Tips To Keep You And Your Home Safe

Ingenuity can be just as vital as high-tech and substantial security systems when it comes to keeping criminals out of your home. Here are some tips that prove home security doesn’t have to come at an expensive price.

Regardless of recent FBI data showing a three-year decline in most crime categories nationwide, home-invasions are trending upward, a repercussion of bad economic times.

Now that the economy is so bad, the average home-invader is now stealing items and cash to put food on their own table. This is not the type of news our government and law enforcement officials typically want to communicate, because it’s such a violent crime. The victims have such a psychological and ruthless trail of emotions left behind.

With a little imagination you can go a long way, and below you will find several excellent home-security tips that won’t break your bank account:

·         Leave a large pair of men’s boots (size 13 or larger easily accessible at any Goodwill type stores) and a large water bowl on the doorstep, even if no man or dog lives there. This serves as a psychological deterrent to become less of a target and having them skip your home.

·         Trim shrubbery and keep them well groomed, because this is a spot close to the house that intruders can hide and plan an attack.

·         Disguise your home’s land line phone wires. You want to mask them with some kind of facade.  Land line phone wires are typically at ground level and, when cut, can disconnect the power connected to a home alarm system and impede outside communications.

·         Have a cellular backup dialer installed to your home alarm system, in the event that the power lines are cut. This type of service will typically cost around $300, a one-time expense for installation.

·         Install motion and perimeter lighting around the home. Having perimeter lighting is vital, but keep in mind that having lights on all the time can assist the criminal in seeing their way around. Motion-detection lighting will surprise an intruder. OwnerWiz suggests installing a combination of both the motion activated and perimeter light kits around the home.

·         Reinforce front, back and garage entry (any exterior access doors) door hinges by removing factory supplied screws and installing bigger ones (minimum 2.5 to 3 inches) that hit the door frame stud.

·         A closet can easily be set up as a mock safe room, in the event of a home-invasion.

·         An obstinate dead-bolt lock is a good measure, but installing a strong door frame is better. Most home invasions take place through the front door. It takes only a couple of seconds for a normal person to kick an average door in, making the dead bolt only as good as the door around the door frame.

When you take vacations you may naturally be concerned about how to protect your home when you travel. Of course, one concern is a possible break-in while you’re away from home. You also need to protect your home when you travel from fire danger or flooding that can occur while you’re away.

You can also protect your home when your travel from possible break-ins with the following tips:

·         Let a trusted neighbor or family member pick up your mail and newspapers, or stop these services to your home while you’re away.

·         You can protect your home when you travel by having your lawn mowed regularly to give the illusion of being home if you plan to be away for more than a few weeks.

·         Don’t leave keys to your home in any hiding places outdoors while you are away.

·         Have several lights set on a timer, have a trusted neighbor or family member visit your home every couple of days to turn lights on and off, open or close drapes, and give a sense that someone is home.

·         If you plan to be away for more than a week or two try hiring a reputable house sitting service.

·         Never leave information on your answering machine that you are not at home.

·         Don’t advertise the fact that you’re planning to be gone on any of the internet social network websites.

·         Enlist trusted neighbors or neighborhood watch groups to look out for your home while you’re gone.

You can also protect your home when you travel from possible fire or flooding due to broken pipes by keeping a checklist you observe before you leave your home for travel.

On your checklist you should include:

·         All major appliances unplugged

·         All lights turned off, except those set on timers

·         All doors locked and windows secured by locks

·         No bathroom or other types of fans left on

·         All appliances like coffee pots and irons turned off

·         Turn off gas to the home to protect your home when you travel from gas leaks

·         If you are traveling during the winter, and there is a possibility of freezing temperature, be sure to set your heater (you'll need to keep your gas on) to a low setting, but well above freezing

·         Be sure to insulate pipes that are vulnerable to freezing and breaking

·         Remove outdoor hoses and insulate spigots

If you actually go through a list like this and check each item, you are far more likely to protect your home while you travel.