There is a good chance that you know someone who has been robbed. This crime is increasing, so you need to make an effort to keep your home secure. A burglary can happen in any neighborhood. The following article will provide you with some useful tips on home security. Put your spare key on your
There is a good chance that you know someone who has been robbed. This crime is increasing, so you need to make an effort to keep your home secure. A burglary can happen in any neighborhood. The following article will provide you with some useful tips on home security.
Put your spare key on your dog. This really only works if you’ve got an outdoor dog or if you’ve got a pet door. Simply attach a spare key to your dog’s collar (in a secure and non-visible place, of course) so that you’ll be able to retrieve it if you need it.
Look for ways to make your home seem occupied. You can purchase inexpensive timers that will control different electronics and lights in your home. This will give your home the appearance of someone being there. This is a simple way to improve your home’s safety and make it less attractive to criminals.
Does your dog remain outside while you’re gone? You could let your dog carry a spare key. Attach the key inside their collar and make sure it can’t be seen. This is the perfect place to store a spare key, especially if your dog doesn’t care for strangers.
Use your dog as the protector of your spare key. This can be done if your dog can come outside. Attach the key to your dog’s collar, and it will be handy if you ever need a spare.
Security systems are more than just an alarm. Most systems can be set to sound an alert when anyone enters the home. This can be valuable to parents with small children as they are made aware their child has opened or closed a door.
Provide the house key to your professional house cleaner, but only if you fully trust them. If they need the keys and plan on being in there for more than an hour, try to ensure that they are honest, hardworking, and reputable. Check their references very carefully. If the cleaner has been sent by a company, call the Better Business Bureau to check on the company’s reputation.
The first step in making your home more secure is to change out your locks. There are many different people who might have keys from your past, and removing the potential of them accessing your home can be a very good idea. It does not cost much, and can be handled very quickly.
If you keep a spare key outside to prevent yourself from being locked-out, think carefully about where you hide it. Intruders will more than likely check under your doormat or above your door frame. Think outside the box and put the key someplace unusual, like hidden in your dog’s collar.
The walls are a perfect hiding place. Small valuables fit nicely inside walls. Use an old switch plate, outlet or phone jack. If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.
Purchase ceiling, flooring and roofing that is fire resistant. Your home will get added protection, especially if your environment is dry and has power lines. Stopping fire hazards is a key precaution to take since the damage it causes can be considerable.
It is not a good idea to hide a spare key on your property. While you may feel that you are keeping yourself safe by allowing a way in for yourself, you are also allowing everyone else to visit whenever they want. Thieves are tricky, diabolical, and familiar with any and every hiding place. Instead, trust a neighbor to hold your spare key.
If there are folks you don’t know or trust in your social network online, don’t let them know you are going away. It’s exciting going to new places and enjoying your time, but you could alert thieves to an empty home that they can easily break into.
Regardless of how long you plan on being away from your home, always lock all the doors and windows whenever you leave. In a lot of cases, home intruders enter through unlocked doors. Thieves can steal a lot of valuable stuff in mere minutes.
You should mute your land line phone if you are going on a vacation. A burglar might hear your phone ring and ring and ring, then realize that you are not home to answer it.
Choose an alarm which monitors other areas outside your doors. Windows are a way for thieves to enter your home as well. If you have an alarm attached to each of your windows and doors, you can keep track of all the entry points for your home. They are the most effective.
You should not let anyone inside your home. Even if their story is compelling, they need assistance or want to sell you something. 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.
When you purchase big, expensive items be sure to break down the boxes and take them to the recycling center yourself. They show the world you have money and lots of valuables inside.
Change all of the locks in your new residence. You don’t really know the people you purchased the house from or all the folks they shared keys with, so don’t place too much trust in the old locks. You should also keep in mind that other people may have lived in the home before the previous homeowner.
See if your local police department offers any home inspection or other protection programs. There are lots of different programs, like home inspections, that will help you take the proper steps to make sure your home adequately protected. Contact the police department to see if they have something similar.
When allowing a representative from any security company to enter your home, look for someone in uniform and ask to see an identification. Thieves can pass themselves as workers, which can end up in a robbery of your home. This can be risky for you and your belongings. Act cautiously to avoid potential dangers.
If you’ve got a garage, boost home security just by using it for only a car instead of storage. Keep the car within the garage will make sure no one harms or steals it. When it is in hiding, people won’t know if you’re home.
Carefully check the references of everyone before allowing them to enter your home. Don’t be afraid of conducting background checks to determine if they have a 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.
If you wish to boot your home’s security, one cheap way to do this is to buy exterior lights with motion detectors. 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 the lights are positioned correctly on your home, then it makes it much less likely for a burglar to enter.
Be certain your wires are hidden, if you have installed a security system in your home. An intruder can easily disable your security system by cutting the wires. To provide maximum security, wiring should be laid underground or installed safely within the walls of your house. Keep yourself safe.
Keep the outside areas of your home well lit. Criminals love darkness to help mask their crimes. You should put a light on any area where a person could break in. This extends to doorways, porches, garages and lower windows.
After bringing home a big-ticket item, such as an appliance or electronic device, avoid leaving the packages on the curb before trash day. Having these boxes nearby can tell robbers what kind of merchandise you’ve got in your house.
Are your house numbers visible from the street? If your house numbers are not easy to see, the police may have difficulty finding you in an emergency. If you notice a problem, you should be able to fix it fairly cheaply, though.
If you’ve just gotten a home, replace every lock. It may seem as if the former owners of the home are honest, but really you don’t know much about them. People may have lived in the home before those owners, too.
Do not use spring latch locks on your doors. These locks are the simplest ones to breach, since they are able to be opened by using just a credit card. Intruders simply use a credit card inside the latch, making the lock open. Add a deadbolt to existing spring latch locks for maximum security.
When hiring a home security company, make sure to read the fine print on the contract you are signing. You may find fees appear unexpectedly, including excessive costs for ending your contract early. Be aware of these particular fees so you can steer clear of them.
If you keep a spare key outside, make sure it is not kept in an obvious location. If you place it under a rock, a good robber will find it. The first place a person will look is a doormat. It is probably best to find someone you trust to hold a key for you. If none of these options are possible, try to think of an unusual hiding place.
Get some professional assistance by asking a home security company to come to your house and work up a plan for a customized security system. Every family is different, and so your security needs will be unique. Working with a business that will look out for your specific interests will help you be much safer at home.
If your door is not solid wood or metal, replace it! These types of doors are much stronger and harder for someone to break into. Burglars would have a hard time kicking such doors down. It’s a good idea to replace all your exterior doors with more secure ones. It really doesn’t cost a lot.
Don’t think about home burglaries only occurring only at expensive homes. Thieves will hit any home that appears to be an easy target. By using these tips, you can keep your home protected from thieves.
Look for a home security company that offers more than just a security system. A great company will visit you at home and give you recommendations that will keep you and your family safe. They may install more locks or recommend better windows for added security. You should ensure your company has your security in mind. If they truly care about it, then they will talk to you about these things.
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