Every homeowner needs to understand how they can keep their family and home safe. Sadly, burglaries in people’s homes are becoming increasingly common, and other things like fire or floods can harm your home.Read on to learn how you can keep your home and loved ones safe from outside threats.
The best home security systems do much more than sound the alarm (literally). Most systems can be set to sound an alert when anyone enters the home. It’s a great feature for parents as they can tell if a child is potentially leaving the house.
Do you let your dog outside if you leave the home? Your furry friend is also a great storage place for your spare key. Put it on the dog’s collar.This is especially well as storage if the dog does not take kindly to strangers.
Shut off phone ringers inside the home if you’re going to be gone for quite a while. A ringing phone that goes unanswered may signal to a burglar that nobody is home.
Home security plans have additional features to just being noise alarms. Most systems can be set to sound an alert when anyone enters. This is great for parents with small children so that they are made aware their child has opened or close doors.
Do not open your door for people you do not know. People you do not know could have bad intentions or want to get an idea of how many valuable objects you own. Make sure everyone in your house knows not to open the door unless they know the person standing outside.
This helps protect your home an extra protection layer.
Don’t overlook your garage as a potential access point for thieves. You can prevent this from happening easily. Place a C-Clamp on the door track near the roller. This will prevent the door from lifting.
Never allow any strangers into your house.Even if someone has a good story, needs help or has something to sell, they should not be given access. This person might just be casing the first rule of keeping your home secure.
Put up motion activated lighting. The lights will be triggered when someone gets too close to the house. They help notify you of any movement around your house and deter burglars too. Make sure you keep fresh light bulbs in your motion activated lights so that they will work correctly.
You never open up a door to someone you do not know. People often think of ways to trick others into letting them in so that they can commit burglary or worse. Make it a house rule in your home that you only open your door for an unexpected visitor.
If you are moving into a new home, change the locks right away. Although it’s normal for owners / tenants to surrender their keys when they leave, there’s no way of knowing who else might have copies. You can even buy and install the locks yourself so you know that you are the only one with a key.
See if your local police department offers any home security programs. They may offer things such as home inspections, home inspections, and other guidance about securing your house. Call and see what programs they offer.
When choosing between security companies, read everything on the contract. Sometimes there are hidden costs involved if you decide to let your service go before the contract expires or add additional equipment at a later point. Avoid nasty charges or fees regarding early termination, contract expiration and additional features or equipment.
The first thing you’ll need to do is get your locks changed out. Whether you just bought your home or someone just moved out that you were living with, changing your locks is a good idea.It is usually inexpensive and may be done in a little under a day.
It’s smart to use the Internet when you are looking for a good security company for your home. The sites of the companies themselves will provide you with details about their services, testimonials from their customers, and pricing information. Then, you can set appointments to make price and service comparisons before you choose.
Some people feel that rural dwellers have greater risk since their neighbors live farther away. Others think that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.
If you buy a new, expensive electronic, such as a television or computer, do not leave the empty boxes on 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 box up and hide the writing when you put it out.
Do not place your spare keys under your doormat or even in plant boxes. These seem like great places criminals will look when they try to enter your home. Thieves aren’t stupid and also know about all these hiding spots.
A dog is a great home security alarm. Dogs become extremely protective of their families and bark when uneasy. A common misconception, though, is that you have to have a large animal to be safe. Even tiny dogs that make a ton of noise will deter a potential crime.
Security System
Do not purchase spring latch locks. These type of lock is the easiest lock to pick, it could even be opened by a credit card. The card is slid into the crevice between the latch and the door, pushing the latch back and springing the lock open. If this is the kind of lock on your doors, strongly consider adding a deadbolt for safety.
Hide the wires of your security system. Intruders can easily disable your home security system if they see the wires. This can make you much safer.
Blinds, shades and curtains are best closed when no one is home. You don’t want potential intruders to be able to look inside. If burglars see items in your home that appear valuable, they’ll likely break in to steal them. Do not forget to close your shades before going to bed.
Replace all locks in your newly purchased home. Even if the previous owner or tenant seems trustworthy, you simply can’t know for certain.
If you must hide a key, hide it somewhere unusual. Everybody knows about fake rocks. The thief will check under the mat before anything else. You should just give a spare key to a trusted neighbor instead. If that isn’t possible, think outside the box when you hide it.
It is easy for potential thieves to pretend to be company in order to get into your home. This is a danger to your family and also your possessions. Be careful if you let into your home.
Secure valuables that are truly irreplaceable. Some of these items can include legal documents, jewelry, passports, and priceless family photos. You can buy a cheap floor safe to put these items in. A better idea could be to store these inside a box outside of your house.
You can make your home by installing a system of motion activated exterior lighting. If placed strategically around the house, then it makes it much less likely for a burglar to enter.
A sliding glass door often presents a big challenge to home security. They can be unlocked very easily if you shake and lift them. A piece of pipe or wood (e.g. a hefty broomstick) cut to the proper length and used to block the door channel can provide affordable security if you don’t have an alarm system. This will ensure the door stays tightly shut and it is difficult to force open.
Keep safety at the forefront when doing landscaping. If criminals know you can see them, they won’t offer hiding places to potential criminals. This should be planned in advance for your home additional safety.
Look for captive keylocks when picking out a new deadbolt. This is a great type of lock, because it cannot be opened from the inside without a key. If you are going out, simply lodge the key on the lock.
Install a surveillance system. Video camera installation can effectively make your home safe. Visible cameras deter the majority of intruders, and should they decide to disable them, hidden cameras can capture the events that unfold. You can often view these feeds over the Internet, keeping you informed on the go.
Women stand a much better chance of being the victims of home invasions, particularly if they live alone or with kids. Make it seem as if there is a man living in your home by putting large mud boots on your porch and a man’s hat in your car. Burglars should pass on by.
Ask about different contract lengths offered by a home security company. There are usually pros and cons in each one. A long contract may lock you in even if you choose to sell the house or want to stop the services, but you may have to continue with these if you decide to sell the house or discontinue services. Shorter contracts may offer greater freedom at a higher costs.
Your valuables should not be visible from outside. An intruder might be attracted by a TV screen or a computer. Try installing drapes or blinds so that people outside can’t see what you have inside. Allowing people to see what you have inside your home is an open invitation for trouble.
Anyone can easily get your date of birth from a Facebook profile or your driver’s licence.
You should seek a security company that offers customers more than security systems. For example, the best home security companies offer a home inspection to design your system and give you and your family excellent safety suggestions. These suggestions could include putting in or replacing locks, trimming your shrubs, or putting in windows that are more secure. You need to make sure they truly care about your home’s security so that they can talk about these items with you personally if they actually do.
This will ensure that they turn on and continue to switch even when you can’t be at home.
A common tactic used by thieves is to knock on a random door, ask for help and then bust in as soon as the door is opened. If you can tell someone is in need of help then place a call from inside your home. Call the police if you are unsure of how to handle the situation.
Always keep your irreplaceable valuables in a secure place. Some examples include legal documents, jewelry, financial records, passports and family pictures. Floor safes may come in handy for keeping these items inside the home. You could also rent out a bank safe deposit box.
Your trash plays a big role in how safe your home is. If you recently bought expensive electronic items, thieves may see the boxes in the trash and decide to return later on to grab the goods. The smallest of purchases may indicate you have something valuable in your home, making thieves believe you have things worth taking.
Solid Wood
If you have a home alarm system, make sure that intruders know too. Deter potential thieves by posting lawn signs and window decals notifying them of the presence of a security system. If they are inside your home before they find out, the can still take something before running.
Replace your doors with some that are solid wood or metal versions. Metal or solid wooden doors cannot be broken. A would-be intruder will have much more trouble getting through one of these than a solid wood or metal door. The cost of replacing your doors is very minimal if they were to break.
Keep all valuables away from the windows of your home. If they are not visible to the outside world, they are less vulnerable to burglars.
Don’t let your children leave toys outside when not in use. This makes thieves the idea that women live on the property. Homes with female inhabitants are more attractive targets because they probably have pricy jewelry inside.
Use home smoke alarms that are interconnected. All alarms in this system are linked. This means when one alarm is activated, they all are. That ensures everyone will be alerted to the situation. The sooner you know about fire danger, the sooner you can extinguish it before serious damage occurs.
Always change your locks on a new home. This is correct regarding home purchases and rentals, so be sure you talk to any landlord about getting the locks switched, or perform the lock switch yourself.
After you move to a new house, the first step you take should be to change each lock. Pretty much anyone could have a key to the locks that the previous owners had. When you change out for new locks, you can be sure that it’s just you and your family have access. Likewise, if you lose the keys to your home, the locks should be changed.
Do not let the inside of your home to be visible while looking from outside. If expensive electronics are easy to see from the outside, a thief can see it too. Consider putting in drapes or curtains to keep people outside your home from seeing what is inside. If you don’t want to do that, put your valuable items into a more secluded room.
With everything out there that pose a threat to a house, all homeowners need to know what they can do to keep their precious asset safe. The above article have you some advice on how you can make your home safer. The first step towards safety is making use of them.
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