Going Out of Town? Follow These Tips to Keep Your Home Secure!

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By: admin,

Each year, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer. As we all know, the summer season marks a time of year when many Americans are taking extended trips out of town to a second property like a lake house or even an international vacation. To help homeowners ensure that their trips are worry free, we’re sharing some simple home security tips to follow when traveling out of town!

Lights
When you’re traveling, it’s always advised that you leave on at least one light in your home. By doing this, you can provide the illusion that someone is there. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving lights on 24/7, there are a variety of ways or products that help you set up a schedule or remotely activate your lights. One such system is the ADT Pulse app. By utilizing this application, you can remotely turn your lights on or off at any time of day as long as you have an Internet connection. You can learn more about the ADT Pulse app online.

Landscaping
A properly manicured lawn goes a long way. Not only can it add to the appeal to your home, it can also provide the impression that someone is home and actively taking care of the yard. Forbes recently shared an article that details how exterior lighting and maintained landscaping can be more effective at protecting your home than replacing doors, locks and windows. With proper design, your landscaping can place potential thieves on display as they quickly attempt to break into your home.

Mail
While traveling, you can expect to be the recipient of some wonderful mail in the form of coupons, magazines or even bills. Unfortunately, to a thief, these materials can quickly pile up and become a clear sign that no one is home to collect the mail and bring it inside. A solution? The USPS has the ability to hold mail delivery to your home until you return. Also, you could simply ask a trusted neighbor, family member or friend to stop by and quickly pick up your mail for you until your return.

Final Reminder
Our final recommendations are simple and easy. Before you go out of town, make sure you ask a trusted neighbor or friend to check on your home from time to time. The reason a neighbor may be best person for the job is that they can conveniently check on your home without drawing too much attention to individuals outside the neighborhood. Finally, make sure you activate your security system so you always have the experts at ADT monitoring your home 24/7.

To learn more security tips and fun facts about ADT Pulse, we encourage you to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Homebuyer Moving, Security and Insurance Tips

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By: Safe Haven,

It’s an exciting and stressful time to move into a new home. A fresh new start in a place that allows you additional space for your family. While exciting, there’s a lot you need to consider such as your home security, unpacking, adjusting to the area as well as home insurance.

While many of us have had to deal with renter’s insurance in the past, owning a home often means you need to find proper home insurance. While no one wants to have an accident in their home, such as a fire or break in, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared for an incident. Realtor.com stresses several important factors to consider when shopping for home insurance for your new dwelling. The company recommends specifically shopping around and paying close attention to the rates, deductibles and coverage options of a minimum of two to three companies. You do not want to short yourself when it comes to adequate coverage for your home. Did you know that it’s possible to view a report of your new home’s previous claim’s report online? This is another report you may want to look at in order to determine what kind of coverage you may need on your home.

Another factor to consider when you move into your new home is home security. The choice of a home security system is an important decision that should not be taken lightly. By adding a security system to your home, you can actually reduce the cost of your insurance while also providing yourself some peace of mind. If you purchased a home with a security system, it’s important to decide whether or not you would like to activate the system that’s already installed or choose a new company. You also have the potential of updating the current system to a more advanced system. Maybe you’d like to take that old ADT system and update it with the ADT Pulse? As we discussed in a previous post, the Pulse system allows you to control various aspects of your home.

Realtor.com also recommends simple steps that can be taken such as changing the batteries in your alarms and smoke detection units as well as changing the locks on any doors. These simple tasks are especially important since you may not know exactly when the batteries were last changed, let alone if there are currently any batteries in the devices at all.

For additional tips and information on home safety and preparedness, we encourage you to like and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Protect Your Home with Proper Landscaping

News
By: Safe Haven,

Spring is the ideal time of year to refresh your home both inside and out. Realtor.com states that an easy way to increase your curb appeal is to invest some money in upgrades. Did you know that making improvements to the exterior of your home can do more than increase your curb appeal? It can improve your home security!

Tip #1
When it comes to landscaping additions, there are many different options to consider. If you’re adding plants to your outdoor decor, you’ll first want to consider the overall height and distance of the plants from your home’s exterior. If plants are too tall or too wide, they can easily provide a hiding place for potential intruders. If plants are too high, a thief can take their time without worry about being seen while they work to break into your home. If you already have shrubbery around your home, it’s important to stay vigilant in trimming them down so they do not become overgrown.

Tip #2
If you’re already working on improvements to the exterior of your home, you may want to consider adding some additional external lighting. Similar to the problems that can arise from having tall trees which can block windows, lack of light can cause problems in and around your home. Studies show that properly placing lighting can reduce the chances of an intrusion. That’s because exterior lighting can act as a spotlight for thieves, attempting to break into your home. A study provided by Florida Atlantic University stated that if exterior lights are angled too high, it may create a dark hiding place for potential thieves while they take their time to carefully open up windows or doors. It’s important to make sure your lights are angled to illuminate possible entries into your home and create an unwanted spotlight for thieves.

For additional tips and information on home safety and preparedness, we encourage you to like and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.