You might know someone who has had their home robbed in the past. Home break-ins are increasing, so people should be extra vigilant about protecting their home. People could break into your home any time. In the article that follows, you’ll find some great home security tips that can increase your safety and reduce your
You might know someone who has had their home robbed in the past. Home break-ins are increasing, so people should be extra vigilant about protecting their home. People could break into your home any time. In the article that follows, you’ll find some great home security tips that can increase your safety and reduce your risk.
The only time you should give out house keys to house cleaners is if you absolutely trust them. If you plan on giving them the key so that they can work in your home for over an hour, make sure that they’re reputable, hardworking, and honest. Be sure to make sure their references check out. If you are using a cleaning firm, make sure it has an excellent Better Business Bureau rating.
When you buy a new home, be sure to have the locks changed. You cannot be sure of the number of key copies that the former owner gave out. To make sure you are the sole person with access to the home, engage the services of a locksmith. If you lose your keys, you should do the same thing.
If your home has a lot of valuable items inside, then you need to purchase a safe so that all of these items can be kept in a single location. You can’t have your valuable personal items and jewelry out in the open for anyone to see. Hide the safe in a very hard to reach place like the attic or a closet in the basement.
Don’t announce your vacation agenda on your social networks. This is especially true if you have lots of unfamiliar “friends”. While these platforms are there for sharing, this is announcing to the world that your home is an open target.
Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. Make sure you know they are legitimate before giving out the key. Read through their references very carefully, and don’t hesitate to follow up on their references to ensure they actually exist. If you hire a cleaner from a company, then you should check the company with the BBB.
Solicit word of mouth recommendations from friends, colleagues and family members to find a great home security company or system. Most will be willing to share their likes, loves and loathes, especially as they realize how important it is to you. Sometimes, you may get great advice from the people you know.
Don’t let strangers enter your house. Even if they tell you a sob story about needing help, this warning remains true. Some criminals will come in, case your house and then come back when you are away.
The best home security systems do much more than sound the alarm (literally). You can have your system alert you of any movement in certain areas of your home. If you have little ones wandering about the house, this makes it easy for you to know if they have come in or gone out.
You need to change our locks as your first step to ensuring your safety. Perhaps you aren’t sure who owned the home before you or maybe an old roommate has a key and never returned it. Regardless, changing the locks will ensure your security. Changing the locks can typically be done very cheaply and quickly.
Stashing your most precious possession right inside the walls of your home can be a great idea. Don’t make it obvious by cutting out big chunks of drywall. There should be pre-cut spaces throughout your home that will suffice. Remove the wires from an electric socket you do not use so you can hide your valuable jewelry.
Make sure to use caution when deciding if and where to hide an extra key outside of your home. The doormat is too obvious of a place to hide it, as robbers will look there first. A possible solution is to attach a key to your outdoor dog’s collar.
Even if you only plan to be gone for a very short time, lock your house. Break-ins are often the result of unlocked windows and doors. They can get a ton of stuff quickly and be long gone before you return.
You should mute your land line phone if you are going on a vacation. If your phone rings and is not being answered, criminals will realize that you’re away.
Be sure to replace rotten wood in the frame of your front door. An intruder could pry the rotten wood easily to open the door. Replace rotted wood with fresh wood to make your home safer.
After moving into a pre-owned apartment or home, change the locks. The previous owners or tenants might have made some copies of the key. You can purchase and install locks yourself to make sure only you have the key.
The police department in your area may offer a home protection program. There are many that offer programs that include items, such as home inspection, how to use engraving tools to mark code numbers to identify valuables if yours are stolen, and protective measures advice. A quick call to the non-emergency number at the police station in your town will tell you all you need to know.
Use the Internet to find a reliable home security company. Research the possibilities, check out package options and pricing and analyze customer feedback. With that information, you can make your appointments with the top three companies you’ve chosen so that you can compare pricing and look at specific monitoring and plans.
Your home’s exterior needs to be well lit. Burglars prefer the cover that night provides their criminal activities. Light up the dark spots around your home. This can include the garage, doorways, porches and other areas which invite an intruder in.
Security starts with new locks. Not everyone who leaves your house will leave happy, and a fresh set of locks will protect you from both former residents and acquaintances of your own looking to cause mischief. This is something that you can do yourself and does not cost much money at all.
If you haven’t bought a paper shredder yet, make it a point to do so. Thieves can get lots of information simply by looking through your trash. You can tear your documents up by hand before disposing of them if a shredder is out of your price range.
Make sure that whoever is getting your mail while you are on vacation also retrieves any fliers left on the door. Burglars sometimes tack these up and watch to see whether or not they are removed. If the flier is not taken down, the burglar assumes the homeowner is not in town.
When dealing with companies that install home security systems, it’s important to trust your gut. You should be very picky when it comes to letting people inspect your home. If you don’t feel comfortable, go with someone else. After all, the point of the system itself is to help you feel more at ease.
Try to stay away from spring latch locks. These locks are very easy to pick with something as common as a credit card. Wedging the card into the door crack can cause the lock to release. IF spring latch locks are already in place, add a deadbolt for that extra layer of security.
Make sure that your valuables cannot be seen from outside the home. Large windows let in a lot of light, but they also allow outsiders to see inside your living space. If your windows face a street, be sure they’re always covered and have your valuables safe.
You should always keep your blinds and curtains closed. When they’re open, it would be easy to see no one is there. If a burglar sees something that is enticing, they are going to try and get it from your home. Keep them down as you sleep, too.
Avoid thinking that burglaries only happen to expensive houses. Easy access to the home is what most criminals look for. Protect your family and your home by learning the easy tips shared in this article.
Always lock your doors, even if you are just walking down the street. It may be shocking, but many home invasions and burglaries occur by intruders walking through the front door that was left open. Thieves can steal thousands worth of your belongings very quickly.
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