Home Sweet Home - Staying Safe With A Good Security Program

How do you feel about the home security system you currently have? If you don't have one, then you are in dire need of reading the following information. The safety of your family needs to be a priority, especially in this day and age. Keep in mind what you're about to read.

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.

Get your garage clean. Homeowners often use their garage for storage, filling it so full that you can no longer fit a car in. Parking your car in the garage can foil potential thieves in several ways. First of all, they will not be able to break into your car. Additionally, when your car is hidden away in the garage, it is harder to track whether you are actually home or not.

If you are moving into a new home, the first thing you should do to make your home more secure is to change the locks. You do not have to change the actual locks, a locksmith can re-key the locks to make them inaccessible with any of the previous keys.

Never leave a spare key outside your home. Many crooks know of the locations where people leave keys. A great place to put your spare key is on your dog's collar. There are not many people who will come up to your dog to investigate if it has a key on its collar.

Broken windows can cause the cold to get into your house. Worse, it is an open invitation for a burglar to enter your home. So, if one of your windows is broken, be sure to have fixed right away. The same applies to broken front doors, back doors, and garage doors.

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.

Where are your door's hinges? If the hinges for your door are on the outside of your home, you should move them to the inside of your house. Having outside hinges is an easy way for burglars to grant access to your home. All they have to do is knock the pin out of the hinge.

If you move to a place that was occupied before, you should change the locks right away. Although other tenants might not have a key anymore, they could have copied it. You can purchase the locks and install them yourself to ensure you're the only person that has a key.

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.

Do not keep your spare key in a place easy to find for intruders. Many people put the key in a mailbox, or under a plant. This is much too easy for a criminal to find. Think of an area a burglar would not look. One good way to hide a key is by burying it somewhere in your yard.

Consider your own personal safety needs and security risks before exploring home security systems. Even though these security systems can guard you and your family, that doesn't mean they're for everyone. In some neighborhoods, it may be better for you to have a dog, or even take self defense classes in order to protect yourself. You need to assess risks and choose a system adapted to the kind of situations you are likely to run into.

If you buy a new, expensive electronic, such as a television or computer, do not leave the empty boxes on your curb. When burglars see these boxes, they will know you have them inside your home, making it more likely for them to break in. Cut the box up and hide the writing when you put it out.

Have someone you trust come and cut your lawn if you will be out of town for awhile. If you do not want to hire someone, have a family member or friend do it. If you grass gets too high, burglars will know that no one is home, giving them the desire to break into your home.

Once your home is broken into, the only way that police will find it is if you have bright, bold numbers outside. Buy reflective numbers or invest in a lighted number box to ensure that they find you quickly so that your home can be cleared out of nefarious criminals.

Keep the windows on the second floor of your home locked. People often overlook their second floor windows, assuming that thieves won't check them. This is not always the case. This is often a weak area that criminals know about.

Ask about the use of technology when contacting a home security company. Make sure that the company is up to date on the latest technology, and also ask if they can incorporate things you already own, like your computer or smart phone. Doing this will help you to know that you are purchasing the most innovative products and will not be left in the dust as technology improves.

Now that you have a better idea of what to do about home security, you can devise a solid plan for your home. It should be an exciting time for you as you prepare to get started. Keep in mind the information you've read so that you can everything goin