Safety should be priority number one for a homeowner. Sadly, home burglaries are very common, and other things like fire or floods can harm your home. Continue reading to educate yourself on home-security strategies to keep your home and loved ones safe from all potential threats.
Your home should always look like it is occupied. You can buy timers to have radios, TVs, lights and other electronics go off and on at different times. This way it will always look as if someone is home, even when you are away. This is great for keeping a home safer from burglaries.
Do you keep your dog outside when you aren’t home? This is where you can put your spare key. Hook your key to the dog’s collar in a place that is shielded from view. This is especially useful if the dog does not take kindly to strangers.
TIP! Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? This is where you can put your spare key. Attach your key to your dog’s collar, ensuring that it can’t be seen.
Spare Key
Have your dog protect the spare key. This can be done if your dog can come outside. Store a spare key within your dogs collar so you always have access to your home.
When planning to go away for a holiday, be sure to turn off the ringers on your home phones. This is because a phone that is ringing and ringing can tip of a burglar that nobody is currently home.
TIP! It can be a good idea to only leave one ringer on in your home when you are away. If your phone rings and is not being answered, criminals will realize that you’re away.
Look at the prices for all of the security systems that you are interested in. Prices vary greatly in regards to the same protection for each company. Be sure and get a minimum of three quotes from different companies prior to choosing one.
Your friends may have some great advice for choosing the right company. You can learn a lot from people who have already dealt with these companies. Keep asking to get the advice that will help you make the right choice.
Contact the local police department to find out more about the protection programs they offer. The police can offer you some great advice, help you engrave valuables and even come check out your home. Talk with local police to see if they offer these programs.
TIP! Home protection program details may be available at your police station. Some police departments offer things like code numbers to help find your valuables should they get stolen.
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.
Request information from your local law enforcement agencies about home protection packages. Many have quite a few helpful programs that you take, like on self-defense or other things related to your home. Call them up to find out more.
No matter how good your security system is, it should be checked annually. Get a professional in to check it out. There are many things that can reduce the quality of your system. If you don’t see the problem, you may remain unaware of it.
TIP! Your home security system ought to be checked each year. Call the company and have them send someone to check it out.
It doesn’t matter how much money you spent, you should have an annual test. Ask someone from your security company to come over and have a look. Wild animals, domestic pets, and weather are all factors that can affect the reliability of your home security system. Sometimes it is very difficult to see the problem if you don’t know where it is.
Security System
Put motion sensor lights around your house. The motion sensors turn on the lights whenever anyone approaches your home. This is a good way of knowing who comes near your home and keeps you safe if you ever come home late. Just remember that you must change the bulbs often in order to keep the lights working in order.
TIP! Motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home is a great idea. They’ll flip on when people walk within a certain distance of your house.
When dealing with a company installing your home security system, it is important that you trust your gut. If you are hesitant about the company, your gut feeling is especially important. Don’t hesitate to request a different technician or to hire a new company altogether. Your security system is supposed to help you, not cause you more stress.
Don’t think you’re not at risk just because you don’t live in a big city. Due to the distance between neighbors, some think rural areas are more likely to have intruders. Some think that there are less burglars in rural areas.
Go with your gut when you invite a home security company representative into your house. If the men who come to your home to do the installation seem untrustworthy, you can change your mind. Do not hesitate to ask for a different person to install the system or even consider hiring a different company. Remember that every aspect of your home security system should support you in feeling more secure.
TIP! You have a choice on who installs your security system, don’t be afraid to say no if something doesn’t feel right. If the installers give you the heebie-jeebies, it’s not a good sign.
Walls are great for hiding items. If you own smaller things that need protection, think about keeping them hidden in the walls. Just take advantage of the phone jack, electrical outlet or unused switch plate. You put in a fake plate if there aren’t any unused in your home.
Be sure your expensive belongings are not visible from the home’s exterior. You might enjoy large windows so you can see out, but just remember that makes it easier for those burglars to see inside your home as well. If your windows are facing the street, make sure you cover them and protect your valuables.
Do you live outside the city? You might be less worried about home invasions than if you lived in an urban area. Some people feel that rural residents lead riskier lives because they are far away from neighbors. Some think that there are less burglars in rural areas.
TIP! If you live in a rural area, you may not be as concerned about home break-ins as people who live in the city. People who live in the country may even be more vulnerable because they do not have nearby neighbors.
If you’ve bought large or pricy items, avoid throwing out boxes until the day the trash is scheduled for pick-up. Letting such packaging sit out will signal to criminals that there are good things to be found in your house.
If you are moving into a new home, change the locks right away. Though the prior occupant may have relinquished their keys, there may be copies out there. You can do your own installation to make sure that no one else has a key.
Do not place your spare keys under your mat or even in plant boxes. You are allowing people to invade your home when you make it easy for them. Intruders know about the usual hiding spots. Instead, give your extra key to a neighbor whom you trust.
TIP! Don’t put spare keys inside plant boxes or beneath the welcome mat. While you may need to prepare if you have a spare key, it is wise to choose ways that do not increase the risk of a criminal gaining entrance to your home.
When you hire a type of home security company, read the contract’s fine print before signing. There may be hidden costs to doing business with them, including early termination fees and surprising equipment costs. You should avoid these fees as much as you can; therefore, you need to know of their existence.
Before you go shopping for a home security system, take a moment to think about your specific situation and unique requirements. Some systems might not be adaptable to your situation. Some neighborhoods feel more safe than others, but a good security system definitely makes you feel more safe. Understanding your needs will help you make a good purchase decision.
When deciding on an alarm system, be sure and get one that protects more than your doors. Your windows are also points of entry for burglars. Attach an alarm to every one of them, and make sure all entry points are monitored. This is just one more thing you can do to protect your home.
TIP! While choosing your alarm system, ask about protection for windows and motion detection as well as doors. Your windows are easy entry points for crooks too.
A paper shredder can be a good security investment. A thief looking through your discarded papers can find a lot of information you do not want them to have. They may even learn your schedule, so they can burgle your home while you are away. If you can not afford to purchase a paper shredder, just rip the paper into smaller pieces.
There are simply so many potential dangers that threaten a home’s security that it’s a necessity for homeowners to take steps to improve their safety. The above article have you some advice on how you can make your home safer. Make use of these tips to keep your home secure at all times.
Make sure that the person analyzing your home for a home security system is who he says. Potential burglars can easily claim they are security company representatives so that they can enter your home. This is a danger to your belongings and your family. Be cautious to stay away from those potential dangers.
TIP! If you allow a security company to come to your house, make sure they appear professional and can present identification. It is easy for potential thieves to present themselves as representatives of a company in order to gain access to your home.