It’s important to do your homework in order to make an informed decision with regards to home security. You must plan carefully before making this decision. You need to pay close attention to the security and safety needs of your family.

Once you buy a house, switch out the locks. The previous owners or tenants might have made several copies of the key. You want to be sure that you’re the only one with a key. This is also the thing to do if you lose the keys.

Have your dog protect the spare key. If your dog lives outside or is able to come and go through a dog door, this is a viable idea. Hide a key inside the collar of your dog in case you need a spare.

Do you allow your dog to stay in your yard while you are away? This is where you can put your spare key. Attach your spare key inside the collar of your dog. If your dog doesn’t like strangers, it’s even better.

Make sure that you change the locks once you’ve taken possession of the house. You never know how many copies of the keys the previous owners made and handed out. Changing the locks will give you peace of mind that you and your family are the only ones who have access to your home. Also, if you ever lose your keys, do the same.

There are more features to a home alarm system besides making sounds when people break in. Many can be set for sounding their alarm if anyone enters. If you have little ones wandering about the house, this makes it easy for you to know if they have come in or gone out.

Is your dog outside even if you are away? If so, you can use your dog to hide your spare key. Put the key on the dog’s collar. This works very well if you have a pet that is not very fond of strangers. You will get the access you need without having to worry about your safety.

Comparison shopping is essential when seeking a security system for the home. Prices can be very different from one product to another. Get quotes from several companies so that you can get the best price for your home security system.

There are more features to a home alarm system besides making sounds when people break in. The majority of systems will give an audible alert when someone enters the house. Parents riding herd on small children will be thankful for this feature which makes it harder for kids to sneak outside without supervision.

If you keep a spare key outside to prevent yourself from being locked-out, think carefully about where you hide it. Too many people put their extra key under the mat in front of their door; burglars know to check there. For a better solution, try tucking your spare key into your dog’s collar, provided you have an outside dog.

Police Department

The materials of your home should be fire resistant. This ensures your home won’t be a tinderbox. Keeping fire hazards away is a great safety precaution since fire can cause lots of destruction.

Check with the police department in your town for home security tips and advice. Several in various jurisdictions have programs which entail providing a home inspection, what protective measures will help your home and even how to engrave valuable items to make them easier to recover. Contact the police department to see if they have something similar.

Don’t let everyone in your social network know that you are leaving the home unprotected for your vacation trip; especially the people who you aren’t familiar with. Although it’s fun to talk about, posting it online makes it more possible for criminals to find out when you’re gone.

Motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home is a great idea. This type of light will come on when they detect motion within a certain distance of your home. You will be alerted when there is activity outside, and any potential burglars will be deterred because they do not want to be seen. Just remember that you must change the bulbs often in order to keep the lights working in order.

Turn the ringer off on your telephone if you are going to be away. If your phone rings and is not being answered, criminals will realize that you’re away.

Walls are excellent hiding spots. Small items of value can be hidden for safety in your home’s walls. Just take advantage of the phone jack, electrical outlet or unused switch plate. If there are no unused plates, you can easily install fake ones.

Don’t hide an extra key under a rock or in a planter. You might think that you are providing yourself a safe way into the house if you misplace your keys, but you are really inviting attackers inside. Burglars are familiar with these hiding spots. You should have a trusted neighbor keep a spare key.

When in the process of selecting an alarm system, you should select a system that protects more than simply the doors of your home. Burglars can gain entry through your windows as well. Every single entry point needs to have monitoring on it. You want the best security possible for your family.

Make sure that none of your valuables can be seen from the outside. Open curtains allow people to see inside your home and see exactly what you have. Windows facing the street need to be covered to keep inside possessions safe.

Motion sensitive lights are an inexpensive way to increase your home’s security. In the dark hours, these lights will provide the illumination necessary to protect your home and also save money by staying off when they’re not needed. If positioned correctly on the exterior of your home, the motion detectors make it virtually impossible for an intruder to sneak onto your property.

Always lock your home, regardless of how short your trip out is. A lot of times, burglaries happen due to carelessness. It does not take long for thieves to steal your expensive stuff.

Having read the article above, you should now have a better idea about home security. It’s useless to enter into home security blindly. You want to make sure that you adequately protect you and your family. You should use the tips from this article to protect your home.

Make sure you have several flashlights that are charged and ready to go in the event of a power outage. The flashlights are important because they make you able to get around the house in an emergency. Train kids how to use the flashlights so that everyone may contribute.