What is more important to you: your money or your security? It is likely that you will say security, but who can afford a fancy monitored system? Regardless of your budget, there are ways to make your home more secure. Keep reading for expert advice which is affordable and accurate.
If you want your home to be safe and secure, it is important to have a security analysis preformed 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.
A home security system works by alerting the local police when the alarm goes off. The police immediately place a telephone call to your home. If you do not answer your phone and provide a security code, an officer will be sent to your home with possible backup available should it be needed.
If you just purchased a home and it has an old security system, you should probably replace it. You do not how long the security system has been there or what faults it may have. Plus, newer systems have better technology, meaning your home will be better protected from intruders.
Make sure you always do your research before hiring a company to install your home security system. Find company reviews on the Internet and make sure they are in good standing with the Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau. You are hiring this company to furnish your home with a security system, and you want to make sure that you can trust the company your dealing with.
If you live in a rural area, you may not be as concerned about home break-ins as people who live in the city. However, there is the belief that rural dwellers are more susceptible to break ins simply because there are no nearby neighbors. Others feel rural residents have a lower risk of being burglarized.
Make sure that your windows are thick and secure to reduce the chance of a break in. If you want to have extra protection, install a system that reads when a window is broken, signifying an intrusion. Try to upgrade your windows every 3 years as it serves as a vital part of your home’s security system.
Dogs are helpful in keeping your home safe. Burglars do not want extra attention drawn to them and even a small, noisy dog can deter someone who wants to break into your home. A trained guard dog may not make the best pet, and you don’t have to have an attack dog to keep burglars away.
Be certain your wires are hidden, if you have installed a security system in your home. Burglars can easily cut the wires if they are visible. To provide maximum security, wiring should be laid underground or installed safely within the walls of your house. This can make you safer.
Fingertip locks are a common, effective way to protect intruders from entering your home. With these locks, the only way someone can get through your front door is by you programming their fingerprints into the system. If someone not in the system attempts to use their fingerprint to get in, you will be alerted.
Be careful who you give your keys to. Be especially careful with one-time contractors who work around your home. Make sure they are a reputable company. Some shadier contractors make duplicate keys to your home to break in easily later. Check with the business resources in your area to assure the contractor’s reputation is clean.
Never put your full name in the phone book, on your mailbox or in a buzz code directory. Include only your first initial and last name to ensure people can’t take that information and use it to make you think they are someone you should be letting into your home.
Install a peep hole and chain lock on your door. A peephole and chain will allow you to communicate with someone at your door without allowing them full view or easy access to your home. If a stranger is at your door, do not unfasten the chain until you are confident that you are safe.
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.
Before you go to sleep, lock your windows on the first floor of your house. An unlocked window invites unwanted visitors. Even if you think you live in a safe neighborhood, thieves know no boundaries. You should not assume that your open window will go unnoticed. Keep those windows locked so your home will not be an easy target.
If you let any service or delivery people into your home, make sure you check your window locks. Unscrupulous workers will sometimes use a legitimate job to “case” a home, leaving a back window unlocked for easy entry when they return later. Do a quick check after anyone you don’t know well has had access.
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 reach inside to unlock the door. Consider buying a fortified door without windows or a door that has a key only deadbolt.
When you have a security system installed, make sure that its control panel is in a safe place which isn’t readily visible. A burglar can easily come in and turn off your alarm if it is in a place where he can find it easily. Hide it so that can’t happen.
While investing in a home is a big cost, you also have to invest in its security. The great advice found above will help you do so without a huge expenditure. Whatever amount you have to spend, both in time and money, your home can now be a safe place to live thanks to what you have read here.
