Whether you own your home or you are renting, you want it to be a safe place. There are many ways to add to the security of your living space. Check out the advice below and pick up some handy ideas that can improve the security of your home.
Be sure your home always looks occupied. Use timers to make electronic devices and lights turn on and off at intervals. This will give the appearance that someone is at your house at all times. This is a great way to keep your home safe and avoid burglaries.
Your dog could carry a spare key for you. However, this method is only effective if your dog is large, scary, and stays outdoors. Attach the key to your dog’s collar, and it will be handy if you ever need a spare.
Be more proactive when you are determining the safety of your neighborhood. Speak with your neighbors. Agree to watch each other’s homes while you are away. Do not ignore gossip either. You may hear valuable information regarding security, such as if any strangers have been hanging around.
Always change the locks if you have someone move out of your home. Has a roommate or ex-lover moved out recently? If so, then you need to change out the locks in order to keep you and your home safe. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.
If you reside in the country, you may be less worried about break-ins than urban dwellers 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. You need to do some research on the areas where you live to get an idea of how frequent break ins are.
Walls are great for hiding things. Concealing small valuables in your walls is an easy and highly effective way to protect them. Place them in switch plates, phone jacks or an electric outlet. If there are no unused plates, you can easily install fake ones.
Don’t put extra keys under doormats or in planters. While it can help you if you’re locked out, you could be letting intruders inside your home. Burglars are well aware of such hiding places. A better option is to entrust an honest neighbor with a spare key.
Rotted Wood
Remove and replace any wood that is not up to par. If a person wants to enter your home, rotted wood can easily be pried away. Keep your home secure by replacing rotted wood with fresh timber.
When moving into a previously owned home, change the locks. The previous tenant or owner may not have the keys, but you don’t know if they made copies for themselves or others. You can do your own installation to make sure that no one else has a key.
Before letting someone from a security company into a house, get some sort of official identification. They might not be who you think they are. This is dangerous for your family and your possessions. Be careful if you want to avoid danger.
If you want to make your house even more secure, a cheap way to do that is to buy outside lights with motion detectors. Motion detection lights will turn on as soon as something or someone enters your yard. Whenever you properly position these lights, they will make it almost impossible for burglars to sneak in.
If you’re going to hire a company that provides home security, read everything in the contract before you sign it. They sometimes have hidden costs if you let go of them prior to the contract expiring. If you can’t avoid these types of fees, you should at least be aware of them.
Dogs are among the most effective home burglary systems. Man’s best friend is very territorial and makes a lot of noise during anything happening out of the ordinary. There is no need for a guard dog. Even a small dog will deter intruders, who do not want a lot of noise when they commit their crimes.
Armed with these ideas, you can begin to seek out the best home security solutions for your needs. Don’t waste any time and allow these ideas to go to waste. Use them to help create your own ideas so that you can better secure your house. You’ll find that you’ll sleep much better with the comfort of a secure home.
