Things you can do to Secure you Home for Free
By JR Girskis
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Home security is of the utmost importance to any renter or owner. And why wouldn’t it be? There are many aspects of home ownership that are rarely insured or never insured, so it’s to your enormous benefit to take every precaution (on a budget) that you can. Why is the benefit so enormous, because many of the tips offered here are cheap, easy, and quick to institute.
Landscaping
A cheap, and beautiful way to secure your home is
with proper landscaping. Keep your scrubs and trees maintained so there
are not easy hiding places for potential thieves. Also, consider
planting thorny bushes
or flowers near your windows, to deter criminals from sliding in
through your windows.
Engage Video Security
A more serious home security device – a
video security system – can be purchased for as little as $10 a month.
Services vary from vendor to vendor, but AT&T currently offers a
service that beams
video to your cell phone from an at-home camera. Other companies
offer small, but serious home monitoring system for a reasonable initial
investment of a few hundred dollars an no monthly subscription fee.
Be Aware of Your Trash
Identity thieves and burglars often
root through a person’s trash. They might be looking for old bills with
your social security number and other personal information. Or, they
might be looking for clues
as to when you will be on vacation, what your regular day-to-day
schedule is, and therefore determine the most opportune time to
burglarize your residence. Rip up all credit card offers, receipts and
correspondence before throwing them
away, and keep garbage stored in locked containers or in your
garage. Do not set it out the night before, but rather early in the
morning.
Motion Sensors
Install
motion-sensitive lights outside your home – especially in vulnerable
areas like your back porch or
side windows. Many intruders prefer to break and enter in the
darkness, and the sudden glare of a motion-sensitive light is often
enough to deter them. Look for solar-powered models so that your home
remains protected in a power
outage, and you don’t see an increase in your electricity bill.
Also, don’t install them near your bedroom window, as wandering pets or
waving branches could turn the light on and wake you.
Secure your Wireless Network
One of the most common ways
people’s homes are infiltrated is impossible to see with the naked eye
(unless that eye is looking at a computer screen). An unsecured
wireless network allows
a savvy person to peak into your computer and see anything in it
they want. Any phone numbers, passwords, addresses, or any other
sensitive information are vulnerable. To protect yourself, always use a
password-protected wireless network.
Leave a Light On
Leave your lights or TV on. Or, if you’re
going away on extended vacation, consider taking a trip to the local
hardware store and inquiring about timers for interior lights. Seeing
lights or the blue light of a television
flickering from inside a home is usually reason enough for a thief
to move on to a house that looks dark and uninhabited.
Hide Your Wealth
Make your home seem less luxurious or costly
than it might be. If you have a nice car, park it in the garage. Don’t
leave any mountain bikes, lawnmowers, or other costly equipment visible
when you go to sleep or go
away on vacation. This means moving things away from sight lines
through windows. If a burglar sees your house lights have been out for
four days, then sees a $500 pair of skis on the other side of a thin
window pane, there’s a good chance you
won’t see those skis on your return.
Hire a House Sitter
Almost any high school or college-age kid
is more than happy to stay at your home or check in once a day if you’re
going to be out of town for an extended period of time. This is one of
the safer and cheaper ways
(often they’ll stay for free – just to be free of their parents) of
protecting your home. The largest risk, of course, comes with an
untrustworthy house sitter throwing loud parties or spilling red wine on
your white carpet.
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