Home Security Tips

One of the most important things you can do after purchasing a home is to secure your home, family, and valuables.  There are many things you can do to secure your home.  Below are some helpful tips to help you do just that.

Alarms

• It is a fact that homes without alarm systems are broken into significantly more often than homes with an alarm system so invest in an alarm system. 
• Make sure any alarm system you have is connected to the police station.
• Make sure your alarm company knows to call your cell phone if the alarm is activated in case the home phone goes down.
• You will want to be sure each individual window in addition to all outside doors are connected to the alarm system. 
• Be sure all wiring for an alarm system is concealed.  Thieves are always looking for places to disconnect an alarm system.

Locks

• Anytime you move into a new home the first thing you should do is have all the locks re-keyed.  You should also change all locks anytime a key goes missing or is lost.
• Ensure that all outside doors and windows have proper locks installed
  • All outside doors should have dead bolts, fingerprint locks, or keypad locks.
  • For doors located next to windows they should have captive key lock deadbolts which have removable thumb latches so that a thief cannot reach around and unlock the door through a broken window.         
  • Chain locks are a great way to see who is at the door before deciding whether or not to answer it.
  • Make sure you have a spare key in a safe place.
    • Give a spare key to a trusted neighbor, family member, or friend.
    • Keep a spare in a combination lock box attached to your home.
    • Hide a spare wrapped in foil or a 35 mm film canister and bury it.  Do not leave any markings indicating where it is buried but make sure you can easily retrieve it.

Doors

• Peepholes allow you to see who is at the door before deciding whether or not to open it.
• Keep a wooden dowel or stick in the track of a sliding glass door so that it cannot be opened from the outside.
• Be sure there is not too much space between the door and the frame and if there is reinforce it with a piece of plywood or sheet metal.  When there is too much space it makes it easier for a thief to simply pry the door away from the frame to break in.
• If any of your doors have hinges on the outside of the house reset the hinges to the inside.  Thieves only need to pop out a hinge located on the outside to gain access to your home.

Windows

• Applying window film to glass is quick and easy and accomplishes two things.
  • It will make the glass shatterproof so that a thief cannot gain access by simply breaking a window.
  • A tint on the film will help to prevent thieves from “window shopping”.
  • Curtains or blinds should be placed over any windows that are easy to see into from the outside.

Garage

• You should keep your car locked with the alarm system on even when it is in the garage.
• Frost or cover all garage windows.  This will prevent thieves from seeing if your car is in the garage or not.
• Make sure you keep your garage door closed and locked even if the car is not in it.
• Be sure the door between your home and the garage is locked at all times with the proper locks.

Yard

• Keep everything that could be used by a thief to break-in out of view.  This includes ladders, garbage cans, tools, etc.
• Put big, bold, and/or reflective numbers on your mailbox or home so that it can be easily identified in an emergency.
• Placing alarm-company signs, dog notices, or neighborhood-watch signs in your yard can be a great deterrent for thieves.
• Be sure all shrubs and/or trees are trimmed.  Overgrown shrubs and trees can provide a hiding place for thieves.
• Make sure all entrances to your home are well lit.  Motion sensors are a great thief deterrent. 

Valuables and Personal Information

• Always keep valuables and personal information in a bolted-down safe or heavy-duty filing cabinet with a lock.  An even better idea is to keep them in a safe-deposit box.
• Keep a file that contains a list of all your valuables including photos of each, receipts of purchase, and their serial numbers.  This will help with identifying any stolen merchandise and make any insurance matters easier to handle.
• Be sure to shred all documents containing personal information.  This will stop a thief from stealing your identity by simply digging through your garbage.
• Break down all boxes from large purchases such as a computer or TV before putting them out for trash.  These boxes are a signal to thieves that you have items worth stealing.

Miscellaneous

• Always lock all doors and windows before leaving the house.  You should do this even if you are leaving for a short period of time.
• Always make sure your house looks occupied even when it isn’t.  You can do this simply by leaving some lights on when you leave.
• A barking dog no matter how big or small will deter most thieves.  A barking dog draws too much attention thieves don’t want. 
• Keep expensive equipment away from windows where thieves could look in and see them.  Also, do not put purses or wallets down in front of windows for the same reason.

When You’re Away

• Do not advertise other than to your closest and most trusted family and friends that you will be away. 
  • Do not post anywhere on the internet or any social networking sites that you will be away.
  • Make sure any voicemail or e-mail out of office away messages are as general as possible and that while stating you will not be at work do not state you will be away from home for any period of time.
  • Leave lights on in your home to make it appear occupied.  An even better idea is to put some of your lights on a timer to shut on and off throughout the day.
  • Suspend newspaper and mail delivery or have a neighbor, family member, or friend retrieve them each day.
  • Continue to allow yard services or maid services service your house.
  • Leave a car in the driveway.
  • Leave all shades, curtains, and blinds in the normal position. 

Sometimes bad luck strikes and there is nothing we can do to prevent a thief from burglarizing are home.  What you can do, though, is put measures in place to decrease the risk.  While it may be a pain the above tips are a lot less painful than having to deal with the aftermath of a break-in.  Your home is most likely your most monetarily valuable asset so do what you can to protect it.