Houston Home Maintenance Tips

How do you match up to our Houston Home Security Checklist?

We here at John Moore Services are excited to have recently rolled out our new home security division. Serving the greater Houston area since 1965, we understand the security issues faced by Houston area homeowners every day, and we're glad to be able to offer the latest and greatest in home security systems to protect the people and things that matter most to you.

To kickstart our new home security services, we're challenging you to take a look at your own home's security situation. Here are a number of common household security tasks that, sadly, we often forget about:

• Keep exterior doors locked at all times. Even if you're only walking down the street to check the mail, bring a key with you, and lock the door. A neighbor may strike up a conversation with you, and you might leave your home unattended for 20 minutes before you realize what you've done.
• Install peepholes on exterior doors. Equally as important, make sure everyone in your home can reach the peephole. If necessary, park a footstool next to your doors, so younger children can still see outside.
• Install deadbolt locks on exterior doors. One lock may be easier to pick, but a deadbolt is inaccessible to someone outside trying to get in.
• Entrust your extra house key to a reliable neighbor. Rather than leaving your spare key under your doormat, potted plant, or whatever stereotypical place you choose, handing it off to a trustworthy neighbor, friend, or family member can guarantee greater safety.
• Keep garage doors closed at all times. You might think that no one will be interested in the piles of junk in your garage, but that doesn't mean vagrants won't be tempted. Make sure no one outside your household (and that trusted neighbor or friend who has your spare key) knows the passcode to your garage door.
• Keep all windows locked. Unlike in other areas of the country, most of us in the Houston area keep our windows closed year-round, but if you decide to open them on a pleasantly cool Fall or Spring day, make sure to close it and lock it once you're done enjoying the great outdoors.
• Turn on outdoor lights at night. This can help deter unwanted visitors, including small animals you may not want roaming through your shrubs.
• Never leave bicycles or other toys outside. Teach your kids to bring outdoor toys back into the garage when they're not using them, even if they're just going inside for lunch before resuming playtime. Someone passing your front yard can snatch a beloved bike or pair of roller skates without you even noticing.
• Keep an inventory of your home's possessions. Tools like Evernote are great for keeping a visual list of the items in your house. While we all hope we won't fall victim to burglaries, floods, or other catastrophes, it's vitally important to be prepared.

Optimal home security involves all members of your household. To get your kids interested, turn home security education into a game with prizes. Just as you may pay them an allowance if they do chores around the house, reward them when they remember to lock doors, turn front porch lights on, and undertake whatever security measures your family has agreed on. Give them regular home security "tests," and reward them when they get the answers right. It'll go a long way toward protecting them now and when they're grown up and have homes of their own.

While home security certainly involves more than just installing an alarm, a state-of-the-art home security system can give you that added peace of mind you need to get a good night's sleep every night, whether you're sleeping in your home or are away. To inquire about the options available to you, contact us to speak to a Houston home security installation specialist today.