Security Tips For Home:

Follow these home security tips to reduce your chance of burglary!

Tip #1:  Install A Security System

There is now a No Contract, Wireless, & Cellular Connected Security System that can be monitored for $15 a month!  It comes with a 60 day trial & 3 year warranty!

Tip #2:  Make Sure Your Windows & Doors Are locked

Many homes use central air conditioning and rarely open the windows.  If there are windows that you never open, check to make sure they are locked.  There are also secondary locks that can be installed to make a burglar get around 2 locks.  I recommend pin locks you can find them at Home depot, Lowe’s, Or your local hardware store!

Tip #3:  Check Your Door Locks To See If They Are Anti-Bump

If the locks on your exterior door are more than a 7 years old consider replacing them with newer locks.  The locks you choose should be a good quality lock.  Check the back of the lock package to see that it is bump resistant.

Tip #4:  Don’t Post Your Last Name Outside Your Home

Just don’t do this!  Posting your last name outside of your home is more information than you need to give to strangers!

Tip #5:  Don’t Put Notes Or Envelopes On Doors In Plain Site

It is very common that people post envelopes with money or a check in it!  This is just asking for trouble.  If you need to leave something outside for a contractor, friend, or employee.  Leave it out of site from passerby’s!

Tip #6:  Don’t Leave Keys Outside Your Home

If you need to leave a key outside of your home, then consider installing a lock box out of site.  If you are using a fake rock or something like that.  Stop doing this!  Criminal aren’t stupid…  They are desperate and aren’t afraid to break the law.  They could easily walk right up to your door and appear to be a salesman or contractor.  While they are there they kick over the carpet, eyeball the flower bed for a suspicious PLASTIC rock…  Get it!  Don’t do this!

Tip #7:  Install A Safe

Installing a safe to secure your big valuables is just smart!  These days they make safes that are easy to access with push buttons.  They can be opened very easily if you know the combination.  In home security tips #1 I told you about a no contract security system.  That system comes with panic buttons that can be installed in bedrooms or by a SAFE!

Tip #8:  Installing Light Timers

If you don’t get in till late at night consider installing light timers.  A dark house is a target for burglary.  It costs just about nothing to install a timer that controls a light.  Better yet buy 2 timers and alternate days so that the same light doesn’t come on every night at the same time.  An added benefit is that when you get home, there is a light on for YOU!  I follow my own advice on this one…  Except I use plant lights on timers since I have plants that I love to give a few extra hours worth of sunlight to every day!

Tip #9:  Mark And Record Your Valuables

Police recommend that you mark your belongings with your driver license number!  You can do this on all your major items like laptops, flat screen TV’s, and game systems.  Use either permanent marker or an invisible marker…  When Police recover stolen goods they check for markings and then through the stuff into storage.  The majority of recovered stolen good never make it back to the owners!  Mark your belongings!  If you have a home computer consider using BlackBlaze!  For $50 a year you can remotely store you computer files in a safe place in case you have a fire or burglary.  Plus in the event of theft, BackBlaze can trace your computer and notify the Police!

Click Here to learn more about BackBlaze

Tip #10:  Check Your Homeowners Insurance Coverages

many homeowners got their original homeowners policy when they first bought their home.  Make sure that you have limits for loss for both fire and theft that will cover your current belongings.  Many homeowner insurance policies offer full replacement of fire damaged or stolen belongings while others don’t.  This is a simple call to your insurance agent…  Make the call!

Tip #11:  Install Motion Lights

The number one home security tip for after dark is to have security lights or motion lights.  Remember that a thief is looking for an easy target where they can make a score and get out undiscovered.  Having proper exterior lighting can seriously reduce your risk of burglary!

Tip #12:  Kick Proof Your Doors

Consider kick proofing your exterior doors.  Many homeowners invest in superior locks and never give a thought to the door frame.  Your locks are only as good as the frame that secures the lock.  In other words…  Make sure that where your deadbolt enters the frame, that it isn’t just trim.  Many burglars are just shouldering or kicking in doors to gain access to homes.  There are simple devices that help to prevent this!

Tip #13:  Sliding Glass Doors

Your sliding glass patio door could be one of the weakest point in your homes perimeter security.  Many sliding glass doors can be lifted right out of the frame.  If you are relying on just the manufacturers lock than you have a serious problem that could let an intruder in, in seconds!  Make sure that after you lock the slider that you can’t just put your hands on the glass and lift the door up right out of the lock!  You should consider installing a bar lock or a pin lock to increase the security of this opening to your home.

Tip #14:  Know The Facts About Burglary

The biggest fact about home burglary that surprises everyone is that the majority of burglaries happen between 8am and 3pm!  That’s right!  Burglaries happen during the day, rather than at night!  The second most startling fact is that many burglaries show no sign of forced entry!  Worse, many insurance companies require that their is a sign of forced entry or they just won’t pay for the claim!  Remember home security tip number ten and make that call!

Tip #15:  Check Your Garage Door

On the Florida news came a video entitled “How to break into a garage in 6 seconds”!  A reporter was asking how a video that teaches you how to break into a home in 6 seconds could be on the web.  To his surprise he discovered that there are over 10,000 video on the web that teach criminals how to break into home, business, cars, and pick locks…  And so on, and so on!  After so basic research on security and discovering this, I decided to build a few website to help counter this and teach people how to protect themselves.  I hope that you find all of this useful!

Tip #16:  Cut Back Plant Overgrowth From Your Home

Cut back bushes and shrubs to under 2.5 feet!  The idea is that if there is no place to hide and work on a window or door.  The burglar will just move onto an easier target!  Remember to have proper exterior lighting, secure your patio door, and the other home security tips listed.  Just doing one or two things on this list will only give you the feeling of security and not real security!

Tip #17:  Install A Door Viewer On All Exterior Doors

Installing door viewers or peep holes is a great idea to see who is knocking at the door.  If you have small children and you let them answer the door.  Then consider installing a door viewer lower where they can check to see who is there before they open the door.  Good security habits started at a young age can last a lifetime!

Tip #18:  Lock Cars Left In The Driveway

Make sure that if you leave your car outside that it is locked!  You don’t want to leave your car unlocked with a garage door opener in it.  The car thief may all the sudden decide to move up the food chain to home burglary.  Or decide to take nothing but the garage remote and come back in the morning for a bigger score!