Tips to Make Your Home a Safer Place to Live

There are simple and easy things that can be done by you while having your home monitored by ADT. In addition to these tips, be sure to always activate your home security equipment, even if you will only be gone a moment.

General Safety Tips

 Store valuables in a safe or safety deposit box
Store cash, jewelry, and other valuables in a safe or safety deposit box instead of leaving them strewn around your home.

 Keep drapes and blinds shut
Keep drapes and blinds shut - especially in rooms where there is expensive equipment. Don't publicize the items in your home.

 Do not leave extra keys under doormats
Do not leave extra keys under doormats, potted plants or any other obvious outdoor location. Thieves will generally find them. Hide the keys in place that's not too obvious, or give a set to a trusty neighbor.

Door & Window Safety Tips

 Safety coat windows
Look into safety coating the most vulnerable windows. This will make them more difficult to break into.

 Garage Doors
With multiple locks and bracing, treat inside garage doors the same as an outside door.

 Talk with a locksmith
For doors that have windows (or windowed frames) find different options to standard deadbolts. Talk with a locksmith to see what's available.

Fire Safety Tips

 Make street address visible
Make sure that your street address is visible so that firefighters can easily find your home in the event of an emergency.

 Install smoke alarms
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them monthly to make sure they work. Replace the batteries yearly.

  Use fire resistant materials
In the construction or renovation of your home, you should use fire resistant materials.

Home Safety When on Vacation

 Don't leave a recorded message
Don't leave a recorded message on your home phone that you are out of town. You should simply state in the message on your office phone that you're out of the office.

 Get someone to watch your house
Ask a neighbor to watch your house. On the other hand, hire a house sitter who can, while looking after your things, earn some extra money.

  Stop newspaper and mail delivery
Stop newspaper and mail delivery to avoid the pileup of packages or newspapers on your porch. This may tell an intruder that you haven't been home for a while.