Homeowners need to secure their homes to keep their families safe. Home invasions can be quite common, as well as natural disasters that damage houses. Read on to learn some useful advice to keep your family and home safe from nearly any threat.
Be sure that your home is always occupied. Buy timers so that lights, radios, TVs and all other electronics turn on and off at various times. Potential intruders will stay away from your home if they believe someone is inside. This is a great way to keep your home safe and avoid burglaries.
You can hide your spare key on your dog. This will come in handy if your dog is outdoors most of the time or if it can go outside through a pet door. Store a spare key within your dogs collar so you always have access to your home.
It is crucial that you change the locks as soon as you move into a new residence. It’s important to know everyone who has a key to your home. To make sure you are the sole person with access to the home, engage the services of a locksmith. This is also a good idea in the event that you misplace your keys.
Buy a safe. This will help to keep your jewelry and other valuables secured in the event of a break in. Keep it hidden in a hard to find location.
When you decide to purchase a home alarm system, make sure you comparison shop. You’ll find a wide range of prices from different companies. Be sure and get a minimum of three quotes from different companies prior to choosing one.
Walls are great for hiding things. You should think about hiding certain small valuables within your walls. All you have to do is place them behind any unused phone jack, electrical outlet or switch plate. Anything not used currently makes a good spot for hiding.
Place your valuables in cut-outs in your walls. You don’t need to cut out segments of your walls by the way. There are many spots in your home that already have areas that are pre-cut. If you have an electric socket you do not use, hide valuables behind their covers.
You should change all the locks if you just bought or rented a new home. Even if the previous owner or tenant seems trustworthy, you have no way of knowing how many copies of the key they made and distributed. Bear in mind that other people may have lived in the home before the previous owner.
Be sure to replace rotten wood in the frame of your front door. If a person wants to enter your home, rotted wood can easily be pried away. Replace wood that is starting to rot with fresh new wood to keep your home as safe as possible.
Before letting a home security representative inside, ask for identification. Thieves can pass themselves as workers, which can end up in a robbery of your home. This can lead to harm befalling your family and possessions. Trust your gut and if something does not feel right, it is okay to go with your feelings.
Before you let anyone go into your home, look at their references thoroughly. A background check is also a good idea, so that you know what their criminal history looks like. You can’t always be sure that maids, service workers or contractors are honest, and therefore giving out keys can be a big error.
The Internet is great for searching for home security companies, so use it to your advantage. Many websites feature reviews, testimonials, and package details from home security services. You’ll find it easy to narrow your choice down to three top contenders; your next step is to arrange to meet each of them to discuss your specific security needs.
Keep your home’s exterior areas illuminated well. Criminals love darkness to help mask their crimes. So it’s smart to put a light in typically darker corners around your home. Over doors, near windows and especially your back yard need to be lit.
Your furry friend is a great home security system, too. These pets are usually territorial and want to protect their masters. There is no need for a guard dog. Small dogs also help, because intruders don’t want people to notice the barking.
Homeowners should do everything under their power to make their home safe. This article has many ways to protect the home from nearly every threat. Use the above tips to make your home more secure.
