The following advice will give you different ideas on how to approach your security system. It’s not so easy making such an important and costly decision. To make a wise choice, you need solid information.
Provide the house key to your professional house cleaner, but only if you fully trust them. If you plan to give them a key so they can clean in your home while you are away, ensure they are reputable and honest. Make sure you check references. If you are using a cleaning firm, make sure it has an excellent Better Business Bureau rating.
Is your dog kept outside when you are away? Your furry friend is also a great storage place for your extra key. Put it on your dog’s collar, making sure it is hidden. This is especially useful if the dog does not take kindly to strangers.
A good security system has many more features than sounding the alarm during a break-in. Most of them can be programmed to alert you to anyone entering your home. This isn’t just for burglars; parents with young children can also use it as a valuable tool to know when their child has come inside.
Valuable Items
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, as you want to safeguard your valuable items in case of home burglary. Your safe should be placed somewhere it is not readily noticeable.
Solicit word of mouth recommendations from friends, colleagues and family members to find a great home security company or system. You can learn a lot from people who have already dealt with these companies. Ask around so you’ll have as much advice as you need in order to make a sound decision.
Turn off ringers on land line phones while you are on vacation. A burglar might hear your phone ring and ring and ring, then realize that you are not home to answer it.
Hide any valuables in wall spaces. It is unnecessary cut space into your wall. Most homes are pre-equipped with these handy spaces. How about unwiring an electricity socket and using it as cover for a place to stash valuable jewelry?
Lock up your house every time you leave. Most burglars gain entry to a home through an unlocked door. It does not take long for thieves to steal a lot from your home.
Copper Wiring
There is a lot of value in copper wiring. Some intruders could strip your home of every bit of copper. 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.
When you hire a security firm, be certain to review all contracts carefully. There may be hidden costs to doing business with them, including early termination fees and surprising equipment costs. You should avoid such expenses if you can, so make yourself aware.
One of the best things you can do to protect your home at night is to deter intruders with plenty of exterior lighting. They don’t want visibility. Ample lighting makes it difficult for would-be burglars to approach undetected, and this turns your home into a less attractive target. Keep your lights turned on during the night.
Put in a surveillance system. Installing video cameras, both visible and hidden, are a great way to secure your home. Intruders will stay away from your home if they notice cameras and hidden cameras can help identify intruders if they disable the most visible cameras. Surveillance systems often allow you to access videos through your cell phone, too.
Are your house numbers visible from the street? If your numbers cannot be plainly seen, then the police will struggle to locate your home very quickly in case of emergency. Thankfully if you notice a problem it’s an easy and cheap thing to fix.
Inquire about different choices for contract lengths available from the home security provider. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. A longer contract might give you a lower monthly bill, but you could be stuck with those monthly costs if you sell your home or decide to discontinue services. A short contract will avoid this, but may be more costly.
You’re ready to get started if you have been paying attention so far. Remember that you’re dealing with nothing less than the safety of your home and your family; there’s no such thing as being too well-informed for these decisions. Use the information in this article to make the best decision possible.