All homeowners should try their best to keep their families and homes safe. Burglaries are a common occurrence in homes. In addition, there are other issues that homeowners must deal with, including fire, flood, carbon monoxide, etc. Read the tips in this article to make sure that you family is safe from outside threats.

Use your dog as the protector of your spare key. Outdoor dogs or pet doors make this possible. Place a spare key on the collar, and when you really need a spare, you know where to go!

Home security systems have different kinds of features that can sound an alarm when someone breaks into your house. Most systems can be set to sound an alert when anyone enters the home. This can be valuable to parents with small children as they are made aware their child has opened or closed a door.

Home security systems offer additional features besides loud alarms during a break-in. They can actually be set to chime whenever a monitored door is opened. This is useful for parents who have small kids, as it helps keep them from leaving the house.

When you’re going away, turn off your phone ringers. If the phone continues to ring while you’re gone, this lets an intruder know that the home is empty.

When looking for a system to secure your home, do comparison shopping. Several different firms may offer similar protection for wildly divergent prices. Get a quote from several companies before making a final decision.

Do not invite strangers into your home. Stay true to your safety, even if it appears the person has legitimate reasons for wanting entry. There are people that just want to go into your home to see if you’ve got a type of home security system, and if they see that you don’t, they’ll return when you’re not home.

Before selecting any home-security company, talk to your friends to see who they suggest. Other people are sure to have opinions and experiences to share. Sometimes, you may get great advice from the people you know.

See what the local police offer when it comes to home protection programs. They often offer home inspections, seminars and even the ability to purchase items. A quick call to the non-emergency number at the police station in your town will tell you all you need to know.

Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. Intruders might be attracted by a phone that rings constantly without anyone picking up.

You should not be shy. Speak with your neighbors. Keep an eye on their houses and yards and request that they return the favor. It’s best to be in on any rumors in the area. You may hear valuable information regarding security, such as if any strangers have been hanging around.

Don’t let any person you don’t completely know into your house. Do not give in, even if a person uses a convincing story, asks for help or says they are selling something. Some people may simply be trying to determine whether or not you have a home security installed; if you don’t, they may plan to return later if you are away from your home.

Go with your gut when you invite a home security company representative into your house. This is definitely the case if you’re not quite sure about the actual installation people. Make sure that the installer has experience installing your type of security system. Security is supposed to give you peace of mind after all!

Clear away all the dead and dried out vegetation around your home in the summer. These could catch on fire during the summer, especially if you live in a dry area. Keeping your plants and bushes trimmed will benefit your family’s safety as well as the appearance of your home.

Do you live outside the city? You might be less worried about home invasions than if you lived in an urban area. However, there is the belief that rural dwellers are more susceptible to break ins simply because there are no nearby neighbors. Others feel rural residents have a lower risk of being burglarized.

Use your garage for your car, not just storage. This will help to keep your vehicle safe. Hiding the car from plain sight can keep possible intruders from figuring out when you’re home and also when you are not.

Your home may be equipped with skylights, and if so you must not neglect them in your security planning. While they are an excellent source of natural light, they are also an easy way for thieves to enter your home. Make sure that you use safety hardware when the skylights are installed and maintained.

Follow your instincts when choosing a home security company. This is very true when you feel uneasy about the person installing the system. Never hesitate to has for a new technician or even go with a different company altogether. The point of that system is to feel safer after all.

Make sure that none of your valuables can be seen from the outside. You might enjoy large windows so you can see out, but just remember that makes it easier for those burglars to see inside your home as well. Windows facing the street need to be covered to keep inside possessions safe.

Hide your valuables in the walls. Concealing small valuables in your walls is an easy and highly effective way to protect them. All you need is a wall opening you’re not using (something like a phone jack, electrical box, or switch plate). If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.

You want all wires of an installed security system to be hidden. An intruder can cut the wires or disconnect them and avoid the system. Make it hard for a burglar to avoid your detection. It will keep your family safer.

Lock your home at all times to err on the side of caution. It might shock you to learn that most break-ins occur due to unlocked doors. It does not take a long time for a robber to pilfer items worth thousands of dollars.

If you are moving into a new home, change the locks right away. Even if the tenants turned their keys in, they may have made copies. You can purchase and install locks yourself to make sure only you have the key.

Are you aware that your home’s wires are worth something? Some intruders could strip your home of every bit of copper. Copper wiring can easily be removed. Hide your wiring for optimum security.

If someone from the security company comes to your home, ask to see their ID before allowing them in. Criminals can easily pretend to be from a security firm as a means to gain entry to the house. This leads to danger. Be cautious to stay safe.

One relatively inexpensive way to add an extra layer of protection to your home is to install motion sensor lights for the exterior of your home. Motion detection lights will turn on as soon as something or someone enters your yard. With good positioning and properly set motion detectors, intruders will not be able to sneak up on your home unnoticed.

You should think about your own safety when comparing different home security options. You might find that an alarm isn’t necessary at all. Sometimes just taking a class in self defense or adopting a loud dog is enough, while at other times a full fledged security system might be the way to go. Comprehend the risks associated with your home security so you now can make a more well-informed buying decision.

Keeping your home well lit at night can help keep the burglars away. They don’t want anyone to see them. Ample lighting makes it difficult for would-be burglars to approach undetected, and this turns your home into a less attractive target. That’s why it’s a good idea to light your home well for optimum safety.

Many things can affect the safety of your home, and it’s important that you consider many different things. This article has great ideas that will keep your home safe from almost any threat. Use all the tips you read and do more research on home security.

Avoid keeping your key somewhere expected. An easily moved object close to the door is the first place a burglar will look. The thief will check under the mat before anything else. A friend or neighbor can be a much better key holder than an inanimate object. This will reduce the chances of a burglary.