Home Security Tips

Use these home security tips to keep your home safe from burglars, thieves, trespassers, and other unwanted people.

• Make sure you can see what is going on outside of your house from the windows. If you have large trees and bushes that prevent you from seeing your yard, you may not notice someone trying to break in or vandalize your property. If needed, trim some of the bushes in your yard and cut some of the tree branches.
• Make sure your doors and windows are of sturdy construction and have quality locks. And remember to use the locks!
• Install a motion sensor light outside of your house. The system will detect outside movement and immediately turn on the lights.
• Keep your valuables protected inside your house. Hide and lock valuables when you are not using them. If you don't have a safe, lock all of your drawers. A quality safe is a good investment. Just make sure that the safe is properly installed and cannot be removed from the house with your valuables inside.
• If you have jewelry, money, and other valuables that you don't use on a daily basis, keep them in a bank safety deposit box.
• When you are away, make sure your house looks occupied. You can install a home automation system for lights, put your mail and newspaper deliveries on hold, hire a house sitter, etc.
• Never leave a spare key under the mat, under a rock, over the door frame, or anywhere else nearby is an important home security tip. Burgulars know all the places to look.

• Join a neighborhood watch. With this program, your neighbors will be watching after your house and in return you will do the same for them.
• Consider using electronic security devices, depending on your specific needs and your available budget. Installing an alarm in your house is good start. You may want to sign a contract with a security company that will notify the police if your alarm goes off. You may want to look at DIY security systems.

  Video security equipment may or may not be necessary, depending on the value of your house and your belongings. You can even get security cameras that let you view your home live on the Internet.

You can also get motion detectors for inside your house that will trigger the alarm. Motion detectors range from simple inexpensive detectors to costly advance computerized systems.

• The most important home security tip is to remember to use you home security. Having the most expensive security system will do nothing if you forget to turn it on.