Be Safer With These Smart Home Security Tips

July 17, 2020 - Comment

Establishing a sound home security plan should be a priority for every homeowner. To learn all you can in order to create a solid plan, it is important for you to do your research. Read on and learn how to properly secure your home. Always make your house appear to be occupied. Keep your radio,

Establishing a sound home security plan should be a priority for every homeowner. To learn all you can in order to create a solid plan, it is important for you to do your research. Read on and learn how to properly secure your home.

Always make your house appear to be occupied. Keep your radio, TV and lights on timers. This way it will always look as if someone is home, even when you are away. This can be a terrific method of securing your home and keeping burglars at bay.

TIP! Look for ways to make your home seem occupied. You could purchase timers and have your TVs, lights, radios and other types of electronics to go on at various times.

After you purchase a new home, change the locks. You’re not aware of any copies that have been made by the previous owners of the house. Find a good locksmith who can replace the lock and make a few copies of your key. In addition, replace your locks if your keys ever get lost.

Is your dog kept outside when you are away? They may provide you with a useful place to hide your key. Fasten the key to your dog’s collar to hide it from view. If your pet does not get along with strangers, this will ensure your spare key stays safe.

TIP! Does your dog remain outside while you’re gone? This is a good spot for keeping your spare key. You can attach your key to your dog’s collar in order to keep the key hidden.

When placing your spare key outside for emergencies, give careful consideration to where you put it. Above doors or under doormats are much too common to hide them and potential criminals will check them first. You should hide it in your dog’s collar.

When placing your spare key outside for emergencies, give careful consideration to where you put it. Above a door frame or under a mat are not smart ideas. One idea is to hide your key inside the collar of your outdoor dog.

TIP! Don’t just hide your spare key anywhere. Under the doormat or above the door frame are all too common spaces that will be checked first by potential intruders.

In the summertime, you should rid your yard of dead bushes and vegetation. They pose a fire risk. Be sure all sorts of flammable items are kept under control around your home.

Your flooring and roofing should be fire resistant. This give your home an extra protection layer. Preventing fires is the best way to deal with them.

TIP! Get roofing, flooring and ceilings that are fire resistant. This can provide additional safety to the home, particularly in dry regions.

Police Department

If you will be away from your house for an extended period of time, turn the ringers off for all your phones. This is because a phone that is ringing and ringing can tip of a burglar that nobody is currently home.

TIP! If you’re going on a trip for an extended period of time, switch the ringer off on all home phones. If a burglar keeps hearing your phone ring, they’ll know the home is not occupied, making it more likely for a break-in to occur.

Check with the police department in your town for home security tips and advice. They often offer home inspections, seminars and even the ability to purchase items. Contact your local police department to find out if they offer this type of program.

Motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home is a great idea. These lights will come on if someone walks near your house. Motion-sensitive lights will alert you to movement and deter people who want to break into your home. Make sure you regularly change the light bulbs to ensure they continue to work properly.

TIP! Motion-sensor lights can alert you of a robbery before it even happens. Lights like these will automatically turn on whenever someone is near them.

Avoid being shy. Talk to the people who live in your neighborhood. Keep your eye on their houses, and ask for help to keep yours safe too. It does not necessarily pay to steer clear of gossip. You might actually learn a thing or two concerning people that have been hanging around.

Do you live outside the city? You might be less worried about home invasions than if you lived in an urban area. There are differences between large cities and homes located in the countryside. Still there are those that think that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.

TIP! Compared to city dwellers, you might feel more safe in your rural home. Interestingly, many think those living in rural areas are actually more susceptible to break-ins since neighbors may not live close by.

Motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home is a great idea. These lights will turn on if anyone walks too closely to your home. This lets you know something is moving and also drives off criminals. Get in the habit of checking and replacing the bulbs as necessary to ensure the lights remain effective.

If you’ve got skylights, don’t forget about it when it comes to home security. Skylights are a wonderful addition to any home, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of. Any skylights in your home should be secured with strong hardware.

TIP! A skylight is another area that needs to be protected for home security. Skylights are a wonderful addition to any home, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of.

Hide your valuables in the walls. This is a great way to hide jewelry, for example. All you have to do is place them behind any unused phone jack, electrical outlet or switch plate. If there are no unused plates, you can easily install fake ones.

Walls can serve as a handy hiding place. This is a great way to hide jewelry, for example. All you need is a wall opening you’re not using (something like a phone jack, electrical box, or switch plate). Even if every single plate in your home is being used, you can purchase a fake one purpose-built for concealing valuables.

TIP! Walls are the perfect place to hide. Small valuables fit nicely inside walls.

Lock your home at all times to err on the side of caution. You may be surprised to know that many burglars simply turn the doorknob and walk right in. It can be a quick job for a burglar to steal items of great value.

Criminals often pick houses where they can see the valuables inside. While it may be nice to look out, burglars will see your valuables inside. You always want to make sure you keep your valuables covered if they are by a window.

TIP! Your valuables should not be easily seen from outside your home. While having huge windows may be good for letting in light and viewing what is outside, it also gives potential thieves a good look in your own home.

Entry Points

Hide your security system’s wiring. Burglars can easily cut the wires if they are visible. Don’t make it easier for them, so have wires hidden in the house’s walls or buried. This helps keep you and your family safe.

TIP! If you have a home security system installed, make sure the wires are hidden. If the wires are exposed, an intruder can bypass the system by cutting its wires.

While choosing your alarm system, ask about protection for windows and motion detection as well as doors. Windows are all potential entry points for burglars. Make sure the alarm is attached to all of them, and that monitoring is offered for all possible entry points. The safety of your family will be ensured.

Think about safety when designing your home. Make sure that the doors and windows to your home are not covered by trees, fences, shrubs or any other type of thing. If they are visible, people won’t be able to hide there while trying to break in. Keep this in mind as you design.

TIP! Your landscaping should be designed based on what will be safest for your home. You should have a clear view out of all your windows and an unobstructed path to any doors.

If you have any boxes to discard from large, expensive items, wait until the evening before the trash is scheduled for collection. Doing so is like giving a burglar an invitation to target your home; he or she will know there is something good inside.

Find out how long a company has been in operation before signing a home security contract. A company that has been in business for several years has shown that they can sustain in this industry and proven they provide reliable services that people recommend. You’ll have a lot more confidence in your choice if you stick with a company that has a proven track record.

TIP! Determine how much experience a home security company has before you decide to do business with them. Companies who have been around for years will show that they have what it takes to succeed.

Did you know that the wires on your home are valuable? Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. Wiring can be removed from the outside of a home in a heartbeat. Hide your wiring for optimum security.

If you are going on a vacation, ask a neighbor to pick up your mail and check your home for flyers. Burglars often put fliers on the door to see if the owner removes them. If the flier is not removed, they will know you are not home.

TIP! Make sure that whoever is getting your mail while you are on vacation also retrieves any fliers left on the door. Thieves sometimes place fliers on front doors and then wait to see if anyone removes them.

Buy flashlights with strong batteries and make sure there is one in each room in case of power outages. Flashlights are critical, and provide you with the freedom to move about as needed. If you have kids, teach them how to properly use the flashlights so everyone in the family can help out during a power outage.

Keeping thieves from the contents of your garage can be as simple as making sure they can’t easily look inside. Go to a hardware store and buy some frosting so you can cover your windows. Avoid leaving the door open for extended periods of time.

TIP! Keeping thieves from the contents of your garage can be as simple as making sure they can’t easily look inside. Use frosted, adhesive backed plastic to cover the windows.

Be sure and keep the outside of your house well lit. Dark houses invite burglars who prefer to operate under cover of darkness. Be sure all vulnerable exterior areas of your home are equipped with good lighting. Consider all your doors, porches, patios, decks, garages and all ground-level windows.

If there are certain rooms you want to keep unoccupied, then you don’t want to keep track of all the keys and locks. Instead, use a numeric keypad. You can have your home security company install it for you, or you can do it yourself.

TIP! If you live with children or others whom who don’t want entering some parts of the house, keys and lock sets aren’t the only option. Use a code-access lock for any door you don’t want others opening.

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. Hopefully, you’ve learned what you need to know from this article and can now put the information to use.

Ask the company if they offer systems for lease and sale. While you will pay more to buy, you don’t have to keep paying for it month after month. Leasing may seem cheaper but might require contractual agreements and fees. Pick the option that suits your particular situation best.

TIP! See if your security company only sells equipment, or if they will lease it to you instead. While you will pay more to buy, you don’t have to keep paying for it month after month.