Regardless of whether you own a home or rent one, you want your place to be as safe as possible. There are many ways to add to the security of your living space. Continue reading to find out how you can make your home a much safer environment.

Place the spare key that you make on your dog. However, this method is only effective if your dog is large, scary, and stays outdoors. Simply affix a spare key to the collar of the animal. You’ll always have a backup plan if you lose your key!

It is crucial that you change the locks as soon as you move into a new residence. The person who previously owned the home may have made copies of keys. Speak with a locksmith to get a unique lock for your home. Also, if you lose your keys, change the locks.

Make sure you have a safe to keep valuable items in one place. You need this because you would not want burglars to see these valuable items around in your house. Keep it hidden in a hard to find location.

Home security systems aren’t just about sounding alarms. Most systems could sound an alarm when someone enters the home. This can be useful if you’ve got small children that are able to open doors.

Check around for prices, reputation, and reliability when choosing a home security provider. You’ll find a wide range of prices from different companies. Ensure you talk to a minimum of three companies to obtain quotes before deciding the one that you believe is best for you.

Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. You can’t have your valuable personal items and jewelry out in the open for anyone to see. Keep it hidden in a hard to find location.

Hide your spare key in a place where no one would think to look for it. Above doors or under doormats are much too common to hide them and potential criminals will check them first. For a better solution, try tucking your spare key into your dog’s collar, provided you have an outside dog.

You need to have your security system checked once a year. Ask someone from your security company to come over and have a look. Mother nature can sneak in and cause many problems. Sometimes, you may need a professional to locate the problem.

Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to check it annually. Ask a home security employee to give it a look. There are many things that can be problematic with regards to home security systems, like wayward wild animals and the environment. Sometimes, you may need a professional to locate the problem.

You need to go with your gut instinct when it comes to negotiating and dealing with a home security installation company. You are giving someone unlimited access to your home, so be sure the installer doesn’t give you a bad vibe. If you don’t feel comfortable, go with someone else. You want the system to make you feel like you’re more comfortable.

Be outgoing. Be friendly with people that live in the neighborhood. Ask them to keep an eye on your home, and do the same thing for them. It does not necessarily pay to steer clear of gossip. You might find out valuable information related to security, like if there have been any strangers hanging around.

If you reside in a small town or rural area, then you might not be as worried about someone breaking into your home as city dwellers may be. Some think residents of the country are even more vulnerable because there are no close neighbors. Not everyone believes this, though.

The first thing to do is get your locks changed out. This could be an ex-spouse or roommate you got into a fight with. This is a very easy process that you can complete within a day.

If you’ve got skylights, don’t forget about it when it comes to home security. Skylights are great for making a home brighter, but they can make it easier for burglars to access the house. Be certain that skylights in your home can be locked securely.

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. Burglars can easily cut the wires if they are visible. Make it hard for intruders and bury the wires or hide them inside your walls, if possible. This helps keep you and your family safe.

Hiding Spot

Did you know that the wires on your home are valuable? A lot of people do not know this until a thief steals them from the house. Wiring can be removed from the outside of a home in a heartbeat. Make sure your wiring is hidden or hard to access to keep this valuable property safe.

Walls make the perfect hiding spot. You can hide small valuables in your walls. Target any unused phone jacks or electrical outlets for an easy hiding spot. Installing a false unused plate is very easy to do if your home doesn’t have one.

Add motion detector lighting to the exterior of your home for increased security. Cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing, these lights really add value to your home. Properly-situated motion detectors will give your home a complete field of protection and make it impossible for a miscreant to approach undetected.

Consider hiding valuables within your walls. It is not necessary to cut out pieces from your wall. Instead, you can use the small spaces that are already there. How about unwiring an electricity socket and using it as cover for a place to stash valuable jewelry?

When you are trying to hire a home security contractor, read all the small print on your contract before signing it. There may be hidden expenses involved if you terminate service before the contract term is up, and there may be added equipment fees. You should avoid these fees as much as you can; therefore, you need to know of their existence.

Are you aware that the wires located on the exterior of your house have value? Some intruders could strip your home of every bit of copper. Wiring can be removed from the outside of a home in a heartbeat. To protect this expensive asset, hide your wires or make them hard to get to.

Having light on in your home at night will scare crooks away. This will deter crooks from trying your home. When your house is well lit, intruders have no place to hide. This makes it hard for them to get things from you. Keep those lights shining brightly at night.

A great way to achieve extra security is to install exterior lighting equipped with motion detectors. These lights are not only handy when you get home late, they also help deter criminals from entering your home. If strategically placed, motion detectors ensure that it’s difficult for intruders to break into your home sight unseen.

Ask your home security company how long they have been in business before you sign up for service. Any business with multiple years of history has a proven record in being reliable. Knowing that you are dealing with a shady company can keep you calm when making this crucial decision.

If you’re hiring a company for home security, be sure to read any fine print before you sign that contract. There might be hidden costs or other things you should know about. You should avoid these fees as much as you can; therefore, you need to know of their existence.

The outside of your house should be well lit. Burglars seek darkness so that they can stay hidden. Add lights to any areas you believe are potential entry points for burglars. This can include the garage, doorways, porches and other areas which invite an intruder in.

Never enter your home if you arrive and find the door open. The burglar may be on the premises. It is best to call the police right away and go to a safe place until the police check your home.

Avoid keeping your key somewhere expected. If you place it under a rock, a good robber will find it. Doormats, too. Just leave your key with someone you trust. If none of these options are possible, try to think of an unusual hiding place.

Think about having a wireless security system for the home installed. Systems that are wired can be a little cheaper, but may need significant reworking of your home’s electrical wiring and can fail in a power outage. Wireless systems are much easier to install, and they can work independently of your home’s power.

If your door has a numeric keypad, don’t use your birthday as the password. Your birth date is easy information to obtain. You should choose a number no one else will be able to guess and change it regularly.

If you plan to be away and you have another person collecting your mail, have them double check your front door for fliers. Thieves have put them up in order to see if people are home to take them down. The more flyers pile up or the longer they are there, the more likely it is that the house is empty.

Secure valuables that are truly irreplaceable. Items such as family photos, passports, legal documents, expensive jewelry and financial records need to be placed at a secure location. A great choice for keeping these items in your home is a floor safe. For added safety, place them in a safety deposit box at your bank.

Now that you’ve had a chance to review some options to secure your residence, it’s time to think about implementing them. Make haste to put these suggestions to good use. Allow them to be the first step in your journey to learning all about home security. You can now feel safer sleep better at night.

Consult with your home security provider on whether they can supply lighting that is motion sensitive. A lot of them have this, and they cause outside lights to come on when people approach your home. This can deter potential thieves, as well as offer extra security while you enter your home.