Home Security Tips – Protecting Your Home and Family
Burglaries are a nightmare that no family should have to endure. However, there are a few basic home security tips that can be used to help avoid a home invasion. Because most thieves are not professionals, they can be easily deterred by following a few basic guidelines.
First, lock up your home every time you leave, even if it is just for a few minutes. Most thieves break into homes by walking right through an open door or unlocked window. Make sure these locks use a deadbolt and not just a spring-latch lock, which can easily be opened with a credit card. Change your locks immediately if you lose your keys or when you move into a new home. Do not leave keys hidden in common areas such as under door mats, nailed to the garage or in the mailbox. Also, make sure your home looks occupied even if it is not. You can easily do this by installing indoor lights on timers on leaving your television turned on. Lights should also be installed on the outside of your home to help deter thieves. Burglars look for entrances that are hidden behind shrubbery or in shadows, so it is important to illuminate these areas.
There are additional home security tips to consider with alarm systems. If you do have a system installed, make sure to conceal all of the wiring because a professional thief will look for ways to disarm your system. If you have an alarm that goes off frequently, get it fixed and tell your neighbours when it has been repaired. There have been many instances when neighbours ignored real alarms because they thought it was just a false alert.
Next, a good home security tip is to become friendly with your neighbours. Talk to them about any suspicious people or strange cars that you see. Let a trusting neighbour know when you will be going out of town so that they can keep an eye on your property. You may also want to consider a house sitter that can stay in your home while you are gone. Also, when having work done on your house, ask for multiple references, and do not leave notes for these individuals on your door or mailbox if you are not home because it alerts burglars of your absence. Finally, consider getting a dog. Even a small dog, if it is noisy, can be effective at scaring off a thief.