All homeowners should have some type of home security plan, but many people fail to do this. To learn all you can in order to create a solid plan, it is important for you to do your research. Keep reading this article to learn what you need for winning home security.
When planning to go away for a holiday, be sure to turn off the ringers on your home phones. This is because a phone that is ringing and ringing can tip of a burglar that nobody is currently home.
You should clean your yard of vegetation and dead wood. As it gets hotter, the chances of these igniting and putting your house at risk increase. Keeping your plants and bushes trimmed will benefit your family’s safety as well as the appearance of your home.
Use your garage for your car and not for storage. It won’t be vandalized or stolen this way. Additionally, if your car is put away, burglars will not be able to tell whether or not you are home.
You should not be shy. Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Watch their houses, and ask if they’d do the same. You shouldn’t neglect gossip. You may stumble across valuable security information, like if someone has noticed a stranger lurking around the neighborhood.
Don’t forget skylights when doing a security sweep for your home. Skylights are commonly used by thieves to enter a home. The hardware that secures your skylights should be sturdy and durable.
If you bought any expensive or large items, don’t throw the boxes out until the day trash is scheduled to be removed. If you leave the boxes out all week, it lets people know what type of items you have in your home.
If you are moving into a home that had a previous owner, then you should immediately change the locks. Although it’s normal for owners / tenants to surrender their keys when they leave, there’s no way of knowing who else might have copies. Find a reliable locksmith who can replace the locks or do it yourself.
Before you let anyone into your house, thoroughly check their references. A background check is also a good idea, so that you know what their criminal history looks like. It is not a good idea to give anyone a key to your home, even contractors or repairmen.
Ask your security provider about their history in the business. Companies in business for many years engender great confidence and trust. Being in the hands of a good company helps you have peace about your decision.
The areas outside your home should be kept well lit. Burglars prefer the cover that night provides their criminal activities. Light up the dark spots around your home. Be sure to consider your front and back porch, garage, ground floor windows and any basement entryway.
If you think something looks odd when you get back home, don’t go inside. The burglar may be on the premises. Instead, call the police to inform them of what happened, and wait on them.
For improved security, put your home under video surveillance. Adding video cameras on the property can be a good idea. Visible cameras have a deterrent effect, and if they are disabled, hidden cameras can capture the events that unfold. Surveillance systems often allow you to access videos through your cell phone, too.
Is your street number on your house visible from the street? If you have an emergency, it will be hard for the police to find your house quickly if your numbers are hidden or too small to read. Fortunately, it doesn’t require much to fix this problem.
Do not store your car registration documents in your glove compartment. Anyone having access to this information can see where you live. Hold these documents in person so you know where they are at all times. They must still be easily accessible should you be stopped by police.
Be sure not to use your birthday as the password on your door lock’s numeric key pad. Your birthdate can be found on Facebook or pieces of mail and you have given entry into your home. Instead, make it a number which you can figure out through a math equation so you remember the equation instead of the number.
Keeping your home safe is important, but many people do not know much about it. Anyone with a family to protect and possessions to safeguard can benefit from a bit of extra security know-how. Hopefully, you’ve learned what you need to know from this article and can now put the information to use.
