Although any homeowner can benefit from a well-thought-out security plan, many fail to give their home’s safety adequate consideration. It takes some research to learn exactly what steps are most effective in attaining and maintaining home security. Read on to learn more about making a great security plan to use for your own home.
It is important for your home to always look lived in. Buy timers so that lights, radios, TVs and all other electronics turn on and off at various times. This will give your home the appearance of someone being there. This is a simple way to give people up to no good think that you are home.
If someone comes to clean your home, only give them a key if they’re trustworthy. Make sure they are honest, reputable and hardworking. Be sure to make sure their references check out. Call the Better Business Bureau to see if their firm is well-reviewed.
Hide your spare key in a place where no one would think to look for it. The doormat is too obvious of a place to hide it, as robbers will look there first. An example would be to attach a key to your dog’s collar, if he stays outdoors.
Buy fire-resistant building materials. Your home will get added protection, especially if your environment is dry and has power lines. It’s best to prevent a fire before it starts.
Remove old plants and debris from your yard. As things heat up in the summer, items may catch on fire and threaten your home. Clear your yard often if you want to prevent a fire from starting.
Put up motion activated lighting. This type of light will come on when they detect motion within a certain distance of your home. This is a good way of knowing who comes near your home and keeps you safe if you ever come home late. Get in the habit of checking and replacing the bulbs as necessary to ensure the lights remain effective.
Switch your locks. As time passes, keys end up getting into the wrong hands. It is generally cheap and may be done in a little under a day.
Do you live outside the city? You might be less worried about home invasions than if you lived in an urban area. Others think that living in the country is more risky than other areas because houses are so far apart. Not everyone believes this, though.
Get flashlights with good batteries, and have them in each room in case you lose power. They give you and your family the opportunity to move around should the electricity go out. Teach everyone in your home to use the flashlights so all family members can see and help each other.
Change the locks on any new place you move into. The previous tenant or owner may not have the keys, but you don’t know if they made copies for themselves or others. You might even install new locks yourself so that you know you have the only keys.
Ask for ID before letting anyone into your home. Thieves often pose as security company representatives in order to enter homes and look for valuables. This means peril for what you own as well as your loved ones. Act cautiously in order to stay away from potential dangers.
Having a well-lit home that’s bight in the evening can really deter crooks. They want to avoid being seen. If your house is well-lit, criminals will be hard pressed to be able to go undetected. Keep your home lit up all night long.
Wireless home security systems are becoming more popular. Wired systems could cost less, but they can also require intrusive electrical work inside your house and can fail when the power goes out. Wireless options are easy to install, need less maintenance and are not dependent on the home’s power source.
Invest in a good paper shredder. You would be surprised at how often thieves look through trash to find personal information to find out when you will be away from home so they can break in. If a shredder is too expensive, at least tear relevant paperwork into small bits.
Get your neighbors to not only pick up your mail, but also any flyers left at your door. Some intruders will place a flyer at your home to see if the flyer is removed immediately or not. Fliers that are left behind signal to the burglar that there is no one at home.
Securing the home is something everyone wants to learn to do, but many do not know where to start. Study of the subject should be a priority for anyone concerned about the safety of their possessions and their loved ones alike. Hopefully this article has served as a useful foundation for further investigation.
