Many people want to secure their home. People break into homes every day. Burglars tend to choose houses that are lax when it comes to security measures. If you want to keep your home from being a target, read this article to make improvements to your home security.
Providing a key to the person cleaning your home can be acceptable, but you must be sure they are honest and worthy of your confidence. You should not let cleaners have your keys if you feel like you cannot trust them, or if they will be working in your home while you are away. Be sure to make sure their references check out. If this professional is from a company, it’s best to check with the Better Business Bureau to see what kind of reputation they have.
TIP! Providing a key to the person cleaning your home can be acceptable, but you must be sure they are honest and worthy of your confidence. Be sure any home cleaner you give your key to is trustworthy and reputable.
Don’t give the keys to your home to a professional cleaner unless you trust them completely. Be sure to check out the background of any housekeeper you plan to provide with a key to your home. Be sure to make sure their references check out. If they work for a firm, call the local Better Business Bureau to find out that firm’s reputation.
Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. A safe is the best way to protect your diamonds, gold and important documents. Hide your safe in a place that is hard to get to, like a basement closet or an attic.
TIP! Buy a safe so you can conceal your valuables in it. This ensures during a break in that the most important things are not stolen.
It’s important to comparison shop for alarm systems. Prices vary quite a bit. Get a quote from several companies before making a final decision.
Comparison shop when you are ready to buy a home security system. Prices can be very different from one product to another. Be certain to obtain multiple quotes prior to making your choice.
TIP! Comparison shopping is essential when seeking a security system for the home. Some companies offer comparable levels of protection that can be priced very differently.
It can be a good idea to only leave one ringer on in your home when you are away. When burglars hear phones ringing for an extended period of time in a home, they know that there is no one there to answer.
When planning to go away for a holiday, be sure to turn off the ringers on your home phones. A burglar might hear your phone ring and ring and ring, then realize that you are not home to answer it.
TIP! Turn the ringers off on all your phones if you will be away for a prolonged period of time. If your phone rings and is not being answered, criminals will realize that you’re away.
Don’t let strangers enter your house. Even if someone has a good story, requires help or has a great product to sell, ignore them. There are some people who will just come in to see if you have a home security system, and if you do not, they could come back later when you are not home.
If your garage is attached to your home, always keep it secure. Some people are concerned about burglars entering through an attached garage. You can use a C-clamp to stop the door from being opened.
TIP! You need to secure your garage if it is attached to your home. Many people are concerned about people entering their garages to gain access to their homes.
Secure your garage. Intruders could easily break into your garage and access your home. If the garage door lifts via a track, you can use a C-clamp to stop your door from opening at the hands of intruders.
When it comes to securing your home, start by changing your locks. Anyone from an old roommate to a former tenant could have access to your home if you leave the old locks in place. It is not expensive and you can do it in less than a day.
TIP! Switch your locks. As time passes, keys end up getting into the wrong hands.
It doesn’t matter how much money you spent, you should have an annual test. Your security company should send a representative to check your system. Many different things can make problems for your security system. The problem might not be obvious to you, though.
Don’t think you’re not at risk just because you don’t live in a big city. Some people feel that rural residents lead riskier lives because they are far away from neighbors. That said, stranger things have happened.
TIP! If you live more out in the country, you may think that you’re not at risk. Interestingly, many think those living in rural areas are actually more susceptible to break-ins since neighbors may not live close by.
Changing your locks first can help make your home much more secure. This could be an ex-spouse or roommate you got into a fight with. It is usually inexpensive and can be done in less than 24 hours.
If you’ve got skylights, don’t neglect them when ensuring your home’s security. While they are an excellent source of natural light, they are also an easy way for thieves to enter your home. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.
TIP! If you’ve got skylights, don’t neglect them when ensuring your home’s security. Skylights are commonly used by thieves to enter a home.
If you have skylights, do not neglect them when making sure your home is secure. Skylights are commonly used by thieves to enter a home. You should have them equipped with strong, sturdy hardware.
If you’re hiring a company for home security, be sure to read any fine print before you sign that contract. There may be hidden costs in the event you wish to cancel before the end of the contract. This may also be true if you need more or different equipment in the future. These are costs you’ll want to avoid.
TIP! When you consider a security company, be certain you read the details and fine print of the contract you’re about to sign. There are early termination fees, and there may be fees for extra equipment procured in the future.
Spare Key
Maintain the exterior areas in your house so they are well lit. Criminals like to blend into the shadows, so do your best not to provide too many for them. Motion sensor lights can work great because they can also alert you when someone does come onto the property. This includes doorways, windows, and your garage.
TIP! Be sure and keep the outside of your house well lit. Burglars like committing crimes in the darkness.
It is not a good idea to hide a spare key on your property. You may believe you are making life easier for yourself, but you may just be giving thieves simple access to your house. Burglars are well aware of such hiding places. A better option is to entrust an honest neighbor with a spare key.
Before you think about home security, consider personal security and safety. Although these systems can protect you and your family, not everybody needs them. Some neighborhoods may do better with self-defense classes or having a dog, while others may require the best home security technology you can get. See to it that you understand the risks involved in making these purchasing decisions.
TIP! You should think about your own safety when comparing different home security options. Although these systems can protect you and your family, not everybody needs them.
Keep valuables out of sight of windows. Although large windows in your home can provide your home with a lot of light, they can also provide burglars with an excellent view of the inside of your home. Cover all street-facing windows.
If you get home and see the door is slightly open, don’t go inside by yourself to investigate. This is a delicate situation as the burglar might still be in your home. Call the police, then wait until they get there to do anything else.
TIP! If you get home and the door is open, don’t go in. Your home and the area surrounding it may still be in danger.
Regardless of how long you think you’ll be gone, make sure to lock your doors. It may be a little surprising, but most burglaries and break-ins happen because the intruder just walks right through an open door. It won’t take long for thieves to steal lots of expensive valuables.
A wireless home security system could be just the option you are looking for. While a wired system is more affordable, it also requires more extreme modifications of your home’s existing wiring. This could be a potential problem in the event that your power goes out. Wireless systems tend to be easier for installation and maintenance, and they will not go out if your power does.
TIP! Think about a wireless security system for your home. These systems are much more efficient and can save you time and hassle.
Make sure the wires of your home security system are completely hidden. If the wires are exposed, an intruder can bypass the system by cutting its wires. Don’t make it easy for an intruder, have the wires buried or hidden within the home’s walls. This will make you much safer.
Ask about different contract lengths that your home security company may offer. There are going to be ups and downs for each one. You may pay less if you sign up for longer, but you might also get left with a contract if you have to sell your house. Shorter contracts likely allow you more flexibility with exiting the plan; however, you will probably have a larger monthly bill.
TIP! Ask about the different contract durations that a security company can offer you. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.
If you purchase big-ticket items, don’t throw their boxes in the trash before trash day. Exposing the box to view ahead of time signals a burglar that he will find this item in your home.
Avoid storing car registration in your glove compartment. If someone finds them, they’ll know your address. Keep them in your wallet or in another safe place in your car. Remember, you do need to be able to access them quickly if you get pulled over by a policeman.
TIP! Keep your car registration papers on you at all times. If someone steals your car, this will tell them where you live too.
The number one thing you must do if you’re moving into a new place is have the locks changed. They previous occupants may have made copies of the keys. You can purchase locks and install them yourself to ascertain that only you have a key.
If your door has a numeric keypad lock, never make its password your birth date. Anyone can easily get your birthday from a Facebook profile or your driver’s licence. Make it a random number that you and your family can commit to memory.
TIP! If your door has a numeric keypad, don’t use your birthday as the password. Anyone could get your date of birth from Facebook and could have access into your house.
Consider home security and safety when you are planning your landscaping. There should be no plants or greenery in front of doors or windows. If they can be seen, potential burglars will not be able to use them as hiding places before breaking in. Put landscaping farther away from the house for greater safety.
If you turn the lights off or on always at the exact time, utilize a timer. This is simpler, as you will not have to flip any switches, and you will know the lights will go off and on in your absence.
TIP! Do you turn the lights on and off during the same time period? If so, consider a timer. This makes your life a bit easier, and it means that your lights will still be lit even if you are away from long periods of time.
Before signing up for a particular home-security company, find out how long they’ve been around. 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 find it a lot easier to put your faith in the professionals if you take the time to verify their trustworthiness.
Sliding glass doors are a big security problem in many homes. These can become unlocked very easy by burglars. You should install a security system on your sliding glass door or place a pipe segment to fill the door channel. This holds the door firmly in position. Even if the lock is broken, the door will still be held closed.
TIP! Try not to get sliding glass doors in your home if security is a serious issue. Unlocking them is done simply by shaking and lifting the handle.
One effective home security trick you can use is by installing outdoor motion sensor lights. Burglars like using darkness to hide. Install lighting anywhere a possible intruder might break in. This can include the garage, doorways, porches and other areas which invite an intruder in.
Intruders might be interested in the wiring of your home. Found in electrical equipment, copper can be bought at a high price. Hiding your wiring will thwart robbers from removing the copper and leaving the bill with you for the extensive repair costs.
TIP! It is important that you do not leave any wiring exposed outside of your house. Electrical wires contain copper, which is extremely valuable.
Put in a surveillance system. You can have great home security with both hidden and visible video cameras. Visible cameras deter many intruders, but if they disable the cameras that they can see, your hidden camera can record the action. There are surveillance systems that you can access and check by cell phone.
Don’t leave toys outside when not in use. This makes the burglars suspect that women live there, and they are viewed as easy targets. Since women have more jewelry than men, they are targeted more.
TIP! Avoid leaving toys on your lawn if your kids aren’t out there with them. From playthings in the yard, potential thieves can deduce that there’s likely a mother living in the house.
Home security is the only way to keep your family safe. You never know when a criminal will strike. Use the advice found in this piece and put a strong security system in place. Make haste! Act now before tragedy strikes.
Try not to make your rooms visible to the outside world. If people can see a computer or large TV outside your house, thieves can also see it. Put up window coverings so that anything of value is hidden from outside view. Keep your most valuable items away from windows.
TIP! Don’t have any visible rooms in your home. Thieves are always on the lookout for highly visible expensive equipment.