars to approach undetected, and this turns your home into a less attractive target. Keep the lights on when it’s dark.
Don’t leave the packaging from any electronics or expensive purchases sitting on the curb until trash day. Empty boxes for expensive new gear serve as advertisements to potentials thieves; don’t make it easy for them to spot such tempting targets.
Ask your home security company about coming to your residence and creating a system that is tailored to your personal needs. Everyone has specific needs and wants when dealing with the security of their house, belongings and family. Doing this helps you get the best security you can get from the company, helping you to relax.
If you move to a place that was occupied before, you should change the locks right away. While you may trust those who lived there before you, you have no idea who lived there before them. You might even purchase and install your own locks so that you are assured of having the only keys.
Make sure the outside of the house is well lit. Nothing is as attractive to a burglar as a dark, deeply-shadowed house. Light up the dark spots around your home. All doors, porches, garages and windows should be well lit.
Before you give a security company employee access to your home, make sure they’re in uniform and that they present acceptable identification. It is very common for thieves to pretend to be company reps in order to get into your home. This leads to danger. Be cautious to stay away from those potential dangers.
Do not put electronic boxes in the front of your house. Burglars pay attention to this, and it will make them want to break in and get the items. When you have emptied the boxes, make sure you cut them up.
Take advantage of the Internet while comparing your home security options. Check out reviews you find on the web. Make appointments with the three best companies, and take the time to go over the details and compare them.
Dogs make a great security system. These pets are usually territorial and want to protect their masters. A big, vicious guard dog isn’t necessary. Small dogs also help, because intruders don’t want people to notice the barking.
Consider home security and safety when you are planning your landscaping. Keep your doors and windows clear of any shrubbery. This way, no one can hide there if they are attempting to break into your house. For a beautiful yard that’s also safe, keep the landscaping separated from the house.
Ask whether or not your home security company gives you the option to lease and/or buy your equipment. Buying equipment may be initially more expensive, but cheaper in the longer term. Leasing may seem cheaper but might require contractual agreements and fees. Think about both options before making a decision.
An important part of vetting any security company before you sign a contract with them is finding out how long they’ve been providing security services in your community. Companies with a long history can give you the best service for many years. It will make you feel better knowing that the company you choose is not fly by night.
Using a timer on lights is a great idea. You will not have to expend as much energy taking care of the lights, but you will still be able to make sure your house is illuminated when you want it to be.
If you will be going out of time, have someone you trust get your mail. Also, have them look for fliers stuck in your door. Often burglars will place these at homes and wait to see if people take them down. Fliers that are not removed let the burglar know that the home is vacant.
Draw the blinds at night in whatever room of your home faces the street. There’s no reason to extend strangers an open invitation to inspect your rooms. If valuable items can be seen from outside your home, it is an open invitation to burglars. Try being discreet about what everyone sees to reduce the chances of being targeted by burglars.
Could burglars see inside your garage? Make sure that they can’t! Frost your windows with film bought at a hardware store. Also, avoid leaving the door open for prolonged periods of time.
Sliding glass doors can create a security issue in a home. They are easy to unlock, all they require is a bit of lifting and shaking. If a security system isn’t attached to these doors, then insert pipe to place into the door channel. This can keep your door tightly closed and make it tougher to force wide open.
The best advice is at your fingertips. The question is, what will you do with what you learned here? You should do more research after reading this article and start comparing different home security systems.
Women are more likely than men to be a target for burglary. This is especially true if they live on their own with children. Put large, muddy boots on the porch to give the illusion of having a man at home. This will give criminals second thoughts and make your home a less tempting target.
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