There may always be someone who will want your valuable items. Guard against burglaries by increasing the security of your home. Read the following suggestions on increasing the safety and security in your home.

Only provide your house cleaner with a key if you trust him or her implicitly. If they need the keys and plan on being in there for more than an hour, try to ensure that they are honest, hardworking, and reputable. Go over their references and do some background research on the company they work for. If your cleaning person comes from a company, check with the BBB.

When you buy a new home, be sure to have the locks changed. You will want to have a unique combination to stay secure. To make sure your home can only be accessed by you, enlist the help of a locksmith. Give a key to someone you trust in case you get locked out.

Home security systems do more than sounding an alarm in case of a break in. They can be programmed to alert the homeowner if a person enters the home. This isn’t just for burglars; parents with young children can also use it as a valuable tool to know when their child has come inside.

Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. If they need the keys and plan on being in there for more than an hour, try to ensure that they are honest, hardworking, and reputable. Check their references very carefully. If the person is an employee of a firm, call your local BBB to check their reputation.

Buy a safe. This will keep your stash of diamonds, gold and other valuable items out of view and inaccessible to burglars. Keep the safe hidden in a hard-to-find location like an attic or a basement closet.

Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? Store the spare key with them. Stash the key on the pup’s collar to keep it out of sight. This is especially useful if the dog does not take kindly to strangers.

When placing your spare key outside for emergencies, give careful consideration to where you put it. Avoid cliched hiding places like over the door frame or beneath the doormat. Experienced criminals will check these places immediately. Try hiding your key on a lawn statue or in a potted plant.

See if your local police department offers any home inspection or other protection programs. The police can offer you some great advice, help you engrave valuables and even come check out your home. These programs can make a big difference to the security of your home, and they may just be a phone call away.

Do not allow anyone you do not know into your home. Even if this stranger has a believable story or is trying to sell you something, do not let them in. Some criminals will come in, case your house and then come back when you are away.

Hiding Spots

Be sure you have secured your attached garage. There is a way to stop thieves from entering your home from the garage. You can use a C-clamp to secure the door and prevent it from being opened by strangers.

The walls of your home make for great hiding spots. Keep small, valuable items inside the walls of your home. You can use phone jacks or electric outlets as hiding spots. You put in a fake plate if there aren’t any unused in your home.

Stashing your most precious possession right inside the walls of your home can be a great idea. You don’t have to cut out pieces of the wall to do this. Your home should have a few pre-cut areas that can be used. Why not take the guts out of an electrical socket you’re not using? You can convert it into a convenient and covert little wall safe.

You can hide your valuable items inside your walls. You don’t have to damage the walls to do so. Many spots are already cut that can be used for this purpose. Unused electrical sockets can be great for hiding expensive jewelry.

Ensure that valuables are stored in a hidden area that isn’t visible from outside your home. Though it is nice to have big windows to get a great view of the outdoors, it is also easier for burglars to look into your home. Keep your windows covered and your belongings private.

When selecting an alarm set-up, think about getting one that protects not just the doors in your home. Windows are all potential entry points for burglars. Get an alarm that will trigger if either the doors or windows are opened. Doing this will help ensure the safety of your home and loved ones.

No matter how soon you plan to return home, you should lock your doors. In a lot of cases, home intruders enter through unlocked doors. Once a thief is inside, he can steal a lot of valuables in a short amount of time.

Obtain flashlights with solid batteries, and ensure they are kept in all the rooms of your home in the event of a power outage. They give you and your family the opportunity to move around should the electricity go out. Teach your children how to use the flashlights so that everyone in your household can help.

Replace rotten wood on your door frame. Rotted wood causes a serious weakness in your home’s security because it makes it easy to pry open doors. When you see that wood is beginning to rot, replace it with new wood for better home safety.

Your first priority when you move to an apartment or house where others have lived in before is to replace all the locks. The person who used to live there may still have a key. It is possible to purchase and put in locks on your own so you can be assured you have the only keys.

Obtain flashlights with solid batteries, and ensure they are kept in all the rooms of your home in the event of a power outage. Flashlights are important for letting you navigate your home in the dark. Also show your children how to use them so they can help out in emergencies.

Before allowing someone into your house, be sure to carefully check their references. Conduct background checks if necessary. Anyone you bring into your home to work could be your worst enemy.

If you allow a security company to come to your house, make sure they appear professional and can present identification. It is simple for a thief to pose as a representative of your home security company as a means of gaining access to your house. This can be extremely dangerous to your home and loved ones. Caution is always advisable if dangers like this are to be avoided.

Keeping your house bright and lit at night will deter many crooks. They don’t want visibility. If your home is well lit, thieves won’t have any place to hide, so they may not want to steal anything from you. Keep the lights on when it’s dark.

If you need to make the outside of your home secure, you can achieve this relatively inexpensively by installing lights with motion detectors. They lights will light up your property at night and they are cost-effective and efficient. If placed strategically around the house, motion detectors can make it very tough for criminals to get to your property.

You can find an excellent home security company with a simple Internet search. Check out different websites, and read through package details and customer testimonials. Make appointments with the three best companies, and take the time to go over the details and compare them.

Keeping your home well lit at night can help keep the burglars away. They do not want to be seen. When your house is well lit, intruders have no place to hide. This makes it hard for them to get things from you. At night, keep your lights turned on to boost security.

Get a custom-designed plan that fits your needs by having the security company do a site visit in your home. Each situation is different. When you choose a company that pays close attention to detail in creating your home security plan, you will feel very secure.

Checking out security firms online is a great idea. Browse through different websites and seek out customer reviews about different services and packages. Once you do this, make appointments with the three best companies you find so that you can compare pricing and other important details.

Feel Safe

If a friend picks up your mail while you’re away, have them check for fliers on your door. Often burglars will place these at homes and wait to see if people take them down. Fliers that are not removed let the burglar know that the home is vacant.

What do you need to personally feel safe? Although these systems can protect you and your family, not everybody needs them. In some situations, having a good dog and/or learning some self defense may be all that you really need to feel safe. Understanding your neighborhood, risks and budget constraints can help you to make the best choices.

Try to stay away from spring latch locks. These locks can be opened easily with a credit card. Intruders can just wedge the credit card in between the latch and the door, causing it to open. If this is the kind of lock on your doors, strongly consider adding a deadbolt for safety.

Wireless alarm systems are a great investment. While a wired system is more affordable, it also requires more extreme modifications of your home’s existing wiring. This could be a potential problem in the event that your power goes out. The easy of installation and maintenance when it comes to wireless set-ups makes them the best bet.

When you’re dealing with a security company that provides you with significant equipment to install, ask about the benefits and drawbacks of buying versus leasing. Buying equipment can be pricey upfront, but it’s a single cost versus a monthly cost. Leasing is usually cheaper, but monthly fees can be high and you will need a contract. Explore both options to see which works best for you.

Be prepared for the worst rather than going along blithely believing home intrusion can never happen to you. Take steps so that you won’t have to be afraid. Keep these ideas in mind as you go about boosting the security of your home.

Keep valuables that are irreplaceable secure. Some examples include legal documents, expensive jewelry, financial records, passports and family pictures. Floor safes are excellent locations for keeping these particular items safe inside your home. For added safety, place them in a safety deposit box at your bank.