Safety should be priority number one for a homeowner. Unfortunately, burglaries are becoming more and more common these days, and there are also other things to consider such as flood and fires. Keep reading to find out more about home security and how you can protect your family.
After you buy your new house, get new locks. This is because you really have no idea who has keys, and therefore access to your home. To ensure that you are the only one who has access to your house, call a locksmith. Give a key to someone you trust in case you get locked out.
Does your canine stay in the yard while you go out? Your dog is an excellent place to hide your spare key. Put it on their collar. This is an especially good idea if your dog doesn’t like strangers, and gives you easy access to get in your home.
When you decide to purchase a home alarm system, make sure you comparison shop. Prices can be very different from one product to another. Be sure and get a minimum of three quotes from different companies prior to choosing one.
If you have an extensive online presence that includes a lot of people you don’t know too well, avoid announcing upcoming vacations. Although it’s fun to talk about, posting it online makes it more possible for criminals to find out when you’re gone.
Ask friends for some advice before choosing home security companies and systems. Other people are sure to have opinions and experiences to share. Make sure to ask neighbors for advice too.
Always go with your gut when it comes to choosing a security firm. If you are hesitant about the company, your gut feeling is especially important. You can decide to use a different company, or ask for a different person to install it. The point of that system is to feel safer after all.
Those living in rural areas often don’t worry as much about intruders compared to city dwellers. Some maintain that rural dwellers have greater risk since their neighbors live farther away. That said, stranger things have happened.
The walls of your home make for great hiding spots. You should think about hiding certain small valuables within your walls. All you have to do is place them behind any unused phone jack, electrical outlet or switch plate. You put in a fake plate if there aren’t any unused in your home.
If you buy expensive electronics or appliances, throw the packages away the day that your trash pickup occurs. You are alerting thieves that there is something worth stealing inside your home.
Your first priority when you move to an apartment or house where others have lived in before is to replace all the locks. Even if the tenants turned their keys in, they may have made copies. Find a reliable locksmith who can replace the locks or do it yourself.
A great way to achieve extra security is to install exterior lighting equipped with motion detectors. These lights provide extra light for your home and are very cost efficient. When placed appropriately, no one will be able to break in unannounced.
Always enlist the powers of online research to help you make a smart choice when it comes to home security companies. Read through official websites for different companies and look for reviews written by customers. From there, you can make appointments with your top three selections to compare final package pricing and specific details about plans and monitoring.
An important part of vetting any security company before you sign a contract with them is finding out how long they’ve been providing security services in your community. You can be sure that an established company has a good track record of providing solid and reliable service. Knowing that you are dealing with a shady company can keep you calm when making this crucial decision.
For maximum safety, your home needs bright exterior lighting. Criminals love darkness to help mask their crimes. Make sure to have lights anywhere an intruder might enter. This extends to doorways, porches, garages and lower windows.
Install a surveillance system in your home. Installing video cameras, both visible and hidden, are a great way to secure your home. Visible cameras can deter many intruders and if they disable them, the hidden cameras can still capture footage. As an added security bonus, most modern systems will allow you to monitor your cameras remotely (via cell phone) for round-the-clock protection.
Take every precaution to protect your home and family from life’s emergencies. You can find out some great ideas in this article to help keep your home safe. Make use of these tips to keep your home secure at all times.