Every homeowner needs to take active steps to maintain home security. Sadly. burglaries are all too common, as are fires and floods. Read the tips in this article to make sure that you family is safe from outside threats.

When you buy a new home, be sure to have the locks changed. The person who previously owned the home may have made copies of keys. To make sure you are the sole person with access to the home, engage the services of a locksmith. Also, if you lose your keys, change the locks.

Always make your house appear to be occupied. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. This will make your home look like someone is in it. This is just one of the many precautions you can take to secure your home.

Turn the ringers off on all your phones if you will be away for a prolonged period of time. A constantly ringing phone can signal to a burglar that the house is vacant, making it an easy target for their criminal activities.

Invest in a safe in order to secure very valuable items. You can’t have your valuable personal items and jewelry out in the open for anyone to see. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.

If you have an attached garage, don’t forget to secure it as well. It is possible for an intruder to get in the garage and then gain access to the house; however, you can do something about it. Try putting a C-clamp on your garage door track. This will stop the door from rising if you want to keep it closed.

Aim to purchase fire-resistant ceilings, roofs and floors. These materials will protect your home from both internal fires and the spread of fires that start on other properties. Investing in fire-resistant materials will help you save a lot since a fire can cause extensive damage.

Walls are great for hiding things. You should think about hiding certain small valuables within your walls. All you have to do is place them behind any unused phone jack, electrical outlet or switch plate. If you haven’t got any plates that are unused, simply install a false switch plate.

Do not open your door for strangers. People try many ways to convince others to open up their doors so that they can commit burglary or worse. Create the rule that you just open a door to people that you expect to arrive.

Always lock your house, even if you are only going to be away for a few minutes. It may be shocking, but many home invasions and burglaries occur by intruders walking through the front door that was left open. A thief can take plenty of valuables in minutes.

Contact the local police department to find out more about the protection programs they offer. These programs may include engraving identification codes on your valuables, home inspections, and advice about home security. A quick call to the non-emergency number at the police station in your town will tell you all you need to know.

Purchase an alarm system that has a few “bells and whistles;” you don’t just need protection for your doors. Windows offer easy access to a potential thief. Be sure your alarm is secured to them all and that monitoring is in place for every point of entry. This can mean the difference between a safe home and one that is an easy target.

Security System

If you have just bought any pricey new goods, never toss the boxes onto the curb prior to the garbage man’s arrival. If you set these boxes out with the trash, thieves will know you have expensive items in your house.

It is important that you check your home security system periodically, at least once a year. A security professional should visit to help with the testing process. 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 get references from anyone you are considering hiring to do work inside your home. Perform a background check to learn about their criminal history, too. Someone can seem nice and professional on the outside, but they may not be so nice on the inside.

Try not to have a shy attitude. Speak with your neighbors and friends in the area. Keep an eye on their houses and yards and request that they return the favor. Pay attention to gossip as well. While this is unorthodox, it may clue you into a possible home security threat.

You can keep intruders away by always having your house lit up. Most intruders avoid anything that could reveal their identity. When you have a well-lit home, crooks won’t be able to hide and it will be hard for them to break in undetected. Thus, you should always keep lights on at nighttime.

Walls can serve as a handy hiding place. Jewelry and other small items can be protected very well when placed in hiding places in your walls. Repurpose phone jacks and electrical outlets as tiny wall safes. Installing a false unused plate is very easy to do if your home doesn’t have one.

As the company that is doing your home security how long they’ve been providing this service. It doesn’t take long for a quality company to prove itself in the security business, and you should look for a track record of satisfied customers and successful work. Whenever you know you aren’t doing business with a fly-by-night company, you will be more assured your home is protected.

Be sure your valuables are not visible from the outside of your house. Having large windows in front of your home may be a great way to see what is happening outside, but it can also give crooks a view inside your home. By reducing visibility into your home, you protect your belongings, safety, and you improve the interior beauty of your home.

You should think about your own safety when comparing different home security options. Generic systems aren’t for everyone. Sometimes you may just want to invest in a dog or self-defense classes. Think about your risk factor when making a decision.

Many things can be threats to your home, which is why you need a good security system. This piece is replete with useful tips on safeguarding any home. Give all of them a try in order to make your home as safe as it can be.

Buy a paper shredder. Thieves can get lots of information simply by looking through your trash. If you can not afford to purchase a paper shredder, just rip the paper into smaller pieces.