Surfside Construction Homeowner Tips

By far, the most common threat to our home is burglary. According to the FBI, a burglary occurs somewhere in the United States every 15.4 seconds. We live in an area that is easy for someone to access from I-95, break in a home, and be back on I-95 getting away long before you even discover the crime and are able to report it to the police. Read the tips below to help keep your home from being one of those statistics.  

• Most home burglaries occur during the daytime when most people are away at work or school.
• Burglaries are committed most often by young males under 25 years of age looking for items that are small, expensive, and can easily be converted to cash.
• Statistics tell us that 70% of the burglars use some amount force to enter a dwelling, but only carry ordinary household tools like screwdrivers, channel-lock pliers, small pry bars, and small hammers.
• Make your home more difficult to enter. Sliding glass doors can be lifted up and off their track and thereby defeat the latch mechanism. To prevent lifting, you can also install anti-lift devices such as a pin that extends through both the sliding and fixed portion of the door. There are also numerous locking and blocking devices available in any good quality hardware store that will prevent a sliding door from being lifted or forced horizontally.
• Get to know your neighbors on each side of your home and the three directly across the street. Communicate often, and let them know when you will be away. They are going to be gone at times also, and the favor can be returned. Don’t hide keys. Burglars look for keys in planter boxes, under doormats, and above the ledge.
• Light timers should be used on a daily basis, not just when you’re away. In this way you set up a routine that your neighbors can observe and will allow them to become suspicious when your normally lighted home becomes dark.
• Since the prices of good home safes are falling, having a safe in your home is a wise investment. Home safes need to be anchored into the floor or permanent shelving. Do not put it in the master bedroom closet. That is the first place a thief looks.
• Engrave your drivers’ license, not your social security number, on televisions, stereos, computers, and small electronic appliances.
• Photograph your valuables in their locations around your home and make a list of the make, model, and serial numbers. This is very important for proof when filing insurance claims. You should keep this list in a safety deposit box or with a relative for safe keeping.