You should worry about your home’s security. You never know when a “n’er do well” might come along and steal your belongings or harm your family. Read this guide to make your house more secure and safer.
The only time you should give out house keys to house cleaners is if you absolutely trust them. Be sure any home cleaner you give your key to is trustworthy and reputable. One way to do this is to check their references. If the person is an employee of a firm, call your local BBB to check their reputation.
Home security systems offer additional features besides loud alarms during a break-in. The majority of systems are able to be set to put out an alert when any individual enters the home. For families with young children, this is excellent for alerting when a child has entered or left the house.
Do not open your door for people you do not know. Burglars are getting creative, and they will do anything they can to gain access to your home. Make a house rule forbidding anyone to open the door for an unexpected visitor.
Use your garage for your car, not just storage. It won’t be vandalized or stolen this way. Hiding your car from plain view will also keep potential intruders from tracking when you are home and when you aren’t.
Security System
Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to check it annually. Ask a qualified worker who specializes in security systems to take a look. Mother Nature and wild animals can also cause issues with your home security system. If the problem cannot be seen, you probably won’t even realize there is one.
Motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home is a great idea. If someone enters their proximity, they will light automatically. They will signal movement to you but will also serve as deterrents to the thieves. Remember to keep working bulbs in them at all times.
Place your valuables in cut-outs in your walls. Don’t make it obvious by cutting out big chunks of drywall. You can find pre-cut areas in your walls that can be used. How about unwiring an electricity socket and using it as cover for a place to stash valuable jewelry?
Extra Key
Don’t put your extra key under you doormat, in a planter, or in a cleverly disguised false rock. These seem like great places for you when you misplace your key. Burglars are well aware of such hiding places. Instead, give your extra key to a neighbor whom you trust.
It is important that your valuables are not visible from anywhere outside your house. While it may be nice to look out, burglars will see your valuables inside. By reducing visibility into your home, you protect your belongings, safety, and you improve the interior beauty of your home.
Are you aware that your home’s wires are worth something? This is something few homeowners realize until they become victims of wiring theft. Experienced criminals can make a decent amount of money quickly by stripping copper wiring off of houses in order to sell it at a scrapyard. Hide the wiring and make it harder to access to prevent this from happening.
If you think something looks odd when you get back home, don’t go inside. This can be a dangerous scenario, as the criminal might still be present. Instead, you should call 911 and wait in a safe location for the police to arrive.
You may want to get a security system that is wireless. While systems with wires are cheaper, you have to rewire your home and worry about power outages. Wireless systems are much easier to install, and they can work independently of your home’s power.
If you do not already have a paper shredder, you may want to think about investing in one. Thieves can get lots of information simply by looking through your trash. You can tear your documents up by hand before disposing of them if a shredder is out of your price range.
Put up video surveillance. Placing hidden and visible video cameras is a good way to keep your home secure. Cameras that can be seen are an excellent tool for preventing most burglars from breaking into your home. However, if they are brave enough to try to disable your cameras, hidden cameras will capture them. Find a security system that gives you the option to view the video feed from your phone so you can check on your home at anytime.
Rather than hoping for the best, you need to be realistic. There really are people out there that do not have your best interests in mind. Keep this advice in mind to make your home a safe place.
