Look After Your Home With This Crucial Home Security Advice
High crime areas can make it difficult to feel safe when you are in your home, due to the heightened threat of intruders. Other than considering installing a home security system, you have other options as well. Read the tips in this article so you can get some great ideas.
There are more features to a home alarm system besides making sounds when people break in. Some give offer the option to monitor all entries into the house. This can be valuable to parents with small children as they are made aware their child has opened or closed a door.
Having a good sized dog can make for a great home security system and deterrent to criminals who are considering breaking into your house. Even if you do not have a dog, buying a couple "beware of the dog" signs can be enough to deter people from robbing your house.
Install timers on your indoor lights. If you are planning on being away from home after dark, timers can make your home look occupied. This is especially useful if you are planning a vacation or other extended stay away from home. Make sure the timer is set differently in each room, as all the lights turning on at once does not look natural.
One of the biggest areas of concern in regards to home security is the landscaping of your home. Do not let your bushes and other landscaping grow to where it can hide entry points into your home. Thieves just love to be able to stay hidden while they enter and leave your home, so keep your bushes trimmed.
Because so many people are numb to the sound of alarms, it is important that you have your home security system linked to the local police station. This is helpful in case you are home and can not call 911 yourself, or you are away from home during a break in.
Do you have skylights? If so, you should keep them in mind when protecting your home. While they are nice and help with lighting, they also provide the burglars help with access to your home. Make sure your skylights have reliable, heavy duty hardware in place.
Walls are great for hiding items. If you have valuables that are small in size, you may want to hide them within your walls. Use an old switch plate, outlet or phone jack. Anything not used currently makes a good spot for hiding.
Hide your security system's wiring. One of the ways an intruder can get around a security system is by disconnecting or cutting the wires. Don't let this happen; bury or hide the wires. This will make you much safer.
If you are going on vacation, do not change your answering machine telling everyone that you are going to be away. Burglars will call this number and see that it is open season on your house. Keep your regular message and advise friends and family members to call your cell phone when you are away.
Compare prices from at least three separate home security companies before hiring one. Different companies offer different packages and plans, so make sure you are always comparing apples to apples. Doing this will help you to get the best plan for the best price, and it will help you to feel confident about your buying decision.
Don't rely on just a spring lock. Spring locks can easily be broken, sometimes just using a credit card. These locks are just too vulnerable. Have a deadbolt lock installed instead, which is much harder for an intruder to get around. Make sure there is no way a burglar can saw the deadbolt, though.
If you will be away from your home in the winter months, pay someone to shovel your driveway. This will show that you are still home, as a driveway that is not taken care of indicates there is no one there to do it. A simple 20 dollar payment to a local shoveling company can save your house from a burglary.
If you have to deal with hearing about crimes that often occur in your area, it can be difficult to feel safe when you are in your home. Getting jaya77 and taking the steps in the right direction will help a lot. Remember these tips so you can feel safer at home.