Q: New homes under construction are often a target for burglars, but what about homes undergoing renovations? Are there any extra precautions homeowners can take?
A: Anytime you do work like that, you should go with licensed contractors because they’re usually insured, and check references. It does feel awkward; people want to be trusting, and it makes me nervous when I do that as well, but it’s just one of those things you make sure you do when you hire someone. It’s your home and your property you’re trying to protect, so really check references. If you’re going to have a lot of unknown people and foot traffic through your house, you should secure your valuables and anything lying around just to be on the safe side. Sometimes with the alarm, you can do temporary alarm codes that are not the code you normally use, so when that code is used to enter your house, you know where it came from. You can also build in a time limit to the code, and erase it when you’re done. Also, make sure somebody’s home. If both people are working, have a friend there to make sure there’s a presence in the house.
