It takes some research to learn exactly what steps are most effective in attaining and habits you can use to protect your home. Read on to learn how to properly secure your own home.
Be sure your home always looks occupied. You can purchase timers that can control your household electronics such as lights, TVs and radios. This will make your home appear as if someone is there. This is a simple way to improve your home’s safety and make it less attractive to criminals.
Spare Key
Does your canine stay in the yard while you go out? You might consider leaving your spare key with your dog. Fasten the key to your dog’s collar to hide it from view. This is the perfect place to store a spare key, especially if your dog doesn’t care for strangers.
Your dog makes a great hiding spot for a spare key. This can be done if your dog door or an outdoor dog. You can purchase a special collar that will hold your spare key, so it is always handy.
A good security system has many more features than sounding the alarm during a break-in. Many systems can be used to go off whenever anyone enters your home. This can be valuable to parents with small children as they are made aware their child has opened or closed a door.
Do you keep your dog outdoors when you leave the home? Your furry friend is also a great storage place to hide your extra key. Put the key on their collar. This is especially useful if your pet does not take kindly to strangers.
You should invest in fire-resistant roofing, flooring and ceiling. Having your home built with fire resistant materials will help safeguard your home in case it catches fire. Lowering or eliminating the risk of a fire is an extremely important home security strategy because a fire can cause extreme destruction very quickly.
It’s important to shop for your home.Get quotes from no less than three companies so that you can get the best one.
If you will be vacationing for an extended period of time, turn off the ringer on all the phones in your house. A burglar might hear your phone ring and ring and ring, then realize that you are not home to answer it.
Above doors or under a mat are much too common to hide them and potential criminals will check them first. You could hide it in your dog’s collar.
No matter how good your security system is, it should be checked annually. Ask the security company to send a technician out to give your system a thorough inspection. A number of things may cause your alarm system to have problems, including mother nature and wild animals. If you cannot see a problem, you might not know one exists.
You should never want to open your door to a stranger without proper identification. People try many ways to trick others into letting them in so they can commit burglary or worse. Make it a habit to only open your home’s door for an unexpected visitor.
Walls are a great hiding spot for your valuables. If you own smaller things that need protection, think about keeping them hidden in the walls. Repurpose phone jacks and electrical outlets as tiny wall safes. You can also install a fake one.
These can pose a fire during the hot months. Clear up your yard often if you want to prevent a fire from starting.
Don’t put spare keys inside plant boxes or beneath the welcome mat. You might think this protects you against being locked out of your home, but it also gives intruders access to your home. Burglars always know just where to look. Ask a friend, neighbor or relative to keep your extra keys for you.
Don’t forget skylights when securing your home. Skylights are nice to bring extra light into your house, but they can make it easier for burglars to access the house. Be certain that the skylights in your home can be locked securely.
Are you aware that the wires located on the exterior of your house have value? A lot of people do not know this until a thief steals them from the house. Copper wiring is quite valuable, and it’s quick and easy for criminals to strip it right off the outside of your house! That’s why it’s important to hide your wiring, or make it hard for criminals to have access to it.
Make sure that your valuables can be seen from the home. Large front windows are great, but it can make it easier for criminals to see inside.
Rotten wood on door and window frames needs to be repaired. Anyone hoping to enter your home can very easily do so by just prying away the rotted wood. Wood that is beginning to rot should always be replaced to make sure your home stays safe.
If you are moving into a home that had a previous owner, change the locks right away. The previous owners or tenants might have a key.You can also put the locks on yourself so you know that you are the only one with a key.
If you hire a security company, read any fine print. There might be hidden costs or other things you should know about. You want to try to avoid these fees whenever possible, so make sure you are aware of them.
Keeping your home very bright during the night will deter many crooks. They prefer not want to be seen.Keep lights turned on in the night.
When you landscape your house, make it safe. All doors and windows must be unobstructed by shrubs, trees, fences, or plants. Intruders should have nowhere to hide near your home. For a beautiful yard that’s also safe, keep the landscaping separated from the house.
Keep the outside areas of your outdoor areas well lit. Burglars like the cover of darkness to commit their criminal activities. Install lights in areas that possible criminals can see everything outside. This will include doorways, the garage, porches, and even near any windows on the ground floor.
Get your home security system custom built for your needs. You need some features which other families may wish to do without. Doing this helps you get the best security you can get from the company, helping you to relax.
Consider purchasing a wireless home security system. Wired systems may be cheaper, but they often involve intrusive rewiring of your home, and your system may get finicky in the event of a power outage.
Purchase a paper shredder to prevent your discarded papers from providing burglars with valuable information. Unshredded documents can offer up a wealth of valuable personal information to thieves, including enough of your schedule to allow them to pinpoint the best time for a burglary. If a paper shredder is not in your budget, consider tearing your documents into tiny pieces or even burning them.
Thieves might go through your trash. Rip important papers up before throwing them away if you do not have a shredder.
Can someone standing in the middle of the street see clearly your house numbers? In the event of an emergency, police officers may have trouble finding your house if they cannot read your address numbers. Happily, it’s quick and easy to fix this problem.
You can have key-less locks that work using a code. You can even install them yourself or you can hire a home security firm.
Keep your curtains pulled tight when you are away from home. Leaving the curtains up invites people to peer into your living room. It could be enticing to break in if they notice something that’s nice. It’s good to have them down at night, too.
Don’t hide your keys in obvious hiding place. It is easy to find fake rock. Doormats are generally the first place people look at. 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 want to keep it at your house, at least find an unusual place to hide the key.
Inquire with your company if they allow both leases and purchases of equipment. Buying the equipment might cost more up front, but it means a one time cost that does not continue every month. You’ll pay higher monthly fees if you lease the equipment, and that will add up over time. Look at what you can afford, as well as what is offered and make an informed choice.
Think about hard-wired system if you’re worried about long term maintenance costs. It can be expensive to replace batteries.
Do not keep the registration papers for your car inside the car’s glove compartment. This isn’t smart because that information contains your home address. Hide them somewhere else in the car, or carry them with you. However, make sure you have them in case you were to get pulled over by the cops.
This will ensure that they turn on and continue to switch even when you’re away from your home.
The sliding doors made of glass that you see on many modern homes are actually a big security concern. Shaking the doors or even simply lifting them can unlock them. If you don’t have your security system connected to them, try cutting some pipe to fit into your door channel. This will prevent the door from moving or becoming unlocked.
Legal Documents
Deadbolts with keys make the best locks. This makes it impossible to open the lock from the outside because of the thumb latch. Always leave your key in the door when you are home so you can leave quickly if you have to.
Always store your valuables in a secure place. Items such as family photos, passports, legal documents, expensive jewelry and legal documents are best kept in a secure location. You can buy a floor safe to put these items in. You could also look into getting a safety deposit box.
Women living alone or with just children are targeted more often than others. Consider displaying large boots outside your home to make others think that you have a man living in your home. This will give criminals second thoughts and make your home a less tempting target.
Replace flimsy doors with some that are solid wood or metal versions. Metal or solid wood doors hold tight and fast. A burglar is very unlikely to be able to kick that door in. The cost of replacing these doors is worth it in the end.
Owning a big, scary dog has many benefits. Burglars are unlikely to desire an encounter with such an animal. Consider getting a large dog that will be able to protect your family and also serve as a companion for the little ones.
Sliding glass doors present a huge security problem in lots of homes. They can be easily be unlocked by lifting them and shakes the door frame. This will keep the door closed so that it is harder to pry open.
Be sure no rooms inside your house are visible outside. If you’re able to see your computer or television, burglars can as well. Find some blinds or drapes you can use to protect your privacy. If this is not a possibility, keep really valuable stuff in interior rooms.
You must always make sure your second story windows locked. Many folks forget this point and believe burglars won’t bother with those windows. This is not always the truth. This is often a weak area that criminals know this.
Video surveillance systems do a great job deterring invaders. No burglar really wears a mask. Most thieves won’t cover their faces simply because they don’t plan to run into anyone. If they spot a type of surveillance system, they usually move along.
The best locks you can get are deadbolts which have captive keylocks. These devices include a thumb latch so that prevents others from reaching around and opening the lock via a broken window. When you are at home, you can leave your key in the keyhole so you’re able to leave in the event of an emergency.
Consider a home security program that gives you more than just an alarm and monitoring system. Rather than giving you a basic system, they will evaluate your unique situation and tailor something to you. You may be advised to install windows that are more secure, trim your shrubbery and/or beef up your security locks. You want to make sure your company truly cares about your security, and they will discuss these types of things with you if they do.
External wiring is an attractive prize for burglars and thieves. The copper inside wiring and other components is a good price. Conceal the wiring in your home to keep copper thieves from stripping it and leaving you with a lot on repairs.
Even though it’s a vitally important subject for virtually any homeowner, many of them don’t know as much about home security as they should. Study of the subject should be a priority for anyone concerned about the safety of their possessions and their loved ones alike. Hopefully this article has served as a useful foundation for further investigation.
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