Any woman who lives alone needs to focus on home security. You don’t have to be afraid anymore, particularly because there are things you can do to feel safe. Continue reading to learn some excellent home security ideas.

Do you have an outside dog? You might consider leaving your spare key with your dog. Conceal it in the dog’s collar. This is a good way to ensure easy home access, especially if your pet does not associate well with strangers.

Your dog can actually safeguard a spare key. This works with a dog that stays outside or a dog with a pet door. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

If you’re going on a trip for an extended period of time, switch the ringer off on all home phones. If the phone rings without you there, burglars will suspect that you’re not home, and that can make your home a target for an attack while you’re gone.

During the summer, remove all vegetation and dead wood from your yard. As it gets hotter, the chances of these igniting and putting your house at risk increase. Therefore, you need to regularly clean your yard so that your home is protected.

Purchase a safe to lock all of the extremely valuable items in your home in one place. This is very important, as you do not want your gold, diamonds and personal items exposed if someone were to break into your house. Keep it hidden in a hard to find location.

End your shyness. Speak with your neighbors and friends in the area. Ask them to watch your home if you are on vacation. Never neglect gossip. This might provide you with some valuable information, at times related to security, including information about potential strangers who you might not want near your home.

Changing the locks is a fundamental part of adding security to the home. Perhaps your roommate left town or you have gone through a messy divorce, and you need to feel that the home is safe. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.

When looking to buy a security system, shop around. The prices can vary a great deal for the same level of protection from company to company. Get quotes from several companies before making a decision.

People who live rurally often don’t think about home security. There are differences between large cities and homes located in the countryside. Some people, though, believe that you will not be at risk for a burglary.

Walls can serve as a handy hiding place. You can hide small, valuable items inside the walls of your home. Use an old switch plate, outlet or phone jack. You put in a fake plate if there aren’t any unused in your home.

Is your garage used for storage? Consider removing those items and keeping your car there instead. It will be far more secure against thieves. If your car is in your garage there is less of a chance to vandalize or steal it. When your car is hidden, it will be hard for intruders to tell if you are home or not.

If the home you are moving into is not brand new, you should change the locks on all the doors. The person who used to live there may still have a key. You can install locks yourself to make sure you’re the only one who has a key.

Motion Detectors

Before doing anything else, install new locks in your home. It might be that you have an angry ex-roommate or a bitter ex-partner, so changed locks will boost your security. It doesn’t cost much and they can usually show up within a day.

If you need to make the outside of your home secure, you can achieve this relatively inexpensively by installing lights with motion detectors. These lights not only give off light at night, but can also offer security around your home. 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 enlist the powers of online research to help you make a smart choice when it comes to home security companies. Read through official websites for different companies and look for reviews written by customers. Also find other companies to get quotes from as well.

If you sign a contract for a security company, read all the fine print first. There are early termination fees, and there may be fees for extra equipment procured in the future. It’s best to know about these fees in advance so that you can avoid them when possible.

Research how long a security company has been in the business before contracting with them. Companies in business for many years engender great confidence and trust. Knowing you are not dealing with a fly by night company gives you extra peace of mind when making this important decision.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to safeguard your home. There are cheaper alternatives that can work really well to deter criminals. Keep this information in mind if you want your home to feel safer.

Determine how much experience a home security company has before you decide to do business with them. Companies that have been around for awhile show that they can provide reliable support. You should not trust a company that does not have a good record with your local Better Business Bureau or few years of experience.