Burglar Proofing Your Home: Simple Personal-Security Measures

There are several ways we can provide additional security to ourselves, in addition to using the dead bolts and other security features. This article points out some common sense ways to make sure your house or apartment is as safe as it can be, to ensure our personal safety.

If you are a single mom, use initials in place of your full name in the phone directory as well as on your mailbox. These are common sense but we see it all the time in today's society. Be safe and use initials where possible.

When moving into a new apartment or house make sure, you change the locks or have them changed. You never know who might have a key and you certainly do not want any strangers in your home. Personal safety is essential always. A dead bolt will make you safe.

Make sure both the front and back doors are visible to neighbors, this make your house less likely to be vandalized by a burglar. Your home is more secure the more visible the entry points are.

Your doors should not have large glass panels on them, as they are easy to see in and break. Look for a door with smaller glass inserts that are away from lock or better yet for added security look for a door, which has a small peephole in it.

Make sure the hinges on the doors are on the inside so that they cannot be popped from the outside. If your hinges are on the outside it is so easy for a burglar to pop them out, take the entire door off the hinges, and break into your home. Hinges on the outside are not safe at all.

If your house or apartment has window locks installed do not remove them if you install the security grates on the windows. You need to ask how to quickly remove these grates in case a fire breaks out within your home.

If you are moving into an apartment building make sure the hallways, and public areas are well lit, this increases personal safety so much. If you are moving into a house, make sure there are lights on all porches. It is always a great idea to install those motion senor lights on the garage if you have one or on the porch for added security.

Telephone jacks can be installed quickly. You will need at least two in any place and more if you live on multiple floors unless of course you have cordless phones. A phone in the kitchen and living room is a great idea, but a phone in the master bedroom is an added security feature that must be done.

Do not be afraid to call the police or apartment manager if you notice some one strange hanging around. You never know who that stranger is and they maybe up to no good. Neighborhoods, which participate in neighborhood watch programs, are a great place to live to added security.