Homeowners must assume the serious responsibility of home safety. While an alarm system can be very helpful, there are also other things to consider. Continue reading for some expert tips on making your home a safer place.
Make your house look occupied all the time. Have electronics and lights with timers and set them to go off at various times. This way, it will appear that you are at home. This is an excellent technique that helps avoid robberies while keeping the property safe.
Place the spare key that you make on your dog. This is only true if yours in an outdoor dog, or your house is equipped with a doggie door. Store a spare key within your dogs collar so you always have access to your home.
If your home has a lot of valuable items inside, then you need to purchase a safe so that all of these items can be kept in a single location. This is vital since it means all of your things will be safe if someone breaks in your home. Hide that safe in a difficult-to-reach place like in a closet inside your basement or an attic.
Rural Areas
Do you live out in the country? If so, you might not be as worried about burglars breaking in as those people in the city are. On a different note, some people believe homeowners in more rural areas are more likely to experience robberies because of the lack of nearby neighbors. Some think rural areas see less burglary.
Don’t forget about the skylights when securing your home. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.
If you’ve bought large or pricy items, avoid throwing out boxes until the day the trash is scheduled for pick-up. Empty boxes for expensive new gear serve as advertisements to potentials thieves; don’t make it easy for them to spot such tempting targets.
Always keep your home’s exterior well lit. Burglars prefer the cover that night provides their criminal activities. Install a light in any area a potential intruder can get into your home. This can include garages, doorways, porches, and even near any windows on the ground floor.
There are wireless systems available for home security, as another option. Wired systems might be a bit less expensive, but they often involve intrusive rewiring of your home, and can become faulty during a power outage. A wireless security system is easy to install and take care of. Additionally, this type of system is not dependent upon the electrical system of the home.
Put in a surveillance system. Video cameras are an excellent way to keep your home safe. Also, you can capture the intruder in the act. Many surveillance systems will allow you to access them through your cell phone; therefore, you can ensure your home is safe even when you’re gone.
Never place empty boxes for expensive items out on the curb. Burglars will notice these boxes and know what kind of valuables you have. When you empty the boxes, cut them up and throw them away so that burglars do not see them.
A dog is an excellent burglar alarm. Usually, dogs protect their homes and when they sense something is wrong, they bark. There is no need for a guard dog. As long as he is noisy when strangers approach, he’s a great addition to the security of your home.
Discuss various contracts offered by any home security provider you are exploring. 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. Shorter contracts mean more freedom along with higher costs.
When checking out security companies, ask whether they allow you to choose between buying or leasing the system. Buying will save you a ton of money over time. Although leasing is usually cheaper, you may have to fill out contracts and you will have higher monthly costs. Explore both options to see which works best for you.
Be sure not to use your birthday as the password on your door lock’s numeric key pad. Your birthday is readily available for burglars to find. Think of a number which is the answer to a mathematical question so you can just remember the answer to the question.
After having read these tips, you should now feel much safer. Although all this may seem complicated and tedious, it’s totally necessary in order to keep your whole family safe. With the excellent information presented here, you can do just that.