Top 5 Home Security Tips and Tricks
Your home contains everything that is valuable to you — your family and your belongings — which makes protecting your home a top priority. Luckily, there are several things you can to do dissuade intruders and keep your home safe. Here are the Top 5 home security tips and tricks:
1. Install Ironclad Locks — and Use Them
The first thing you need to do is make sure your locks are secure and strong. If a robber tries to break into the lock without immediate success, they will often move onto the next house. But more importantly, you need to remember to actually use the locks. You would be shocked at how many people do not lock their doors and windows when they leave home. This is just asking for someone to break into your home. If your windows do not have locks, consider using a wooden dowel or PVC pipe to help hold the window closed from the inside.
2. Put Your Mail on Hold
What is one surefire way for a burglar to know you aren’t home? A pile of untouched mail or packages. Always make sure you put your mail on hold anytime you are going to be gone for more than a couple of days, and then you can arrange for the post office to deliver it once you are back. If you don’t want to get the post office involved, you can always ask a friend to stop by and grab it for you.
3. Employ Timers for Lights and Sound Effects
Most burglars are not going to attempt a break in if they think you are home, so one of the best deterrents is to make it look like you are home even when you are not. You can do this by putting lights, TVs, radios, and anything else you use regularly, on a timer. That way, it will seem like you are home, and even if a burglar becomes suspicious, they will not be willing to take the chance.
4. Secure Your Garage
You may use an automatic opener to get into your garage, but that doesn’t mean that is the only way to open it. Most garage doors are pretty easy to open from the outside if the person knows what they are doing. To make sure this doesn’t happen, remember to actually lock the garage door once you pull the car in. Yes, it is an extra step that often has to be completed manually, but keeping your home and family safe is worth it.
5. Invest in an Alarm System
The most surefire way to protect your home is to make sure you have an alarm installed. Some people say that all you need is the fake window stickers and signs to keep out burglars. But those are no longer an effective deterrent because they are often easy to spot; and they will do nothing to actually protect you. With a quality home alarm system, like the ones from Nationwide Security Corporation, you can receive around-the-clock monitoring, so no matter when someone breaks in, you will have the immediate support you need. And yes, you will still want to use the window stickers and yard signs, but since they are for a real alarm system, they will be effective.
With a little bit of foresight and effort, you can protect your family from intruders; whether you are at home or away. Some time and money upfront can provide you with protection for years to come.
