Be Safer With These Great Home Security Tips

If your personal possessions include high-value items like jewelry, artwork or significant amounts of cash, don’t assume that only you know about it. You must protect your home and your family by investing in a quality home security system. The following tips below can help.

Consider using your dog as a place to store your spare key. This only makes sense if your dog is outdoors a lot or you have a pet door. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

TIP! Your faithful dog makes a great hiding spot for a spare key. This really only works if you’ve got an outdoor dog or if you’ve got a pet door.

Make sure your home look occupied at all times. You could purchase timers which make lights and TV’s, lights, power on or off at varying intervals. This will give your home the appearance that someone being there. This is an excellent method for avoiding burglary and keeping your home’s safety and make it less attractive to criminals.

Check out their references very carefully. If the house cleaner is employed by a company, call the local Better Business Bureau to find out that firm’s reputation.

Your flooring and roofing should be fire resistant. This ensures your home won’t be a tinderbox. Preventing a fire is important since it can cause a lot of damage.

There is a way to prevent burglars going into their home through the garage. You can use a C-clamp to stop the door and prevent it from being opened.

They are a fire hazard during warmer months. Clear your yard so it looks good and is safe.

Don’t post online when you’ll be away from your home. It’s exciting going to new places and enjoying your time, but you could alert thieves to an empty home that they can easily break into.

Local Police Department

See what the local police department offers in terms of home protection programs. They may offer things such as home inspections, engraving tool loans, engraving tools for marking code numbers onto items so that they will be easily identified if stolen. Call the local police department and see what is available.

Get to know your neighbors. Converse with those living in your area. Watch out for their homes, and ask them to do the same for you. It does not necessarily pay to steer clear of gossip. You may hear valuable information regarding security, such as if any strangers have been hanging around.

Keeping your car in your house will deter thieves from vandalizing it. This will also keep people from home.

Talk to the people who live in your neighbors.

You have a choice on who installs your security system, don’t be afraid to say no if something doesn’t feel right. You should be very picky when it comes to letting people inspect your home. Ask the company to send a different installer or simply change companies. Security is supposed to give you peace of mind after all!

TIP! Whenever you are selecting a home security company, make sure you go with your gut feelings. This is particularly true if you’re uneasy with those that install your actual system.

This is especially true if you’re uneasy with those who are installing the actual system. Don’t hesitate asking for another technician or to hire a new company altogether. The point of that system is to make yourself feel at ease.

Make sure that your valuables can be seen from the home. Large windows let in light and give you a great view outside, but they also allow others to peer into your home.

A wall is a great hiding place. Hide valuables inside of your walls. You could use a phone jack, electrical outlet or a switch plate. If you do not have any unused plates, it is easy to install a false one.

TIP! Walls can serve as a handy hiding place. Concealing small valuables in your walls is an easy and highly effective way to protect them.

Replace all locks in your newly purchased home. While the person you bought the home from may seem on the up and up, you don’t know who they actually are.

Flashlights are essential since they allow you to move around in an emergency. Your kids should be trained on the proper use and maintenance of flashlights.

Get creative and hide valuables inside your walls. You do not have to cut pieces out of the walls to do this. There are many places in your home that are pre-cut and available. For example, you could take the wiring out of an electric socket that is not in use and put your valuable jewelry in there.

Get your needs by having the security system custom built for your home.

Never enter your home if the door open. This can be quite dangerous because the burglar might still be in your home. Your best bet is to call the authorities and wait until they arrive before you do anything else.

You never want people to be able to see your valuables from outside of your home. It may be great to have large windows with a view, but this means that people can look in. If your windows face a street, be sure they’re always covered and have your valuables safe.

TIP! Criminals often pick houses where they can see the valuables inside. Open curtains allow people to see inside your home and see exactly what you have.

Are the numbers of your house from the street? If you need assistance, it will be hard for them to find it if the numbers are not readable or are tiny.

Spring Latch Locks

Don’t throw away boxes for expensive or valuable items until the garbage collection day. Letting such packaging sit out will signal to criminals that there are good things to be found in your house.

TIP! When you purchase big, expensive items be sure to break down the boxes and take them to the recycling center yourself. You are alerting thieves that there is something worth stealing inside your home.

Don’t get spring latch locks installed. These are easy to pick by simply using a credit card.Intruders can pick these locks by wedging a credit card in between the latch and door for the door. Add a deadbolt to existing spring latch locks.

Ask the company if they offer options to lease or buy your security equipment. Buying the equipment might cost more up front, but cheaper in the longer term. Leasing is usually the cheaper option; however, but monthly fees can be high and you will need a contract. Look into both choices to know which one is better for you.

Don’t let anyone in your house without knowing their work history and checking their references. A background check is also a good idea, so that you know what their criminal history looks like. You can never be certain if the contractor, repairman, maid, etc. that you hire to do services in your home is honest. If you let these people in without knowing anything about them, you could experience significant losses.

TIP! Before you let any strangers enter your home, be sure you look over their references. It wouldn’t hurt to also perform a background check.

Instead of thinking that your house will never be threatened by a criminal, always prepare for the worst. Of course, this does not mean living in fear. Simply take some wise precautions. These tips can put your family in the safest position possible.