Home Security Tips:

Home security is all about having home security deterrents!

Your home security plan should make your home a harder target for crime!

Have an apartment? Read the article on “Apartment Security Tips“!

Home Security Tip #1) Use a security system:

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Home Security Tip #2) Always lock your windows:

Check your home for windows that are accessible from the outside, and make sure they are locked! Most homes these days have central air and many windows are closed almost year round! Make sure that if this example fits you, that those windows are locked! For windows you never or rarely open you can use a secondary lock like a pin lock or a screw through the 2 frames! Just don’t screw all the way through…

Home Security Tip #3) Check your door locks:

This is one of the best home security tips I can give you! Again this is an obvious thing, but people just go out all the time without making sure that doors are locked! If you have a security system arming it will back up a door that you forgot to lock. Research into how burglars gain entry into a home shows that they use a door! The number one mistake of those that do lock their doors is that they only lock the knob and not the dead bolt too! The door knob lock is not enough! A burglar can bypass this with ease! In fact if your door knobs are more than a few years old, you need to replace them with new “bump resistant” locks! I saw a video where a ten year old broke into a house in less than 10 seconds. She was put up to this and given a few minutes of training on how to use what they call bump keys! A bump key is a key that is ground down and inserted into a lock. The key is then tapped with a hammer in an effort to get the lock tumblers to bounce and fall into alignment! The user of the bump key just has to tap while putting a little pressure on the key in a turning direction! If this is done right the lock will just unlock and the burglar will just walk right in!

There is a whole article devoted to stopping lock bumping including videos! Read the article on “Lock bumping“!

Home Security Tip #4) Never have your name posted outside of your home:

Burglars look first before they touch! So your fist offense to burglary is to look like a harder target than the average home in your area! Having your name displayed gives more information to the passerby than is necessary!

Watch this video… In the middle is an interview with a convicted burglar that robbed 600 homes before he was caught! He tells what he looked for before actually choosing a target to rob!

Home Security Tip #5) Never leave notes on the door:

Leaving notes on a door just attracts attention! In fact people leave notes with checks and money for people that are stopping by! If you have to leave money or a check, leave it under a mat in a sandwich baggie or something! A burglar or even just a regular criminal could see a note and stop to check it out! Besides, leaving a note implies that you aren’t home and that is one of the criteria a burglar is trying to find out! Burglar are opportunists looking for the opportunity to rob you!

Home Security Tip #6) Never leave a spare key outside your home:

Burglars always check that first! A smart criminal knows to lift the mat and look for fake rocks! If you need to have a backup way into your home, get a door lock that uses a keypad or combination to unlock it! Or get a keypad opener for your garage door! There are better ways to gain entry to your home than to leave a key outside! A key could be stolen and then your home could be cased for the best time to really rob you blind! Leaving a key outside is just inviting trouble!

Home Security Tip #7) Get a safe:

This is one of the most important home security tips I can give you! These days safes are inexpensive and can serve several purposes! First, a safe serves to protect valuables that you own if you were robbed! Second, a safe can store valuable documents and even digital pictures in the event of a fire! The number one complaint after a homeowner has a fire is that they wished they still had the family photos! These days you can easily backup your photos and document to zip drives and store them in your safe! Third, I thought for a moment about mentioning this one! Then I felt obligated to say it. If you have prescription drugs, lock them up! These days TV makes our drugs and bad people look so cool! Kids see this and then they want to be just like them. If you have kids over 10 years old, lock up any pills that you have in your home! I know what you’re thinking… My ten year old knows better! Lock up the pills anyway! And if you have any weapons lock them up too! These days they make safes just for firearms that open with a quick combination of buttons pushed! Get that combo wrong three times and the safe just won’t open at all without a key! Make sure that you secure the safe to the wall or floor so it can’t be moved! If you have a burglar alarm system that has a panic button, you want to install one near the safe. If you are forced to open the safe, open it and when you are pushed aside make sure you are pushed towards the panic button!

Home Security Tip #8) Install light timers:

This is just a great idea in general! How many times have you come home and walked into a dark house? These days you can install special light switches that have timers built right into them! They can turn on foyer lights and maybe even a light in the den too! Nothing is more inviting then a pitch dark home that looks empty! Timers for lights are good too. These days you can get standard timers for fewer than ten bucks. You can get digital timers for just a few dollars more! Having your home lit up is a huge part of home security! Burglars like dark homes where they can get in undetected. Every step you take is an added deterrent!

Home Security Tip #9) Take photos of your valuables:

This serves two purposes! If you get robbed you may need to show proof of what you owned! And if you have a fire this will also be needed! Having photos of your most valued possessions also allows the police to see what they are looking for! Make sure you do this one, it’s important!

Home Security Tip #10) Check your homeowners insurance:

Call your agent and have him review your policy with you! Make sure he understands your concern of why you have insurance in the first place! Tell him that you don’t want any surprises in the event you get robbed or have a fire! He should be able to tell you what is covered and what is not. Also ask what you would need to present in the event something like this were to happen! Insurance companies are downright sneaky and they are really out for themselves and not you! An insurance company is your best friend as long as the checks are going their direction! In the event of a fire, my advice to you is to shut up when your agent sends the appraiser out! He is not your friend! He is there to limit the overall liability of his company to you! Also ask about robberies where there is no sign of forced entry! Like the above scenario where someone bumps a lock or finds a way in without leaving evidence of how they got in! Your insurance company could just leave you hanging and refuse your claim! This is another home security tip I hope you take seriously!

Home Security Tip #11) Install motion lights around your home:

Don’t go cheap here and get standard exterior motion light fixtures! Don’t get halogen tube style lights. Pay for quality bulbs if you have to have them installed up high! You can even get LED exterior bulbs that last many years, but they are expensive! When I say many years it’s like ten or more! The best investment you can put into your home security besides a security system is lighting! Install lights in every corner and dark area around your home!

Home Security Tip #12) Make your entry doors kick resistant:

One of the top ways a home is entered is through a doorway! Burglars just kick the door and the frame of the door splits out! You can install several types of plates that reinforce a doors frame and increase your home security! Remember it’s about making your home a harder target! If a burglar kicks your door and it doesn’t budge! He may just take a second moment to reconsider a new easier target!

There is a whole page and article devoted to door jamb failure including videos! Read the entire article on “Door Jamb Failure”

Home Security Tip #13) Check your sliding glass doors:

Many sliding glass doors can be picked up right out of the frame! Even if they are locked and have a pole in the track! Install a sliding glass door lock at the base of the door on the track side. This prevents the door from being lifted out of the track! Install a bar behind the door as a secondary backup to the track lock! Or better yet install the double lock safe slider lock! It’s easy and stops the door from being lifted out and jimmied open! This is an important part of your home security so make sure you check this! Patio doors are an easy in for an intruder!

There is a whole page devoted to patio door locks including videos! Read the entire article on “Patio Door Locks“!

Home Security Tip #14) Know the facts:

Most burglaries happen during the day and not at night! Burglaries make up 25% of all property crimes! More than 60% of burglaries involve forced entry! Burglars spend less than ten minutes in your home and then get out! A security system reduces the time they have to rummage through your home! The items they take are jewelry, laptop computers, guns, portable electronics, and cash! Having a safe and an alarm system can stop the majority of loss in a burglary! The most frequent entry point is the front main door! Lock bumping and kicking the door in are the primary ways of gaining entry!

Here are some more interesting facts about home security!
Where Burglars Enter a House…

80% or more of residential intrusions occur through the first floor of the home!

34% of burglars entered through the front door!

23% through a first-floor window!

22% through the back door!

9% through the garage!

4% entered through a basement!

4% through an unlocked entrance!

2% through a storage area!

Only 2% entered through the second floor!

Home Security Tip #15) Check the garage door:

A garage door can be an easy way into your home! Many homeowners just close the garage door and don’t lock the inner door to the house! Worse than that is leaving the garage door open and locking just the bottom lock or knob lock on the inner door! A burglar could enter the garage, close the door, and then kick that inner door in or bump the lock! Remember that a burglar is looking for places that will give them cover! A garage offers all the cover that a burglar could need. Also make sure that you don’t just leave the garage door up all day long. Many garage robberies happen and then aren’t even known for days until you realize that your scooter or weed whacker is gone. The garage is definitely a place to increase your homes security! Watch the video below for the first thing you need to do to improve your garage security! You need to wrap wire around the emergency release so it can’t be pulled easily from outside the garage! There are so many different types of garage doors it’s hard for me to give you just one solution! The idea is to just stop this function all together! The chance of you needing to use this feature is slimmer than someone using it to get in! Just make sure that you can undo whatever you have done if need be!

There is and entire page devoted to garage door break ins including videos! Read the entire article on “Garage door Break Ins“!

Home Security Tip #16) Mark your belongings:

Get a permanent marker, engraving tool, or a UV marker! Write your Drivers License Number on expensive items so if they are stolen and recovered the Police know who to contact! Marked equipment and belongings are harder to pawn off. A UV marked item is invisible to the eye without a UV lamp. UV lamps are commonly used by police on crime scenes. Engraving your belongings is a more permanent way of marking them that is not easily removed like permanent marker can be! Marking expensive items like flat screen TV’s, laptops, and even game systems is important! These are some of the most commonly stolen items since they are easily pawned in a second hand or pawn store!

Home Security Tip #17) Cut back trees and shrubs from your home:

As stated in the video at the top of this page, the number one thing that a burglar is looking for is COVER! Cutting back bushes and trees that are over grown, close to the house, or blocking the view of the house from neighbors and street is a good idea! This will help the exterior lighting to effectively expose people that may be sneaking around the outside of the building looking for a way in. Before you install a 6 foot stockade fence, keep in mind that this is cover too! You need to weigh privacy verses the threat of an intrusion or burglary. If you have trees or bushes close to a window or door cut them back or remove them.

Home Security Tip #18) Lock up ladders and tools:

A ladder laying against the side of your home just screams rob me! Burglars know that few people lock their second floor windows. Once in they will just use the front door to get out. If you have a ladder store it in the garage or lock it up with a chain. Make sure that it is completely out of view of the street. A burglar checking out your home because he sees a ladder won’t be able to see the chain! Getting close to your home may just reveal another way to get in.

Home Security Tip #19) Move your security alarm key pad out of site:

Many homes have the keypad for the alarm system in plain view of the front door or front windows. This is a bad idea since many alarm systems have serious defects that are know to criminals and not you! Plus having the panel in view of the door will tell a burglar weather it is armed or not. It will also reveal what the make and model of the security system! Move the keypad out of view and post a security sign by the front door instead!

Home Security Tip #20) Install security signs:

Install “security signs” and “beware of dog” signs! Install these on gates to the back yard, mailboxes, and at the front door! Make sure they are visible from the street to deter those scoping a neighborhood! The best way to deter a burglar is to present your home as a hard target! If your home appears like it can get them busted they will just look for an easier target!

Home Security Tip #21) Install peep holes on exterior doors:

Installing door viewers or peepholes to allow you to see who is at the door. Burglars and intruders commonly knock since walking up to your front door seems so natural. Neighbors and those passing by won’t even look twice unless something looks suspicious. Burglars commonly knock to make sure that no one is home before walking around back and kicking a door in! Remember that they have done nothing wrong until they physically kick the door in. They can just say they are lost or looking for “Billy”! If someone comes to your door and has a stupid reason for being there, know you have just been cased! Call the Police immediately and report it! Always check to see who is at the door before you answer it! Remember most burglaries happen during the day and not at night! If a workman comes to your home and you don’t know why, refuse him entrance until you call to verify! Most people have cell phones with cameras! Snap a picture and send it to a friend! If the person at the door has any problems with you running basic security checks on them and their presence there, call the Police!

Home Security Tip # 22) Teach your children about home security:

Never let your kids answer the door, and if you do at least install a door viewer or peep hole that they can see through! Security habits like checking the door before opening it, start at an early age can last a lifetime! Post emergency numbers where your children can find them! Post more than 911! Post poison control numbers, neighbors numbers, and close friends! Have fire drills, and stranger at the door drills! Teach your kids that they shouldn’t be afraid to call a friend or the Police for help or answers to emergency based questions!

Home Security Tip # 23) Start a neighborhood watch or join yours:

Neighborhoods that have watches have dramatically less crime than ones that do not! If you have a neighborhood watch make sure that signs are posted throughout the area! If signs look old, replace them! Neighbors that know you will look out for you and you for them! There is a saying… A nation divided cannot stand! This can be brought down to, a neighborhood divided or even a home divided. There are many benefits to having a neighbor hood watch! First, you get to know your neighbors! Second, you can have picnics! When I grew up the whole neighborhood used to get together and throw a party! There was never a robbery in our neighborhood. Third, getting to know your neighbors makes for a stringer community. It also help you find good baby sitters and contractors that have already worked locally! Here are a few links:

Does Neighborhood Watch Reduce Crime?

Checklist for Starting a Neighborhood Watch

Starting a Neighborhood Watch

How to Start a Neighborhood Watch Program

Home Security tip #24) Install window security film:

Window security film keeps glass from being broken through with ease! Burglar usually try to avoid braking glass since it makes a more distinct noise than kicking a door in! Beside it leaves a clear sign from outside that someone has entered. With door kicking all the damage is on the inside and cannot be seen from outside the building! The most important glass to coat with security film is small glass around doors! This is a common entry way for a burglar. They are more likely to break a small window by a door than a patio door window! If you can afford installing this on all your windows, then know that it serves multiple purposes. First it stops intruders. Second, it reduces glare and furniture fading. Third, it reduces heat gain and loss. Several companies make this product like 3M and Ace! Ace’s product is harder to install but is so tough that it can actually stop a bullet traveling under 1000 feet per second! This stuff is no joke and if you have a commercial building with a lot of glass, installing this will just stop a major theft in its tracks!

Home Security Tip #25) Keep cars locked in the driveway:

Remember that cars in the driveway are easy and quick targets for theft especially for neighborhood kids! People keep change and sometimes credit cards in the glove box! Worse than that is if you have a garage door you probably have a garage door remote! So if you go out make sure that car is locked or at least doesn’t have a remote that could allow access to the house! In number 24 we talked about window security film. This film is also great for putting on your side car windows too. This stops smash and grab car theft, aids in stopping car jacking, and stops glass from shattering in your face during an accident! This stuff is just incredible!

Home Security Tip #26) Protect your computer information:

Did you know that you can backup the contents of your laptop and/or your home computers for as little as $4 a month! As a webmaster and security consultant the information on my computers is more valuable to me than the computers, ten times over! Years ago I had an apartment burglary where I lost a new and an old laptop. To this day my biggest loss that day wasn’t the computers themselves; but the photos, videos, and files that were stolen from me! Don’t lose precious memories and work stuff over $50 a year! Plus if your computer is stolen or lost this service allows you to track where it is if it is turned on and picks up an internet signal! Here’s the solution: BackBlaze