Home security systems can drastically decrease the likelihood that your home will be broken into. But spending money isn’t the only way to improve your safety. Even if you purchase the most high-end home security equipment, and back it up with the most comprehensive home alarm monitoring available, you’re still going to be vulnerable if you aren’t using basic security precautions every day. Check out our home security tips below to see what you can do today to protect your possessions and your family.
Home Security Hot Spots:
- Keep doors locked! If someone is going to break in to your home, odds are, they will come in through an unlocked door. Even when you are home, make sure all doors are secured.
- Know where your vulnerable windows are. Lower-level windows are your biggest risk. Make sure these windows stay locked. Take extra precaution in the summer when windows are often left open.
- Invest in solid doors with dead-bolt locks so they are not easily kicked in.
- Make sure door hinges face inside, so that an intruder cannot simply remove the hinges.
- Secure sliding glass doors with a bar or bolt lock.
- Use bars on basement doors, basement windows and garage doors and windows.
- Make sure the exterior of your home is well lit at all times. Install motion detecting floodlights in areas around entryways.
- Don’t leave valuable items such as big screen TVs, in sight through windows.
- Prune overgrown trees and shrubs to eliminate hiding places for intruders.
Home Security Tips for When You’re Away:
- Use timers to turn on lights.
- Never leave signs that you are away – such as answering machine messages or notes on the door.
- Have a neighbor bring in your mail and newspapers. Hire landscapers to mow your lawn if you’ll be away for an extended period.
- If you’ve got Neighborhood Watch Program in your community, join it. If there’s not one, start one. Something as simple as a website for neighbors can help people stay connected and share valuable information with each other.
- Leave a key directly with a neighbor instead of hiding it. A key in the mailbox, under the mat, or tucked under the stairs makes it easy for thieves to get into your home.
- Don’t put your family name on your door or mailbox. A smart criminal will use your address and last name to find your phone number, and then can simply call to see when you are and aren’t home.
Personal Safety Tips
- Stay alert!
- Stay alert! No, that wasn’t a mistake. This is by far the most important of all personal and home security tips. Always be aware of your surroundings. If you have a gut instinct about something, trust it.
- Beware of areas where you are alone, such as parking lots and ATM vestibules. Have your keys ready when approaching a car or building. Park in well-lit areas where other people can see you. Do not overload yourself with bags or packages. If you are using your phone, stay alert.
- Visualize what you would do if approached or accosted. If attacked, make as much noise as possible and yell specific instructions, such as “CALL 911!”
- If you are attacked, be prepared to give away property or money. The value of these items is not worth the risk to your personal safety.
Fire & Carbon Monoxide Safety
- When moving to a new place, make sure the building materials, electrical system and insulation are up to code.
- Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are properly installed and equipped with fresh batteries.
- Regularly inspect furnaces, chimneys, water heaters, ovens, and space heaters.
- DO NOT use electric generators or grills indoors or in closed spaces of any kind under any circumstance. If outside, position away from windows.
- Clean gutters regularly to prevent accumulation of dry leaves and needles.
- Trim back limbs within 10 feet of your chimney. Dead limbs in and around your yard should also be removed to prevent the spread of fire.
- Make sure your address is prominently displayed, either on the curb in front of your house or on your front door so that emergency vehicles can find your address with ease.
Answers to the Home Security Quiz:
- Q: Most burglars enter the home through a window.
A: False: Most burglars enter the home through unlocked doors. - Q: Burglaries are more likely to occur in the middle of the day..
A: True: The majority of burglaries happen between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., when no one is likely to be home. - Q: It’s best to hide valuable items in unusual places, such as in the refrigerator, garage.
A: False: Most thieves check the ordinary and unusual spots. They won’t stop looking until they find something. A safe with a lock is a far better measure to protect your valuables - Q: Even a small dog can deter burglaries in your home.
A: True: As long as your dog can make noise, it can help deter criminals who don’t want anything to alert others of their presence - Q: A Home Security System will significantly lower your chance of a break-in.
A: True:Studies have shown that homes protected by an alarm system have a significantly lower break-in rate than those without one. A prominent sign or decal indicating the presence of a home security system can discourage would-be burglars. - Q: A Burglary Occurs every 30 seconds in the United States.
A: False: Actually, a burglary occurs every 15 seconds, according to the 2009 statistics from the FBI
