Homeowners need to secure their homes to keep their families safe. Home invasions are becoming very common, and other thing like flood and fire can damage your home. Continue reading to educate yourself on home-security strategies to keep your home and loved ones safe from all potential threats.

You should always make sure your home looks like its occupied. Buy timers so things will go on and off at different times. This will make your home look like someone is in it. This is great for keeping a home safer from burglaries.

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. Of course, your dog has to be an outdoor dog (or you at least need to have a doggy door) for this to work. You can attach a copy of your key to the dog’s collar, so when you need that spare, you’ve got one handy!

You can hide your spare key on your dog. Really this works only if you have a pet door or if your dog is an outdoor dog. Store a spare key within your dogs collar so you always have access to your home.

Do you keep your dog outdoors when you go out? Your furry friend is also a great storage place for your extra key. Attach the key to the dog’s collar so that it is hidden from view. This is very effective if your pet is afraid of strangers; therefore, burglars are not very likely to notice the key.

Be very cautious about entrusting a maid service with a key to your home. Before you give a cleaner full access to your home for extended periods of time, you have to be certain that they’re trustworthy and reliable. Check out their references thoroughly. If you hire a cleaner who works for a company, speak with your local BBB about the company’s reliability.

Buy fire resistant flooring, roofing and ceiling. This will make your home more safe, especially if you are in a dry climate that has many power lines. Fire prevention should be taken seriously because it can stop a major disaster from happening.

Home security systems aren’t just about sounding alarms. Many systems can be used to go off whenever anyone enters your home. Parents riding herd on small children will be thankful for this feature which makes it harder for kids to sneak outside without supervision.

Do not tell anyone that you are going on vacation out of your friend circle. This can indicate that your home will be free and vulnerable during the time.

Never open the door for a stranger. Burglars have many clever ways to convince householders to open the door. Create the rule that you just open a door to people that you expect to arrive.

Trust your instincts when it comes to hiring a home security company. This is especially true if you are uneasy with those who are installing the actual system. Make sure that the installer has experience installing your type of security system. Do some background research on the company you select, and look for people who make you feel safe.

Even if you have a great security system, it must be checked annually. Ask someone from your security company to come over and have a look. Mother Nature and wild animals can also cause issues with your home security system. If you cannot see a problem, you might not know one exists.

Always lock your home, regardless of how short your trip out is. A lot of times, burglaries happen due to carelessness. A thief could steal all your valuables in only a few minutes.

Use motion sensors on exterior lighting. They turn on only if someone is nearby. Not only will you know that someone is out there, it will also deter burglars because they want to be inconspicuous. Just remember to change out the bulbs every so often so the lights remain in working order.

When you choose an alarm system, pick one that offers protection that goes beyond the doors. Your windows should also be protected because burglars can also break into them. Attach the alarm to each window and ask for monitoring for them. This is vital to keeping your family safe.

When moving into a house, ensure that each lock has been replaced. As nice as the previous person may seem, you don’t really know them. Many other people could have keys to the property, and you probably don’t want them to all have access to your home.

While an alarm system or other security measures can make your home much safer, you must be sure that your security wiring isn’t exposed. Many intruders bypass a security system by cutting the wires. Hide them in the walls or bury them underground to keep people from tampering with them. This will add security.

Always ask for references before letting a contractor or a maid in your home. A background check may also be a good idea. It is not a good idea to give anyone a key to your home, even contractors or repairmen.

Make sure your flashlights have charged batteries and are found throughout your home. Flashlights are very important, as they will give you the ability to move around in the event of an emergency. Make sure your whole family knows where to find them and how to operate them.

If you buy something that is expensive, you need to make sure you don’t leave empty boxes curbside. This will show that you have expensive equipment in your home. When you have emptied the boxes, make sure you cut them up.

A simple way to increase your home security is to add motion lights around the house. Motion detection lights will turn on as soon as something or someone enters your yard. They also help to keep intruders away, because an intruder does not want to come close to your property if they know they might be spotted.

Can someone standing in the middle of the street see clearly your house numbers? In the event of an emergency, police officers may have trouble finding your house if they cannot read your address numbers. Fortunately, this is something that can be corrected quickly and cheaply.

Having a bright and lit-up home at night deters crooks. They want to avoid being seen. If your house is well-lit, criminals will be hard pressed to be able to go undetected. Keep lights on during the night.

If you want to keep certain rooms in your home private, you don’t need to lock every door with a key. You can instead get key-less locks that work using a code. They are fairly simple to install, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing so yourself, you can ask your home security company about it.

For improved security, put your home under video surveillance. Video camera installation can effectively make your home secure. Visible cameras scare intruders while a hidden camera could capture footage. It is possible to use your cell phone to look at your surveillance camera, meaning you can see your house when you’re gone.

Do not purchase spring latch locks. These locks are the simplest ones to breach, since they are able to be opened by using just a credit card. Intruders simply wedge a credit card between the door and latch, triggering the lock to open. If you are already using locks that operate on spring latches, improve your security by adding a deadbolt.

Due to all of the threats your home is vulnerable to, every homeowner needs to work to ensure the safety of it. This article has great ideas that will keep your home safe from almost any threat. Use all the tips you read and do more research on home security.

When you aren’t home, be sure to close your blinds, curtains or shades. Keeping them up can let intruders see directly inside your home. They may break in if they see things they like. Your window dressing should also be closed while you sleep.