The world of securing a home is a huge market with many vendors. Burglaries occur everyday, regardless of where you live. Criminals often target homes with minimal security. Use the information below to make sure that you are keeping your family, as well as your possessions, safe and sound.

Protect your spare key by using your dog. In order to make this work, your dog either needs to stay outside or have access to a pet door. Hide a key inside the collar of your dog in case you need a spare.

Compare various home security systems when shopping. Prices vary greatly in regards to the same protection for each company. Ensure you talk to a minimum of three companies to obtain quotes before deciding the one that you believe is best for you.

Some home security systems have additional security features besides sounding an alarm to deter a burglar. The majority of systems are able to be set to put out an alert when any individual enters the home. This is useful for parents who have small kids, as it helps keep them from leaving the house.

When you decide to purchase a home alarm system, make sure you comparison shop. You would be surprised to see that the prices are much different for each company, even though it’s for the same type of protection. Before choosing which company to go with, ask for quotes from a minimum of three companies.

Do not post on your social media accounts regarding when you will be away on vacation. You may be very excited about your impending vacation, but there is no need to let potential burglars know when you will be gone.

When dealing with companies that install home security systems, it’s important to trust your gut. This goes for the installer, too. If you are unsure, contact the security company to make sure that the installer was actually sent by them. The purpose of using the company is to calm your uneasiness, not worsen it.

Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. They look great and provide light, but also are another access point. Keep them secure with heavy duty hardware that closes them off to potential thieves.

Get advice from your friends before selecting a provider for home security. They have likely had interactions with home security providers that they can tell you about, saving you time and stress. Sometimes, you may get great advice from the people you know.

When you purchase big, expensive items be sure to break down the boxes and take them to the recycling center yourself. Exposing the box to view ahead of time signals a burglar that he will find this item in your home.

If you are new into a house, replace all the locks. Even if the previous owner or tenant seems trustworthy, you have no way of knowing how many copies of the key they made and distributed. Remember that other families may have lived there before that person as well.

Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. A constantly ringing phone can signal to a burglar that the house is vacant, making it an easy target for their criminal activities.

Home security installation technicians should always be in uniform and wearing identification. Intruders can easy pass themselves off as an employee of a security company just to get inside your house. This can be extremely dangerous to your home and loved ones. Be deliberate in preventing hazards.

Any time you let a stranger into your home that is doing some kind of work, it is best to ask for references. Perform a background check to learn about their criminal history, too. Avoid giving keys out to contractors, maids and repairmen.

Do not be shy. Get to know other people who live next door and others in your neighborhood. Watch their homes and ask them if they’ll watch yours as well. Don’t disregard gossip either. You might hear helpful information, for instance if strangers have been hanging around.

Motion Detectors

If you need to make the outside of your home secure, you can achieve this relatively inexpensively by installing lights with motion detectors. This is a fairly inexpensive way to provide light and security to your property. With good positioning and properly set motion detectors, intruders will not be able to sneak up on your home unnoticed.

Always lock your doors, even if you are just walking down the street. Most break-ins and burglaries occur because a door is left open and an intruder just walks in. Thieves can make off with large amounts of valuable merchandise very quickly.

Ask the home security company about how long they’ve been running prior to signing up. A company that’s been around for a while has proven that their service is reliable. Realizing you at involved with a stable firm will give you a sense of calm that is important.

Be sure to get a home security service that will inspect your home and tailor a home security system just for you. Everyone has different needs, and your security system should be designed to protect your home and family. When you don’t want to compromise in any way on the safety and security of your home, a custom-built system is usually the way to go.

Make sure the wires of your home security system are completely hidden. Exposed wires make it easy for an intruder to cut them and disable the alarm. Never make things easy for them. Ask the person installing it to bury the wires or hide them inside the walls. That will make you safer.

When you purchase an expensive item such as a computer or TV, be sure to take the cardboard box to the recycling center rather than leaving it on your curb for all the world to see. Burglars will instantly take notices of these boxes and what used to be in them, making you an easy burglary target. You should cut up the boxes once you empty them.

You as well as your loved ones deserve a secure home. Do not assume you are safe from crime. Use the tips in this article to make sure that your home is as safe as possible. Do it now. Do something about the security of your house before it’s too late.

Be sure to replace all of the old locks as soon as you move into a new domicile. Regardless of how you feel about the sellers, you never know someone’s true intentions. Keep in mind that other families might have lived with them, too.