If you own a home, you should learn how to protect yourself. You must sort through the vast amount of information on the subject. The following article contains the most important home security information.
Any time you buy a new home, have the locks changed. Many people may have been given keys by the former owner. To ensure that you are the only one who has access to your house, call a locksmith. You should also have your locks changed if you lose your keys.
Don’t give your keys to a house cleaner unless you totally trust them. If they need the keys and plan on being in there for more than an hour, try to ensure that they are honest, hardworking, and reputable. Be sure to make sure their references check out. If you hire a cleaner who works for a company, speak with your local BBB about the company’s reliability.
Spare Key
Does your dog like to play in your yard? This is where you can put your spare key. Secure the key on the inside of the dog’s collar. If your pet does not get along with strangers, this will ensure your spare key stays safe.
Some home security systems have additional security features besides sounding an alarm to deter a burglar. 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.
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 essential, because you would never want valuable jewelry and other items to be seen by intruders. Hide your safe in a place that is hard to get to, like a basement closet or an attic.
Keep your car in your garage. This will keep thieves from stealing it or harming it. Hiding your car away from plain view is a good way to keep intruders from knowing when you are at home or not.
The first step in making your home more secure is to change out your locks. Anyone from an old roommate to a former tenant could have access to your home if you leave the old locks in place. This doesn’t usually cost much, and it can be accomplished in less than a day.
Rural Areas
Rural areas are just as prone to break-ins as cities. Some people think that country folk are mainly targeted since they don’t have nearby neighbors. Then again, others think rural areas are not as much of a target.
Understand certain safety precautions when it comes to having skylights for 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. The hardware that secures your skylights should be sturdy and durable.
Walls are great for hiding things. If you own smaller things that need protection, think about keeping them hidden in the walls. Any phone jack or electrical outlet that isn’t being used is a great place to hide valuables. If there are no unused plates, you can easily install fake ones.
Be sure your valuables are not visible from the outside of your house. You might enjoy large windows so you can see out, but just remember that makes it easier for those burglars to see inside your home as well. Keep your curtains drawn to keep your valuable items safe.
Replace all the locks in your newly purchased home. The previous owner may be perfectly respectable, but you can’t know that for sure. Aside from that, other people lived in the home even before the ones from whom you purchased the home.
Replace rotten wood on your door frame. An intruder can simply pry away that rotted wood and enter your home. Replace dead wood with thick, firm pieces to maintain a high level of security.
Wireless System
Consider a wireless home security system. While systems with wires are cheaper, you have to rewire your home and worry about power outages. A wireless system is easy to install and to maintain. Besides, you will still be able to count on your wireless system in case of a power outage.
Every person who owns a home needs to take time to learn about home security. However, pulling out the most helpful pieces of information from the irrelevant can be a challenge. You should use the information presented in this article to find an ideal home security system.
