It is important that you never completely put your guard down. You don’t want to put yourself in a dangerous situation because you’ve failed to have a plan for protection. Read this article to learn more about home security and find out how you can make your home safer.
Always make your house appear to be occupied. Keep your radio, TV and lights on timers. This makes people think you’re home. This is great for keeping a home safer from burglaries.
TIP! Be sure that your home is always occupied. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios.
You should never give details about your vacations and other plans on social networks. Although you may want to let others in on your excitement, it may inadvertently give burglars a heads up to target your property.
Don’t give the keys to your home to a professional cleaner unless you trust them completely. If you do give your housekeeper a key or plan on doing so, it is imperative that they are honest and upstanding. Carefully check their references. Contact your local Better Business Bureau to find out more about the reputation of the cleaner you hired.
TIP! Only allow maids and cleaning services to have a key to the house if they are known to be trustworthy. 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.
If you will be away from your house for an extended period of time, turn the ringers off for all your phones. A ringing phone that goes unanswered may signal to a burglar that nobody is home.
Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. This is important, since you don’t want your valuables exposed to a potential intruder. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.
TIP! Keep your most precious belongings inside a safe. You can’t have your valuable personal items and jewelry out in the open for anyone to see.
Do not be reluctant to meet your neighbors. Talk to your neighbors and those on your block. Ask them to look after your home, and in return, look out for theirs. Never neglect gossip. It is often a good way to find out about security issues, such as strangers in the neighborhood.
Buy ceiling, roofing and flooring which is resistant to fire. This give your home an extra protection layer. Preventing a fire is important since it can cause a lot of damage.
TIP! Is your ceiling resistant to fire? What about your flooring or roofing? This adds more protection to a house, especially if you’re in a dry area with some power lines. Preventing a fire hazard is one of the safest precautions that you can take due to the level of destruction that it can cause.
Do you live outside the city? You might be less worried about home invasions than if you lived in an urban area. Some people think that country folk are mainly targeted since they don’t have nearby neighbors. Then again, others think rural areas are not as much of a target.
Never let a stranger inside. Even if the person has a compelling story, needs help or has something to sell, they should not be given access. Some people want to enter your home just to see if there is a security system in place. They may be scoping the place to come back when you’re gone.
TIP! Never allow a stranger to enter your home. No matter what the excuse the person presents, keep them from entering your home.
Hide any valuables in wall spaces. It is unnecessary cut space into your wall. You can find areas in your walls that are pre-cut and use those. If you have an electric socket you do not use, hide valuables behind their covers.
When summer comes around, eliminate all vegetation and dead wood from your yard. Due to the heat, these items in your yard are more likely to catch on fire. As a result, your home could be caught on fire. To make sure your home is safer, clear your yard periodically.
TIP! Clear away all the dead and dried out vegetation around your home in the summer. As it gets hotter, the chances of these igniting and putting your house at risk increase.
You never want people to be able to see your valuables from outside of your home. Large front windows are great, but they also allow others to peer into your home. Windows facing the street need to be covered to keep inside possessions safe.
If you have skylights, do not neglect them when making sure your home is secure. While they are nice and help with lighting, they also provide the burglars help with access to your home. Skylights need to be installed correctly and safely, with hardware that will keep intruders out.
TIP! A skylight is another area that needs to be protected for home security. Skylights are excellent for beauty and light, but it’s easy for burglars to gain access to your home through them.
Just moved in? Time for new locks! Even if the previous owner or tenant seems trustworthy, you have no way of knowing how many copies of the key they made and distributed. You should also keep in mind that other people may have lived in the home before the previous homeowner.
Hide your valuables in the walls. If you have small valuables you want to protect, consider hiding them inside your walls. Just use an unwired electric plug, light switch or phone box. Installing a false unused plate is very easy to do if your home doesn’t have one.
TIP! Walls make the perfect hiding spot. Hide valuables inside of your walls.
Rotten Wood
Be certain your wires are hidden, if you have installed a security system in your home. An intruder can cut the wires or disconnect them and avoid the system. Make it hard for intruders and bury the wires or hide them inside your walls, if possible. This way, you will be safer.
TIP! Keep your home security system’s wires under cover. A burglar will simply cut the wires if he can see them.
Replace rotten wood near door frames. Rotten wood is easily removed and can give an intruder a way into your home. Therefore, replace rotted wood with fresh wood to ensure your home’s safety.
Are you aware that the wires located on the exterior of your house have value? People often don’t think about this until they have it stolen from their home. Copper is expensive and most wiring is composed of it, so stripping it is a great way for crooks to make a quick buck. Keep your wiring hidden or inaccessible to potential burglars.
TIP! Even the wires inside your home are worth something. This is something few homeowners realize until they become victims of wiring theft.
Any time you let a stranger into your home that is doing some kind of work, it is best to ask for references. Perform a background check to learn about their criminal history, too. You need to be very careful with the contractors, repairmen or maids you trust with being alone in your home.
Unless you’re moving into a brand-new apartment or home, changing the locks should be one of your top priorities. The person who used to live there may still have a key. It’s easy to install locks, so you can just purchase them at the home improvement store and swap them out to be sure you have the only keys.
TIP! The number one thing you must do if you’re moving into a new place is have the locks changed. The previous tenants may have returned the keys, but they could have a copy.
Add motion detector lighting to the exterior of your home for increased security. These lights will keep your property well lit and give you a good idea of who approaches your home. With good positioning and properly set motion detectors, intruders will not be able to sneak up on your home unnoticed.
Carefully check the references of everyone before allowing them to enter your home. For a relatively small fee, you can also run a background check for their criminal history. You never really know if you can trust a service person, and giving access to the wrong one can prove disastrous.
TIP! Check references before giving anyone access to your home. Try doing a background check to look at their criminal history.
It’s smart to use the Internet when you are looking for a good security company for your home. Browse through different websites and seek out customer reviews about different services and packages. You can then make three solid selections and make appointments with them.
If you are seeking home safety ideas that are simple and inexpensive, you should buy outdoor lights with motion sensors. In the evening, lights will help keep your home safe, and will add little in the way of extra expense. Whenever you properly position these lights, they will make it almost impossible for burglars to sneak in.
TIP! To increase your home’s security, buy some outdoor lights that are motion activated. 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.
If you get home and your door is open, do not enter ti investigate. A thief might still be in there, which could put you in danger. Call the authorities and let them take care of the situation.
Keeping your house bright and lit at night will deter many crooks. They don’t want visibility. A well-lit home is like a red flag to a burglar. That’s why it’s a good idea to light your home well for optimum safety.
TIP! A bright home is a safe home. They prefer not to be seen.
Wireless Systems
You need to make sure you’re making use of the Internet when looking at different home security companies. Read through official websites for different companies and look for reviews written by customers. With this information, you can contact the companies you feel comfortable with and compare the rates to each other.
TIP! You need to make sure you’re making use of the Internet when looking at different home security companies. Review different websites and review comments from previous customers.
There are wireless systems available for home security, as another option. A wired system should be less expensive but you might have to spend your money on getting your home rewired. Wireless systems are easier to install and maintain, and they do not rely on the power in your home to work correctly.
Think about your specific needs and risks prior to investigating security systems. While these systems could be good for protecting your family, they aren’t for everyone. In some neighborhoods, you might be better off taking a self defense class or owning a dog, while in others, the latest innovations in home security will protect you best. Comprehend the risks associated with your home security so you now can make a more well-informed buying decision.
TIP! Before you think about home security, consider personal security and safety. Generic systems aren’t for everyone.
Make sure that your garage is not visible from the outside in. Use a frosted film to cover the windows. This can be purchased at many hardware stores. Also, do not leave doors open.
Wireless security systems are the next generation in protection. A wired system should be less expensive but you might have to spend your money on getting your home rewired. A wireless system is easy to install and to maintain. Besides, you will still be able to count on your wireless system in case of a power outage.
TIP! There are wireless systems available for home security, as another option. While systems with wires are cheaper, you have to rewire your home and worry about power outages.
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. Install key-less locks instead. These locks use codes instead of keys. You can even install it yourself.
Ask about the various contract lengths offered by a home security company. There are of course pros and cons for each contract. Your bill may be lower with a long-term contract, but you could wind up paying for a service you’re not using if you decide to move. If you want more freedom, it is best to purchase a more expensive but shorter contract.
TIP! Ask your home-security company about what contract lengths they provide to their customers. You will probably find there are many pros and cons associated with each different contract.
Talk to your security company about the contract; in particular, inquire about the various contract lengths that are available to you. They all likely have different benefits and downsides. With a longer contract, your monthly payment is likely to be lower. The downside is you might be stuck for a longer period of time if you decide you don’t like the service or want to move. With a shorter contract, you will have a greater level of flexibility. The downside is you will also have larger monthly bills.
Is your door made of solid wood or metal? If not, then replace it. These doors will hold. These materials make it difficult for a would-be thief to break down the door. It is easy and affordable to replace all of your home’s exterior doors, so ensure you do this immediately.
TIP! Any doors that aren’t solid wood or made of metal should be replaced. Doors made of metal or wood are much sturdier than those that aren’t.
You never know when someone might target your home. Instead of hoping that it won’t happen to you, you must take the necessary steps in securing your home. Keep these ideas in mind and conduct additional research so that you can avoid crime.
Avoid purchasing a security system from a third party. Instead, buy directly from the manufacturer. If you buy from a re-seller, you may not get the best deal. Dealing with the company itself will ensure that you’re not paying a middleman and provide you with a warranty.
TIP! It is better to buy equipment from a security company directly, instead of from someone re-selling it. Why should you provide a middle man with a profit when you can purchase the item straight from the source? When dealing directly with the company, you can rest assured that you are not paying additional fees, and also that the company will be there to continuously service your equipment.