Few things give you a worse feeling than having intruders in your home. With current statistics on crime, it's hard to feel at ease anywhere anymore. Consider calling a home security company and getting your home protected. The following article can answer questions you may have as well as offer useful tips.
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.
Some people believe the cost of a home security system is prohibitive. However, recent statistics reveal that the average cost of a burglary is nearly three thousand dollars. When this amount is taken into consideration, the cost of a home security system can be justified. There is also the added safety factor of preventing criminals from entering the home.
Only give your house key to a professional house cleaner if you trust them. If you plan to give them a key so they can clean in your home while you are away, ensure they are reputable and honest. It is best to do a reference check on them. If your cleaning person comes from a company, check with the BBB.
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.
Buy a safe to keep all of your valuables in one place at home. This ensures during a break in that the most important things are not stolen. Keep the safe hidden somewhere remote.
Do you have sliding patio door in your home? If you do, be sure that you have taken steps to make them more secure. One inexpensive way you can do this is to purchase a closet rod and cut it to fit tightly into the track behind the door which slides open and shut.
Some of the advantages of a hard wired home security system is that it is more dependable than a wireless system. There are no batteries to replace, and the system does not rely on radio frequency waves. This means fewer false alarms which can mean a fine if the police respond for no reason.
Make sure your home security company offers a guarantee on their products and services, preferably for at least a year. You want to make sure you are satisfied with the service they offer, and you also want to make sure you will not be charged extra if the equipment they install is faulty.
If you do not have any technical know-how, you should never attempt to install your home alarm system yourself. While it may look fairly easy, there may be things you don't quite understand. This means the system will not be installed properly, which means your house will be at risk.
If you've recently moved into a house, get any locks changed out. While the person that previously had the home may seem okay, you don't know who they actually are. Aside from that, other people lived in the home even before the ones from whom you purchased the home.
If you have bushes outside your home, keep them trimmed. While the bushes may look attractive, they can provide easy cover for someone that wants to enter your home without permission. The best way to prevent this is by having an open space all the way around your home, especially near your windows.
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.
The best types of locks are deadbolt locks. Spring locks are the easiest for a thief to manipulate, they are also the most common on many homes. People will lock the spring lock on the doorknob, but leave the deadbolt unlocked. The deadbolt is the hardest for a thief to access, so use it whenever you can.
Ask the home security company about how long they've been running prior to signing up. Find a home security company that has a good reputation and many years of experience to get excellent service. You may not feel as safe if you opt to go with a company that has not been in business for long or that does not have a stable history.
One easy way to choose burglar-proof windows is to choose those with smaller panes of glass. Small panes mean that no one can fit their body through, and it also means many panes will have to be broken to gain access. You can also use shatter-proof glass for a similar effect.
If you have a front door with window panes in it, you really need to consider replacing it. It is very easy for a criminal to break a pane and house renovation companies reach inside to unlock the door. Consider buying a fortified door without windows or a door that has a key only deadbolt.
Doors with windows on them look attractive, but they can be inviting to an intruder. A burglar can simply break the window and open the door from the inside. That is too easy. Consider reinforcing those windows. Better still, install a deadbolt lock on the inside which cannot be reached by an intruder.
Don't post too much information on social media sites. If you are going away on vacation, for example, don't "check in" at a particular location or mention the fact that you are going to be gone for a week. Even if you think your information is set to private, you'd be surprised at how much information hackers can access, and you never want anyone to know you are going to be away for extended periods of time.
A home security systems can mean the difference between being a victim and protecting yourself. Don't be a victim: invest in a good system that will alert you in the event of an intruder and keep you, your family and your belongings safe. There is nothing like the feeling of safety that a home security system can provide.
