All homeowners should do all they can to keep their homes and families safe. Sadly, home burglaries are very common, and other things like fire or floods can harm your home. This article will show you a few ways to keep yourself safe.
Make your house look occupied all the time. 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 an effective deterrent against burglars.
Spare Key
Do you allow your dog to stay in your yard while you are away? If so, the dog can be a terrific spot to keep a spare key. Put the key on the dog’s collar. This is the perfect place to store a spare key, especially if your dog doesn’t care for strangers.
When placing your spare key outside for emergencies, give careful consideration to where you put it. The doormat is too obvious of a place to hide it, as robbers will look there first. For a better solution, try tucking your spare key into your dog’s collar, provided you have an outside dog.
Do not tell anyone that you are going on vacation out of your friend circle. 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.
Before leaving for vacation, turn off the ringers in your house. A phone which rings forever is a sign to burglars that you’re not there.
Check with your local law enforcement agency about home protection plans. They may offer neighborhood watch programs, home inspections, engraving tools for marking code numbers onto items so that they will be easily identified if stolen. Call and see what is available.
Motion-sensor lights can alert you of a robbery before it even happens. These lights will come on if someone walks near your home. These lights will not only let you know when someone gets too close, they will also stop potential burglars from breaking in. After all, burglars don’t want anyone to know they are there. Make sure you regularly change the light bulbs to ensure they continue to work properly.
Keep the wires of your home security system hidden. You don’t want a burglar to get access to them and disable your system. To provide maximum security, wiring should be laid underground or installed safely within the walls of your house. This can make you safer.
Make sure your flashlights have charged batteries and are found throughout your home. If the lights go out, they will ensure everyone stays safe. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the flashlights are.
Always get references from anyone you are considering hiring to do work inside your home. A background check is also recommended so you know if they have a criminal history. Anyone you bring into your home to work could be your worst enemy.
It is a good idea to get some history on any home security companies you are thinking about doing business with. Any business with multiple years of history has a proven record in being reliable. It also ensures they’re not a fly-by-night firm.
Always request that your house or pet sitter remove fliers from your door. This is a way people who are casing out your house can tell whether you are home or not. If the flier is not removed, it’s easy for a burglar to suspect that the owner is away.
The best way to keep a burglar out of your garage is to ensure no one can see inside. Cover your windows in frosting, which can be bought at big box hardware stores, so people can’t peek inside. Also, don’t leave your door open for long periods of time when you work there.
Keeping a dog provides a great way to boost your home’s defense. Dogs are quite protective of their masters and home, and they can display quite a bark if someone comes near the house. It doesn’t even have to be a big tough dog. Even tiny dogs that make a ton of noise will deter a potential crime.
Blinds, shades and curtains are best closed when no one is home. Intruders can see into your home if they are left up. If their eyes fall on something they like, they are going to think about breaking in. It’s good to have them down at night, too.
When checking out security companies, ask whether they allow you to choose between buying or leasing the system. Buying equipment may be initially more expensive, but cheaper in the longer term. Although leasing is usually cheaper, you may have to fill out contracts and you will have higher monthly costs. Look at both of these to see what works for you.
Don’t put your key in an obvious hiding place. A very obvious location is underneath fake rocks. Someone is going to look under your doormat. A friend or neighbor can be a much better key holder than an inanimate object. If you cannot do that, try to be creative when it comes to hiding places.
Using a timer is a great way to make it seem as if you are home when you are on vacation. You will not have to expend as much energy taking care of the lights, but you will still be able to make sure your house is illuminated when you want it to be.
Homeowners should do everything under their power to make their home safe. Ideally, you’ve picked up quite a few useful security hints from the preceding article. Implement all these ideas in order to get the most out of your home security efforts.