Home security begins at home

Just like charity begins at home, home security also begins at home. You want to make your home safe and secure and the best way to do is take some precautionary measures. Prevention, after all, as they say, is better than a cure. Here are a few things that you do to make your home a safe and secure place:

Install home security systems and/or alarms

• Frankly speaking, nothing beats a home security system. If you can afford a Home Security System then, at any cost, get one. Home security systems are the most effective and cheapest way to protect your home and your loved ones.
• Install a loud exterior alarm that can be manually activated from more than one location.

Be alert!

• Watch out for suspicious people in and around your house or your neighborhood. If required, do not hesitate to call for help.
• Always identify unknown visitors before opening doors. This can save your life. If possible, install a wide angle viewer on all primary doors.
• If you are planning to have a roommate, then get his or her background and profile checked by local law enforcement authorities. You should also make him or her aware of the safety and the security precautions.
• Try to be alert for any unusual packages, boxes or devices in or around your premises. Do not try to handle them yourself; get in touch with law enforcement authorities.

Be smart!

• If you have garden, trim the shrubbery. They can be good hiding places for intruders. Also, put locks on fence gates.
• Always keep the fuse box locked so that no unauthorized person can tamper with it.
• Keep battery operated flashlights handy. They can prove useful during power outages.
• If you receive threatening phone calls or letters, treat them seriously. Get in touch with law enforcement authorities immediately. This might save your life.
• Try to maintain an unlisted number. Always alert household members and law enforcement authorities to unusual and wrong number calls. Preferably, write down the date and time when such calls were received and whatever, if anything, was said to you.
• If you are planning to stay out of your house for an evening or for an extended period, then at minimum, place the lights and the radio on timer. Also, for extended absences, try to have deliveries suspended.

Install lights and secure doors and windows

• Install adequate lighting in and around your garage and your porch.
• Install a porch light at a height that would require a ladder for removal or tampering.
• Install dead bolts on all outside doors. Dead bolts are good safety devices. If you have sliding doors or windows, do not forget to put dowels on the tracks. This prevents burglars or intruders entering through them.
• Keep your garage doors locked at all times. If possible, use an electric garage door opener.
• And finally, don't forget that intruders, by their very nature, will attempt to enter through unlocked doors or windows without causing a disturbance. So it is in your interest that you keep your doors and windows locked!

Following the above simple steps will make you more safe and sound

All the above tips are just guidelines only. They are definitely not the final words on safety tips. Studies have shown that if you follow these simple steps then you will be more safe and sound. But again these are just guidelines. Keep your options open and if required, use your own judgment and discretion to tackle security issues.