There should be nowhere as safe as your home. Whenever you leave, your home should remain secure until you return. The best place to start in creating a plan to protect your home and family is to read this article for some great information.

Change the locks after buying a new house. It’s important to know everyone who has a key to your home. To make sure your home can only be accessed by you, enlist the help of a locksmith. This is also a good idea in the event that you misplace your keys.

Do you keep your dog outdoors when you are away from home? They can help you with your spare key. Attach your spare key inside the collar of your dog. Especially if your dog is not very friendly, this will help keep your key safe.

Only give your house key to a professional house cleaner if you trust them. You should not let cleaners have your keys if you feel like you cannot trust them, or if they will be working in your home while you are away. Read through their references very carefully, and don’t hesitate to follow up on their references to ensure they actually exist. If this professional is from a company, it’s best to check with the Better Business Bureau to see what kind of reputation they have.

Do you have an outdoor dog? If so, you can use your dog to hide your spare key. Attach the key inside their collar and make sure it can’t be seen. This works especially well as storage if your pet isn’t too fond of strangers.

Purchase ceiling, flooring and roofing that is fire resistant. This will help ensure the safety of your home, particularly if your home is located in a dry area. Avoiding fire hazards is a great way to keep things safe.

Home security plans have other features along with an alarm that goes off during a break-in. Most of them can be programmed to alert you to anyone entering your home. It’s a great feature for parents as they can tell if a child is potentially leaving the house.

Get a safe to protect your valuable items. This is vital if you don’t want diamonds, gold or other personal items exposed to a home intruder. Your safe should be placed somewhere it is not readily noticeable.

Talk to the police department in your area to see what safety programs they have. There are lots of different programs, like home inspections, that will help you take the proper steps to make sure your home adequately protected. Discuss these programs with a local police officer to see if they’re available in your area.

Solicit word of mouth recommendations from friends, colleagues and family members to find a great home security company or system. They probably have both positive and negative things to tell you, and those comments will help you make your own decision. Ask a number of people to get a several different opinions.

Attached Garage

Remove and replace any wood that is not up to par. Rotting wood is easy to remove and take apart if someone is trying to get in. Therefore, replace rotted wood with fresh wood to ensure your home’s safety.

You need to be sure the attached garage of yours is secure. There is a solution for people that are worried about burglars going into their home through an attached garage. Get a C-clamp to secure your garage door if it is mounted on a track.

Changing your locks first can help make your home much more secure. If you have boarders, former live-in partners, or others who once had access to your home, this is especially important. Changing locks is not very expensive and should be done within a few hours.

Prior to allowing access to anyone, make sure you are shown proper identification. A background check may also be a good idea. Avoid giving keys out to contractors, maids and repairmen.

Don’t forget skylights when doing a security sweep for your home. 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.

The walls of your home make for great hiding spots. If you have valuables that are small in size, you may want to hide them within your walls. Use an old switch plate, outlet or phone jack. A security store will sell fake plates you can install anywhere.

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. In the dark hours, these lights will provide the illumination necessary to protect your home and also save money by staying off when they’re not needed. If the lights are positioned correctly on your home, then it makes it much less likely for a burglar to enter.

When it comes to expert advice, you now have a plethora of choices at your disposal. Will you be able to apply it to your own situation? Keep learning about home security. Technology is rapidly advancing, changing the industry along with it. Stay up to date, and everyone stays safe.