Monitoring

Home Security Tips for Vacationers

Do you worry about your home when you leave to go on a trip? Check this list before you leave, these handy tips may help increase your peace of mind while you’re away.

Before you leave, you’ll want to create the illusion that somebody is still home:

  • Set your lights on timers to go on and off at different times in different rooms, preferably when they would when you are home.
  • Create the sound of someone at home by programming or setting a time for your radio, sound system, or television to turn on and off.
  • Leave a car in the driveway – even better, have a close family member, friend, or neighbor park there or move it from side to side occasionally.
  • If you normally leave a hose uncoiled in the yard or a few toys around – do so. The idea is to look like things are normal!

Other tips:

  • Consider your windows. Should you leave your curtains or blinds closed — or open? You may think closing your curtains will prevent people from peering inside your home. However, closed curtains also stop those who aim to help — the police, your neighbors, or friends — from seeing inside your house. So, leave your curtains exactly as you usually keep them when you are at home. Remember – you want to create the illusion that things are normal. Of course, never leave expensive items, like jewelry or computers, out where they are visible from the window.
  • Keep the outside neat. If you are going on an extended trip, arrange to have your lawn mowed. Nothing signals “not home” stronger than an unkempt yard, especially one that is normally regularly manicured.
  • Run by the post office (or fill out the online form) to ask them to hold your mail. Cancel any deliveries scheduled for that week. Or ask a trusted friend or neighbor to collect them for you while away.
  • Stow away your valuables and important papers. Lock up any valuable jewelry, deeds, titles, and small electronic devices. Thieves want to get in and out fast, carrying as many valuables as possible, so things that are small and easily transported are targets. If you don’t have a safety deposit box, store these types of items in a fireproof lockbox. Great places to hide the lockbox are in children’s bedrooms or playrooms, laundry room, garage, or the kitchen. Thieves will look in master bedrooms and living spaces.
  • Remove Your Spare Key(s). If a criminal figures out you’re away on vacation, it’s likely that they will first check your porch and obvious locations for a spare key.  That plastic rock or hiding place under a mat/flowerpot won’t fool them.
  • Keep quiet on social media. Don’t announce you are leaving or your whereabouts right before or during your vacation. Many of us enjoy keeping up with friends and family on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. The perceived anonymity of the Internet can encourage us to share personal information without fully realizing that there could be strangers viewing our daily musings. So try to avoid posting pictures and updates showing you at locations away from home until you are home.
  • Be careful what you say on your voicemail or email auto-response. People trying to reach you don’t need to know that you’re out of town — they just need to know that you can’t respond right now.

Then, for the highest level of assurance, alert your:

  • Home Security Company and double-check that your door and window alarms are activated before you leave. Also, leave a house key and the code with someone you trust and provide the police and alarm company with their name and phone number.
  • Consider adding cameras or a video doorbell to your home security system so you can check on your home while you are away.

And if your home is not monitored, consider adding that service for 24/7 protection.

Final Tip: Right before leaving , save yourself and the environment and Pull the Plug!  Disconnecting the power to electronics, like computers, routers, televisions, and other appliances can save you money while you’re gone and eliminate worry. Turning off your garage door opener is also an effective way to keep thieves from opening it with a universal remote. Finally, never leave a portable GPS in your car when parking at the airport. It’ll alert thieves that you’re not home and give them a convenient map to your house.

Secur-Tek wishes you and your families a safe and worry-free vacation holiday!

Secur-Tek’s provides home and business security in Central North Carolina, including Raleigh and the Research Triangle area.  If you are interested in a home security system or would like to add monitoring to your current system, please give us a call at 919-387-1800.

Is Monitoring Your Security System Worthwhile?

Whether you’re fast asleep in your bed in Raleigh or traveling away from home, knowing your home security system will work the way you expect is important.

One expectation most people have for home or business security systems is a response to the alarm — no matter what time it occurs. 24-hour security monitoring means authorities will be notified as needed when the alarm is activated at your home or office.

Monitoring isn’t just to alert the police or fire departments. There are other advantages to including 24-hour monitoring as part of your security system:

True Protection — Some homeowners assume a burglar alarm making a lot of noise is enough protection. But actually, home alarms are often ignored by people nearby, who assume it is going off by accident.

Fires — Because they provide automatic response, monitored smoke detectors and heat sensors can save lives and limit property damage. This is especially important if you use many Lithium-ion batteries; some insurance companies now require homeowners to have a monitored security system with a smoke/heat sensor in the garage if an EV charger is installed. Read more about sensors here.

Leaks — While not as urgent as a fire or break-in, a gas or water leak can cause serious problems in your home. Monitoring systems can be set up to alert you in these instances – or even to let you know if there is a power outage and your freezer is no longer on.

Assistance — Monitoring systems can also be used to send notifications to people if you need help – in case of a fall or other personal accident.

Insurance —Most insurance companies will offer a discount when a customer’s home security system is monitored.

Peace of mind — Monitoring means someone is always keeping watch over your home or business. Many security system clients say that monitoring offers peace of mind, making it easier to sleep, both at home and while away.

 

How Monitoring Works

Secur-Tek, Inc. works with Affiliated Central to monitor your home or business. The team at Affiliated Central is CSAA Five Diamond Certified and uses the most up-to-date technologies. The company has installed a redundancy system for its telephone and automation, ensuring dependability.

When contacting a security company to keep your home or business safe, be sure to check their terms and confirm that you are receiving the service you deserve.

Secur-Tek’s North Carolina service area includes Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Garner, Holly Springs, Durham, Raleigh, Morrisville, Pittsboro, and Wake Forest.  If you are interested in a home security system or would like to add monitoring to your current system, please give us a call at 919-387-1800.

Are You Wasting Money on an Alarm System?

wasting money on alarm system

Safety statistics show that having an alarm system can be an effective tool for protecting your family and property from home invasions.

According to the National Council for Home Safety:

When Do They Happen? Burglaries most often occur during the day between 6 am and 6 pm while people are at work or running errands. The seasonality is quite simple as well, with snow and cold being principal deterrents, the lowest number of burglaries happen in February while burglary rates are higher in the summer.

How? Intruders are most attracted to houses that do not have home alarm systems.

  • The national average indicates that homes without a security system are 300% more likely to be burglarized.
  • 85% of convicted burglars said that they specifically look to see if there’s an alarm and that they would leave and target another property where no security system is installed.
  • The F.B.I also reports that 90% of all intrusions occur through doors; 6% occur through windows; 3% occur through the roof and 1% occur through the walls.

Who? Over 85% of thieves are amateurs with 41% saying break-ins are an impulsive decision.

The bottom line is that utilizing a security system on your property will offer an increased level of protection and peace of mind.

HOWEVER – you might be wasting your money on that home alarm system if:

1) You don’t set the alarm. This is understandable — but it can be impacted by the ease and convenience of doing this simple act. Therefore, thinking through your daily routines and researching which system is most compatible with your personality and lifestyle is an important part of choosing the best system for you and your family.

2) You don’t thoroughly understand and learn the proper usage or programming of the alarm system you have purchased. At Secur-Tek, our systems are easy to use, and we take the time to ensure you understand the system’s functionality.

3) You don’t have your installer use windows stickers and signs as a warning. We at Secur-Tek ensure that warning stickers and signs are placed in the optimal locations for good visibility and thus function as a key deterrent.

4) You don’t test the system on a regular basis. At Secur-Tek we only install high-quality security systems and recommend testing every month. It only takes a few minutes to ensure everything is functioning properly. You can find the steps here.

5) Your system isn’t monitored. You may have purchased a home with the alarm system already installed or installed one yourself. Although the noise of an alarm may scare off those who enter your home, it’s vital that you have a company monitor your alarm so that the police can investigate for forced entry. Monitoring is also critical in case of a fire or carbon monoxide leak, especially when your family is sleeping or away.

6) You leave the house with the windows/doors open or unlocked. Windows and back doors are a favorite, especially those left open in the warmer months and obscured by bushes or buildings. Many alarm systems do not go off if someone enters through an open window. If you don’t have a motion detector installed or alarm sensors on the windows, be sure to at least close and lock your windows when you are not home.

When used properly, alarm systems can be a very effective tool in deterring crime and protecting your family and home. We at Secur-Tek, Inc. partner with you to ensure you get the right system for your situation.

Please give us a call at 919.387.1800 or contact us by using the form below for a complimentary in-home consultation.

Secur-Tek, Inc. is locally owned and operated in Apex, NC, offering home and business security and monitoring. Secur-Tek also provides automation, audio, and central vacuum systems to customers in the Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Garner, Holly Springs, Durham, Raleigh, Morrisville, and Pittsboro areas.