A concern for anyone, despite class or personality, is keeping their homes safe. Whether there are children present or the neighborhood is known for crime, there are different factors for everyone. Read this article for some simple tips on how to make yourself feel safer when you are at home.
Never leave spare keys under doormats or any place in the exterior of your home. This is vital, as burglars will look here first to see if you made this mistake. Keep keys and lock combinations with you at all times to maintain the highest level of protection for your home.
While home security systems are effective in most cases, many robberies are committed during daylight hours when the home is not vacant. In this case, the security system may not be activated so no warning would be sounded. Most burglars enter the home at some other point than the front door.
If your security system alarm goes off and scares the burglar away, you can be fined for a false alarm. If the police send someone to check your property in response to a security alert and no burglar is there, it is considered a false alarm. You can be fined and charged because your security system worked.
Sit your family down and create a fire escape plan depending on what region of the house you are in. This is crucial, as it will serve as the quickest plan to leave the house safely and effectively in an emergency. Practice your plan with your family as these few hours can save lives.
Purchase fire extinguishers for every room in your house in the event of an emergency. Also, make sure that you train everyone in the home on its usage, so that everyone in the family is capable. Putting out a fire as it is in its early stages can help save your home.
Each of your exterior doors needs to have a solid lock installed, which means a deadbolt. If there is an existing deadbolt on the door, check to be sure it is at least one inch long. If not, you should be able to replace the lock yourself. Simply go to a hardware store and shop around.
If you have to leave home for an extended period of time, do things to make the home look occupied. Put lights on timers so that they turn on in the evening and off at bedtime. Do the same with the television or radio to really make your home appear lived in.
Make sure you have several flashlights that are charged and ready to go in the event of a power outage. It is extremely important that you have flashlights because they allow you to move around easier in the dark, which is especially useful in an emergency. Also show your children how to use them so they can help out in emergencies.
Never rely on a spring-latch lock, instead have a deadbolt installed. Spring-latch locks are easy to get through with a simple credit card. Deadbolts can’t be opened so simply and will thwart any burglar who attempts to get in. The cost of installing a deadbolt will be worth it in such a situation.
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. Don’t allow this to happen, as it is a direct threat to your house and its contents. Trust your gut and if something does not feel right, it is okay to go with your feelings.
Keeping your doors and windows locked may seem like an all too simple action to deter theft, but following through can greatly increase the security of your home. Even if you live in a neighborhood free of crime, leaving doors and windows unlocked is an invitation to intruders. Remember to lock doors and windows, even if you’re home during the day.
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.
One of the best hiding places for valuables in the home is within the walls. A wall safe is okay, but a thief can just rip the entire safe out of the wall. Look to unused outlets to hide valuables. Crooks will almost never go from outlet to outlet looking for valuables.
If you are going on vacation, don’t cancel the delivery of your mail or your newspaper. When you do that, you never know who may stumble across the information that you are going to be away from home. Instead, ask a friend or a family member to help you out.
When it comes to love, there is nothing like the adoration a dog can provide. That said, they also make a wickedly effective security system. If anyone tries to enter your home unannounced, Rover will be on guard, barking at them until they take off fleeing and your home is safe again.
If you do not already have a paper shredder, you may want to think about investing in one. A thief looking through your discarded papers can find a lot of information you do not want them to have. They may even learn your schedule, so they can burgle your home while you are away. If a shredder is too expensive, at least tear relevant paperwork into small bits.
If you are out of town for awhile, ask a friend to take a look at your door for any fliers. Often burglars will place these at homes and wait to see if people take them down. If the flier isn’t removed, the burglar knows the homeowner isn’t there.
You do not have to install an expensive home security system in order to make yourself feel safer. There are simple alternatives and many ways to deter criminals. If you remember the tips in this article, you will have an easier time making your home safer and more secure for the family.