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Ordering a package and waiting for it to arrive should be relatively simple, but that’s not always the case. Unfortunately, you have to contend with the possibility of a thief taking your package before you’ve had a chance to see it yourself

Read on to learn how to keep your packages from getting stolen and what steps you can take to prevent package theft.

1. Install an Outdoor Security Camera

Installing a security camera on your property serves more than one purpose when it comes to package security. For one thing, it allows you to monitor the package delivery and record exactly what has happened if a thief should swipe the package from your doorstep.

And it can serve as a deterrent if you mount the camera in plain sight for would-be package snatchers to see.

Many higher-end cameras offer live feeds and two-way audio so you can communicate with a delivery person when they drop off your package. Additionally, some cameras have motion sensors that will notify your phone if anybody comes within range of the camera, and you can even activate an alarm manually to deter a thief.

No matter which model of security camera you go with, choose one with a high resolution in case you need to review footage to identify a thief.

2. Install a Doorbell Camera

If you want a less conspicuous solution, a video doorbell camera is a great way to covertly record anyone who sets foot on your doorstep. Many smart doorbells offer two-way audio and smartphone alerts that will step up security beyond simple video recording.

This way, you can keep tabs on people at your door in case of any unwanted guests.

Depending on which model you choose, doorbell cameras have several attractive features to consider. Some have facial recognition, night vision recording, and customizable motion detection, which can determine whether an animal, car, or person has activated the sensor. By knowing which features you want, you can easily choose the model you need.

3. Have Packages Delivered to Your Workplace

If you’re worried about a package arriving at your home while you’re at work, why not just have the package come to you? Most deliveries occur during business hours; therefore, it’s only logical to assume that you’d be at work when your delivery arrives.

If you change the delivery address to your office, you simplify the situation and reduce the chance of your package falling into the wrong hands.

Workplaces are often easier to locate than individual residences, so that’s a definite plus. However, if your workplace is large, you may risk your package getting mixed up in the chaos of a busy mailroom.

Consider the specifics of your workplace (such as opening hours and delivery logistics) before opting for a work delivery, as it can backfire if you aren’t careful.

4. Use a Smart Locker

Many convenience stores offer package protection lockers, such as Amazon Lockers, that can keep your packages safe. When you use a smart locker, your packages are dropped off in a secure location near you until you’re available to pick them up.

To pick them up, you simply enter a code into the locker to retrieve your items. This eliminates the need to leave your package unattended on your property.

Although this is a very safe option, it adds the task of retrieving your package to your to-do list. While this may not seem attractive for people who are short on time, the security advantages that come with using a smart locker speak for themselves.

Check with your package delivery service to see where the nearest smart lockers are in your area.

5. Require a Signature Upon Delivery

Requiring a signature upon delivery is a package theft prevention option available through most major delivery services, including UPS and FedEx. Although it may not be convenient for you to be there in person when a package is delivered, it may be worth it if the contents are especially valuable or important.

Requiring a signature upon delivery allows you to be in full control so your package is placed in your hands rather than left unattended.

Most importantly, couriers who deliver a package under this specification are obligated to follow certain protocols. If anything goes wrong (for example, if no signature was received or the package was left unattended), the delivery company is at fault. This is an added incentive to ensure your package is delivered securely.

6. Reroute Your Package for Secure Delivery

With modern technology, you can track where your package is and when it should arrive. Based on that information, you can contact your delivery person and have your package rerouted to a trusted neighbor or family member so it arrives safely in the hands of someone you know.

This is a great option if you work during business hours and can’t be at home to receive a package during daytime delivery hours.

The bottom line: If you have a neighbor you trust, you gain peace of mind from knowing your package has arrived and is in good hands. Rerouting may incur a small cost, or you can purchase a premium membership from delivery services that gives you package rerouting for an annual fee.

Whether you’re a homeowner or you’re deciding where to live, safety is of the utmost importance. You need to understand the precautions you should take given the area you live in and know ways to improve the safety of you and your family.

Thankfully, several tools can help you understand the safety of your neighborhood. These apps and websites will help you understand the types of crime commonly reported in your area so you know how to best secure your home and stay safe in your neighborhood.

Use these tools in conjunction with an alarm system, video doorbells, smart locks, and alarm monitoring services to keep your property and family safe, as well as give you greater peace of mind at home.

These tools can also be helpful when you’re looking at potential neighborhoods to live in. You can explore neighborhood features like crime rate, schools, and walkability before you even begin looking at houses or apartments there.

Whether you’re looking to stay safe in your own neighborhood or searching for a new one, here are nine apps and websites to help you determine how safe your neighborhood is.

9 Tools to See How Safe Your Neighborhood Is

1. CrimeReports

CrimeReports offers a focused approach to area security. You can search for crime reports by entering a specific address, making this website ideal for investigating potential areas to move to or checking what’s happening around your current home. Local law enforcement agencies regularly update the information online to ensure users have access to the most recent crime information.

CrimeReports has two additional helpful features: Users can submit crime tips to local law enforcement, and they can sign up to receive crime alerts so they are always aware of crime in their area.

Access to the website is free, but CrimeReports does require you to sign up as a member to receive alerts.

2. AreaVibes

If you’re looking for an easy and efficient way to get a general overview of a neighborhood, check out AreaVibes. It factors in multiple data points—such as schools, cost of living, and crime rates—to give areas an overall “liveability” score out of 100. The app provides a simple way to get a sense of the community you’re living in or considering moving to.

To use AreaVibes, visit the website and enter the address, neighborhood name, or zip code of the area you’re searching for. You can also find specific information through the Neighborhoods section, such as the local crime statistics and how they compare to the national averages.

Although it is necessary to create an account, the AreaVibes app is free to use.

3. FamilyWatchdog

FamilyWatchdog is a free service designed to help users identify registered sex offenders in their neighborhoods. The website is easy to use and comprehensive. Users can search by area or by entering the names of specific individuals.

If you search by area, the site will generate a map with color-coded pins to indicate the different types of sexual offenders located within that zone. Clicking on these pins gives you more detailed information, including pictures (when available) of the registered sex offenders.

A standout feature of the FamilyWatchdog website is the option to sign up for its notification service, which will alert you when a sex offender moves to your neighborhood.

4. Nextdoor

Nextdoor is a free website that essentially functions as an online community watch group.

Once you create an account, you are able to join your neighborhood’s Nextdoor group. Here, you can discuss local events, make recommendations, and share crime and safety information by posting about incidents in the area. You can also use a filter for streamlined viewing if you only want to see posts about crime.

Typically only residents of a community have access to a neighborhood’s Nextdoor, so it’s not ideal for scouting potential new locations to live in. However, if you want to connect with your existing neighbors and stay up-to-date about your community, then Nextdoor is the site for you.

5. NeighborhoodScout

NeighborhoodScout is an accessible website that aims to increase your knowledge of the area you live in. You can create custom searches for real-time information about a specific area. The site also provides any relevant information pertaining to the searched area, including violent crime, property crime statistics, and local school information.

When you request information, NeighborhoodScout compares the search to other neighborhoods in various cities, as well as to state and national averages. This means the information is relevant and can help you make more informed decisions. While access to the website and information on a state and city level is free, NeighborhoodScout charges a monthly subscription for neighborhood and school information.

6. SpotCrime

SpotCrime is a free platform you can use to view crime data within a city or suburb. It collects, interprets, and shares data with users by mapping out crimes and providing relevant information about them. SpotCrime collects its data from local law enforcement agencies, news reports, and local users.

The mapping clearly marks the types of crimes and where the crimes occurred with an easy to understand index. SpotCrime displays reports ranging from arrests and arson to burglary and shootings. This platform also alerts users via email and social media to any new crimes that occur within specified areas.

7. National Sex Offender Public Website

The National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) is a user-friendly website that’s especially helpful when parents are looking at possible neighborhoods to move to. When you search for a specific area, you’re able to see up-to-date information about registered sex offenders nearby, and you can even view their photographs. The website is also helpful for parents who want to be aware of registered sex offenders in their current neighborhood.

Both the app and the website are free to use, and both provide clear and concise information on how to navigate the platform. NSOPW further provides parents with crucial pieces of advice on how to protect themselves and their kids from any potential harassment that they may experience.

8. Moving.com’s City Profile Reports

Moving.com’s City Profile Reports provides users with free, detailed, and relevant information about any neighborhood. The profile reports allow you to see info on local schools, crime statistics, the average cost of living, and other crucial information.

Moving.com allows for easy comparisons between cities, making it a great tool to use if you’re considering a move. This comparison helps users understand how their new neighborhood compares to others.

Moving.com ensures that information is up-to-date by updating its databases annually from several sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Internal Revenue Service statistics, local law enforcement agencies, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

9. CrimeMapping.com

Multiple law enforcement agencies voluntarily upload their crime information to CrimeMapping.com’s database, which lets you search for crimes around an address or in a state near a particular agency. Searches can be filtered by date, area, and type of crime.

You can also set email alerts for certain types of crimes in any area.. CrimeMapping.com is continuously updated, and the number of contributors is growing.

You have several choices of apps, websites, and technologies that can help you stay safe in your neighborhood. Now, all there is to do is to pick one!

Ready to install your new Lyric thermostat? Here’s our step-by-step guide:

1. Before you start, look at the walls surrounding your Lyric thermostat to see if you’ll have to cover up any holes or damaged paint that will be exposed when you install the new thermostat. Now’s the time to make those repairs.
2. Make sure your package contains the following: thermostat, wall plate, mounting screws, back plate. The wall plate (pictured, second from left) is optional, allowing you to cover marks left by the old thermostat.
   
3. Have the following tools close at hand:
   – Phillips-head screwdriver
   – Small screwdriver or pen
   – Pencil
4. Locate your circuit breaker and turn off your heating/AC system. Verify the power is off by going to your thermostat and trying to increase and decrease the temperature. If the system responds to the change in temperature, that means it’s NOT powered off.
   
5. Now that your system is powered off, you can remove the face plate from your old thermostat. Most will simply pop off without a need for a screwdriver, but if the wall panel is mounted by screws, unscrew it.
6. You should see a bunch of wires. Every thermostat uses a different wiring setup, so it’s important to know which wires are compatible and which aren’t. Take a picture of the configuration with your smart device for later reference. If they don’t already have labels, label the wires with some tape.
   
7. Note the voltage of your system.
   – Do you have thick black wires connected with wire nuts?
   – Is your thermostat 110 volts or higher? If you answered yes to either of those questions, you have a line voltage system. Unfortunately, the Lyric thermostat is NOT compatible with this system, you can only use thermostats specifically designed for line voltage systems.
8. Unscrew the rest of your thermostat (the back plate and wall plate) from the wall.
9. Now you can begin installing your Honeywell Lyric thermostat.

   Bundle the wires into one group, then feed the wires through the base plate and screw your thermostat into the wall.

   Feeding them through the wall plate is much slower.
10. Make sure the thermostat is level by observing the small green bubble. If the bubble is in between the two lines, you’re good to start handling the wiring.

    
    

    Also, insert the included AAA battery if you haven’t done so already.
11. Screw the Lyric’s wall plate into the wall. The included screws are specially designed for the Lyric thermostat and are self-anchoring.
12. Download the Honeywell Lyric app to view a diagram of where your wires need to go. Everyone has a different wiring situation, so the app is a great resource to help you out. The Lyric Round is different from the Honeywell WiFi thermostat in that the Lyric doesn’t have an A/C wire. It’s more similar to the way you install the Nest thermostat.
13. To insert wires, slide each wire into its corresponding terminal and check that it is secure by gently tugging. Wires should go into the terminal about a quarter of an inch.

    

    To take out wires, gently push down on the terminal tab(s) with your pen or small screwdriver as you pull the wire.

14. The Lyric app will also tell you whether each of the sliders on the left and right should be up or down, depending on your R wire installation.
15. Once the wires are in place, put the face plate back on by gently pressing it to the wall plate.
16. Return to your circuit breaker and give power back to your heat/AC system. If everything works correctly, the Lyric will glow as it starts up. The startup process takes around 3 minutes.
17. When you see your unique network name, press the “OK” button to begin configuring your thermostat. Use the Lyric app on your smartphone or tablet to do so.

    
    If you do not see a unique network name, press and hold the Weather icon on the left for 5 seconds to reset.

18. If you have an Android device, locate the Lyric’s network name on the list within the Lyric app. For iOS devices, connect to the thermostat by looking through your wireless networks and connecting to the network belonging to your Lyric device.
    

Honeywell Lyric Thermostat Features

Springtime weather in New England can get crazy sometimes. One day it’s a toasty 70 degrees and people are wearing shorts and flip-flops, and then the next day, everyone is putting on their snow boots and donning thick winter parkas.

Old thermostats just can’t handle that kind of rapid change in weather, especially when we aren’t always at home to adjust the temperature ourselves.

The result? High heating bills and wasted energy.

TheLyric smart thermostatcan help. Consider these incredible benefits:

• Honeywell Home App: The Lyric thermostat fully integrates with your security system through a free app on your smartphone or tablet.

  
  The app allows you to save easy templates for common occurrences that you can use each day, like a sequence for leaving home to go to work or another as you’re about to go to bed.

  You can also receive push notifications reminding you of filter changes, notifying you of high and low humidity levels, and warning you of extreme indoor temperatures.

• Location-Based Temperature Control: Lyric thermostat uses the GPS location on your smartphone to know when you’re away from home and saves on energy in the process.
  
  Through Geofence technology, the thermostat anticipates your return and helps make sure the climate at your home is comfortable upon arrival.

  You can set this for any member of your family should your children be getting home earlier than you are.

• Humidity and Temperature Control: It’s not the heat but the humidity that will get to you. For this reason, this savvy security equipment views and adjusts the humidity levels in your home.

  This way 70° always feels like 70°, and you reduce the risk of warping wood furniture, antiques, or musical instruments.
  

For additional help installing your thermostat, contact your local HVAC company to assist you.

There are several reasons why you might want to rekey your locks, for home security purposes or to consolidate the number of keys you need for your home.

When considering rekeying a lock you may think that your only option is to call a locksmith. But, if you know your way around a toolbox, you can probably do it yourself.

What Does Rekeying a Lock Mean?

Traditional locks found on doorknobs and deadbolts are called pin and tumbler locks. These locks use multiple springs and pins that allow a matching key shape to unlock the lock. For a key to work in a lock, its configuration must match that of the lock.

So, when you want to rekey your lock, you will need to disassemble the lock and remove and replace the existing pins with new ones that match the new key’s configuration.

When Should You Rekey a Lock?

One of the main reasons for performing a “rekey” is to reduce the number of keys you need for your home. Maybe it happened over time, or with various owners, or an evolution of different locks being added, but you can end up with a lot of different keys for a single home.

Having a single key that will open all of your locks is much more convenient than having to deal with several keys.

Improving Home Security

Another reason to rekey your locks is for better home security. New homeowners often rekey their locks after buying the home to make sure that they are the only ones with working keys.

Over the life of a home, keys have likely been duplicated for family members, friends, and service professionals. So it’s a good idea to “wipe the slate clean” and ensure that you know exactly who has access to your home.

New Construction

The same goes for newly-constructed homes. Keys are frequently given to contractors during the construction process, and unfortunately, you never know who could have gone out and made a copy.

Rental Properties

It is also standard practice for landlords who are renting a home or apartment to rekey the locks after the previous tenant moves out. This provides both the landlord and the new tenant peace of mind that the lock is new and no one else has a key.

When to Replace vs. Rekey a Lock

You may be wondering if you should replace your lock instead of rekeying it. There are benefits to both.

Rekeying a lock is typically more cost-effective than replacing the lock.

In some cases replacing your lock is a necessity. For instance, if you lost a key, the lock is damaged, or you are unable to rekey it.

Replacing a lock is more expensive and may not perfectly match the look of the other locks in your home. However, the main advantage of replacing a lock is that you are getting new hardware, the opportunity to customize its appearance as well as upgrade your level of security with a more advanced lock.

Keyless deadbolts or smart locks are a new technology that is becoming increasingly popular among homeowners. Smart locks do not require the use of a key, but are controlled electronically through your smartphone.

Another reason you may want to replace versus rekey, is if you want to use the same type of lock by the same manufacturer throughout the house.

Trying to match all of your locks to one of the older locks in your home may be difficult since style and security features change over time. To create “universality” between locks, it makes sense to start with a quality lock and replace them all at the same time.

How to Rekey a Lock

You have a few options when it comes to rekeying a lock.

Hire a Locksmith

Yes, it will be more expensive, but you can rest assured that the job will be done professionally and correctly. Most locksmiths charge a flat fee for their service and then add on an additional cost for every extra lock that needs to be rekeyed.

If you are looking for a professional rekeying, but don’t want the expense that comes with a house call, you can take your lock off from your door and bring it to the local locksmith or hardware store to be rekeyed.

This is a less expensive option, it just requires that you remove the whole lock from your door and bring in the corresponding key.

Purchase a Rekey Kit

The other option is to purchase a rekey kit made specifically for your brand of lock and do the job yourself. A rekey kit will cost you anywhere from $10 to $25 per lock, making it relatively cost-effective.

These kits can be purchased online or at your local hardware store. They include everything you need to rekey your lock yourself. If you are confident in your do-it -yourself skills, this is an excellent option to save money.

Each lock brand is different, but the concept behind rekeying is the same. Here are the basic steps on how to rekey a lock:

1. Remove the knob by using the wire tool included in your kit.
2. Remove the lock cylinder housing by pushing the cylinder out the back of the knob.
3. Using the included retainer ring tool, push the tool against the retainer ring to pop it off.
4. Remove the cylinder plug from the cylinder by using the old key to turn it to the left or right.
5. Reassemble the lock by matching the colored pins to the color code in the kit. This will require some tiny pliers or tweezers and particular attention to the included instructions.

Whether you choose to rekey your lock yourself, have it done professionally, or replace it, the benefits of having new locks and fewer keys are convenience and better home security.

Hurricanes put your home at extreme risk for damage, especially the windows. High winds or flying debris can easily break through your windows, exposing your home to the elements and sending shards of broken glass into you home.

Here are some ways to help hurricane-proof your windows.

Preparation

When it comes to hurricanes, the most important thing you can do is prepare for the worst so that you can protect your home and family. If you live in a hurricane prone area, you need to take the necessary steps to make sure that your home is equipped and prepared for these dangerous storms.

Ways to Reinforce your Windows Against Storms

Install Hurricane Grade Windows – You can purchase special hurricane grade windows that are designed to withstand the intense winds that accompany hurricanes and other big storms.

Keep in mind that since these windows are built much sturdier than a traditional window, they will cost you more money. That being said, they are well worth the investment since you don’t have any additional preparation to do when a hurricane hits.

Install Storm Shutters – Storm shutters are permanently attached to your home’s windows and can be deployed when necessary. When there is a threat of a storm, you need only pull the shutters down to protect the windows.

There are several different styles, colors, and materials that storm shutters can be made of. If you are unsure which type of storm shutter will work best for your home, you should consult with a professional before purchasing to make sure that you have the right coverage for your windows.

Storm shutters are one of the pricier options for hurricane-proofing your windows. However, if you live in an area where hurricanes are prevalent, it will be well worth the investment.

Plywood – Plywood is a sturdy way to protect your windows during a severe storm. Plywood can be screwed onto your windows before the storm to provide a solid, protective barrier.

You will need to make sure that the plywood overlaps the windows by at least 8 inches all around and that you use heavy duty screws to secure it.

If the plywood is undamaged after a storm, it can be stored away and used for the next hurricane. This is a cost-effective method of protecting your windows, but you will need to make sure you prepare well in advance, so you have time to get every window secured before the storm hits.