It is a dangerous world out there. You may feel safe in your own home, but if you are not taking the right precautions, you leave yourself vulnerable. Making your home safe from intruders is not all that difficult if you know what to do. Follow these tips to give you peace of mind in your home.
There are cheaper alternatives to installing a home security system that deters criminals from breaking into your home. Simply putting up a fence or a “large dog” sign can help immensely. Criminals want to make the process as simple as possible for themselves, so dealing with a large dog would deter them.
If you want your home to be safe and secure, it is important to have a security analysis performed by a reputable company. This will assess the weak points of your home security and will help you understand what areas need more protection and what areas have sufficient protection to keep you safe.
Changing the locks on your home can be a great way to increase security. Locks should always be changed when buying a new home. There could be numerous people that had copies of the keys, from the real estate agent to the previous owners. Locks should also be changed whenever your keys become lost or after a break-up in a relationship.
Make sure all exterior wiring is well protected or covered. Copper wiring is a favorite object for theft as it is often accessible from outside the home and can be sold for a great deal of money. Air conditioners are a prime target for copper thieves. Also, make sure exterior power and phone lines are protected and not easily cut.
Walk out to the street and then turn back to your home. What can you see through the windows? Is there anything valuable in view? If so, you need to move the objects out of sight. They simply give burglars a reason to target your home. If relocating the objects isn’t a possibility, invest in shades or curtains to obscure them from view.
Protecting and covering outside wiring can be beneficial in increasing your home security. With the current prices of copper, thieves target easily available copper wiring, especially around air conditioning units. It is also important to secure and cover wiring to prevent intruders from cutting phone lines and power supplies to alarm systems.
If your front door does not have a peephole, it is wise to have one installed. Peepholes allow you to see who’s at your front door before you open it. Some homeowners choose to have two peepholes installed to allow for the difference in the height of those that live in the home.
When you have little children, they are always concerned that they will somehow wander away from the house. If you do not want to invest in an entire home security system, you can buy inexpensive single alarms. You can place these alarms on doors and windows, and they will go off if one of the kids opens them.
Are you aware of the value contained in your home’s wiring? Many people have their wires stripped each year. The copper wiring can be stripped and turned in for money. Hide your wiring to secure it.
One of the best ways to keep your home safe is to get to know your neighbors. Neighbors will look out for each other. Also, getting to know your neighbors is a great way to find out what is happening in your neighborhood. They will let you know if strangers have been around and other useful information on keeping your home safe.
If you work from home or have your own business, do not put your address or phone number on your website. Disgruntled customers or thieves could come to your home and try to get inside. Instead, get a post office box and have customers or associates send you mail to this address.
As silly as it may seem, stop having newspapers delivered if you are going on vacation. Intruders will see all of the papers piling up and will realize that no one is home, making it more likely for them to break in. Call the delivery company and tell them when you will come back and when you want them to start delivering again.
Put down a fence in your yard to secure the area that is yours and prevent burglars from coming in. Make sure that this fence is high enough so that it is very difficult for any robbers to get over it. This will add a strong layer of protection around the perimeter of your house.
Your dog is likely to be your best friend, but he can also protect your home. When you are out, he will stand guard, barking at and even attacking anyone who attempts to enter when they shouldn’t. Train him to understand that when you let people inside, that is okay.
Home security systems not only protect homeowners from burglaries but are also useful in the case of an emergency. If your home catches on fire, your security system alerts the police and local fire department. In the case of a medical emergency, your system can be used to call for help.
Just because it is ugly doesn’t mean you can hide your alarm company’s logo. Having this sticker in your window or sign in front of your home is the best deterrent when it comes to burglars. If they don’t know you have an alarm, they’ll break in, set it off and grab what they can before they leave.
Look at the doors that lead to the outside of your home. Pay special attention to the hinges. If the hinges are on the outside, you are vulnerable. Breaking into your home is simply a matter of knocking out the pin that holds the door in place. Change those doors so that the hinges are inside the home.
You do not need to lock your house up like Fort Knox to feel secure; you just need to follow a few precautions. Hopefully, this article has made you more aware of your home’s vulnerabilities and what to do about them. Follow these guidelines to keep you and your family safe.
