It is important to learn exactly what steps are most effective in attaining and maintaining home security. Read on and learn more about making a great security plan to use for your own home.
Only allow maids and cleaning services to have a key to the house if they are known to be trustworthy. Be sure to check out the background of any housekeeper you plan to provide with a key to your home. Check their references fully. If it is a known company, check with your local BBB.
Spare Key
Home security systems have additional features to just being noise alarms. Most systems could sound an alarm when someone enters the home. For families with young children, this is excellent for alerting when a child has entered or left the house.
Your dog makes a great hiding spot for a spare key. This really only works if your dog can come outside. You can purchase a special collar that will hold your spare key, so it is always handy.
If you want to have a spare key hidden outside of your home, hide it carefully. You don’t want to put them in common spots, such as above the frame of the door or under the doormat. Think outside the box and put the key someplace unusual, like hidden in your dog’s collar.
Buy a small home safe to contain everything of great value. Keep your safe in your basement or attic to make it hard to find location.
Get advice from loved ones about home security systems. Most will be willing to share their likes, loves and loathes, especially as they realize how important it is to you. Keep asking to get the advice that will help you make the right choice.
This can help you protect your home under all circumstances.
Don’t let strangers enter your house. Even if they tell you a sob story about needing help, this warning remains true. Some will come to your door just to determine how secure it is, and they may return later if they think they can easily enter your home.
Don’t post information about your vacations on social media. While you may want to shout it from the rooftops, this is announcing to the world that your home is an open target.
Check with the police department in your town for home security tips and advice. They may offer neighborhood watch programs, home inspections, engraving tools for marking code numbers onto items so that they will be easily identified if stolen. Discuss these programs with a local police officer to see if they’re available in your area.
Ask friend for advice before you choose a security system or company. You can learn a lot from people who have gone before you by paying attention to their recommendations and warnings. Ask around so you’ll have as much advice as you need in order to make a good choice.
Get to know your neighbors. It is important to communicate with others who also live in your area. Keep an eye on their houses and yards and request that they return the favor. It does not necessarily pay to steer clear of gossip. This might provide you with some valuable information, at times related to security, including information about potential strangers who you might not want near your home.
Don’t forget about the skylights when doing a security sweep for your home.Skylights are great for making a home brighter, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of. Be certain that skylights for your home are durable and reliable.
Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Check that skylights have heavy duty hardware that can stand up under unwanted tampering.
Do not hide your spare keys under your mat or in plant boxes. These are the first places criminals will look when you misplace your home. Thieves are aware of all these hiding spots.
Do not choose a home alarm system that monitors only your doors. Your windows should also be protected because burglars can also break into them. You want to be sure that the alarm is connected to all windows and entry points. This will help to keep your family safe.
Most real-world burglars aren’t master lock-breakers; they simply stroll in through a door is left open and an intruder just walks in. It won’t take long for thieves to steal lots of expensive stuff.
Keeping your house bright and lit at night will deter many crooks. This will deter crooks from trying your home. Making your home’s exterior nice and bright will make it impossible for crooks to go undetected. Keep those lights shining brightly at night.
Be sure to read all of the fine print to any contracts you plan on signing for a home security company. There could be fees if you break a contract or need additional equipment down the road. You want to try to avoid these fees whenever possible, you need to know of their existence.
Before signing up for home security, find out how long they’ve been in business. Companies in business for many years engender great confidence and trust. You’ll find it a lot easier to put your faith in the professionals if you take the time to verify their trustworthiness.
Having your home lit up and bright at night is a good way to scare intruders. They want to be seen. Keep your lights on during the evening for a safer home.
If you don’t have a paper shredder, you might want to buy one. Thieves are likely to steal documents that include your personal information if they can find them. You could also simply take care to tear up your discarded papers.
Ask your home security provider about their history in business before you sign up for service. A company that’s been around for a while has proved they can survive and provide great service to people. Knowing you are dealing with a fly by night company can keep you calm when making this crucial decision.
Break down the boxes from your new TV or computer rather than leaving them on the side of the road. These boxes are a signal to burglars that you have something worth stealing. When you empty the boxes, cut them up and throw them away so that burglars do not see them.
Never enter your house if you arrive and find the door is open or something doesn’t feel right. This can be quite dangerous because the burglar might still be in your home. Call the cops and let them take care of the situation.
See if your security firm offers a variety of contract lengths. You will probably find there are many pros and cons associated with each different contract. The longer the contract, the lower your monthly bill, but if you move or become dissatisfied, you are stuck with the monthly fee. Shorter contracts have more freedom, but the monthly costs could be higher.
Make sure the inside your garage isn’t visible. Don’t leave doors open for lengthy periods of time.
If your door has a numeric lock, make sure the combination isn’t your birthday. Your birthday is easy to obtain, and you don’t want your house to be easily accessible. Use a password that you can remember but that no one else will be able to guess.
Credit Card
Having a burglar alarm is really good, but it is only good if the police is alerted when it sets off. The wiser investment is in centrally monitored security systems. These alarm services ensure that the police will be called whether anyone is home or not. The neighbors will not always call.
Don’t get spring latch locks installed. These locks can actually be opened up with a credit card. Intruders just have to slide a credit card in between the latch and the lock to pop open. Add a deadbolt to existing spring latch locks.
Sliding glass doors pose large security issues in homes. Intruders can easily unlock these doors by simply lifting and shaking. If you don’t have an alarm set up for them, use pipe cut to fit at the door channel. This helps keep your door closed and makes it not easy to open.
Ask your security company if they have lights with motion sensitive lighting. This provides added security when you from having unwanted guests enter your home.
Become chummy with your nosey neighbor. You never know who might be watching when someone is sneaking around your home. By being friends with them, the probability of them notifying you immediately is higher.
Sliding patio doors present a huge security issue in a home. They can be easily unlocked just by lifting and shaking. This will prevent the door closed tight and harder to force open.
Keep your windows upstairs locked. Many people overlook this since they don’t think criminals will check them. They do use this method of entry though. This is something that is a weak area, and criminals will go right to them.
The best locks you can get are deadbolts that includes a captive keylock. These devices include a thumb latch so that prevents others from reaching around and opening the lock via a nearby broken window. When you are at home, keep the key inserted inside the lock so you can leave if there is a fire.
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. Criminals will think twice before breaching your security.
Women who live alone or along with only children are easy targets for home invasion. Place big muddy boots near the front door so it looks like a tough impression. This visual can discourage burglars from choosing your home.
Having a big dog with a loud bark is beneficial. Thieves aren’t going to want to chance a possible bite or attack. A good big dog will protect your home and provide companionship for your family.
Don’t leave toys outside when not in your yard. This makes the thief in that a woman lives in the premises. Homes with women are usually targeted more due to valuable jewelry.
If you have a window installed air conditioner, be sure that you have secured bars or a wooden board around it. Unless they are bolted down and secured, a thief can remove them and gain access to your home. In the wintertime, remove the air conditioner from the window to ensure security.
Always change your locks on a new home. This is correct regarding home purchases and rentals, so ask your landlord to switch the lock or hire a locksmith to do it yourself, or change the locks on your own.
Use infrared detecting sensors on your outdoor lighting. They turn on when there is motion nearby. That can make a burglar run. A burglar will instantly turn away if lights come on.
Smoke Detectors
Make the existence of your alarm system obvious to intruders. Alarm sounds and security decals for windows and lawns deter possible intruders. When they think your home has an alarm, they won’t even try to get in.
Make sure you clean carbon monoxide and smoke detectors regularly. Lint and dust could build up in these and could interfere with the sensors if they aren’t cleaned regularly. Your smoke detectors will be much less effective at protecting you as a result.
Before moving into any new home, change those locks. Anyone may have a copy of the key that belongs to the former homeowner. New locks mean only your family has access. If you’ve lost your keys, change your locks.
Securing the home is something everyone wants to learn to do, but many do not know where to start. This topic needs to be the number one priority for all who want to keep their family safe and protected. Keep this article handy and refer to it as necessary.
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