You have worked hard for your things and you need to keep them safe. Few feelings are worse than seeing your house damaged or, worse, destroyed. Your home is not only your largest investment, it is also a place to live your life and build memories. The article below has the tips you need to keep your home safe.

Make your home look occupied at all times. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. In this way, it will always seem that someone is in your home. This is just one of the many precautions you can take to secure your home.

Change all of your locks when you move in. You never know how many copies of the keys the previous owners made and handed out. To ensure that you are the only one who has access to your house, call a locksmith. This is also the thing to do if you lose the keys.

Keep your jewelry, vital documents and other expensive items in a safe. This is vital if you don’t want diamonds, gold or other personal items exposed to a home intruder. Put the safe somewhere difficult to get to, like the attic.

Valuable Items

Buy fire resistant roofing, flooring and ceiling materials. This will add an extra protection layer for your house, particularly if you live near power lines or in a dry location. Preventing fires is the best way to deal with them.

Make sure you have a safe to keep valuable items in one place. This will keep your stash of diamonds, gold and other valuable items out of view and inaccessible to burglars. The safe should be situated in an inconspicuous area of your home.

Before selecting a security firm, ask for recommendations. They probably have both positive and negative things to tell you, and those comments will help you make your own decision. Therefore, ask everyone you can in order to obtain the most advice. With thorough advice, the best decision can be made.

When looking for a system to secure your home, do comparison shopping. Different companies can provide equivalent levels of service and security, but their prices can vary wildly. You really owe it to yourself to solicit firm quotes from three different providers before you sit down to pick one.

Do not invite strangers into your home. There are some people who are very convincing and good at getting you to let them into your house. Some criminals will use any reason to gain access to look for security systems and easy entryways into your house.

Don’t talk about your vacations on social media. Although you may want to let others in on your excitement, it may inadvertently give burglars a heads up to target your property.

Hide valuables in spaces in your walls. It is not necessary to cut out pieces from your wall. You can find areas in your walls that are pre-cut and use those. Unused electrical sockets can be great for hiding expensive jewelry.

If you have a stranger at your door, do not open it. People try many ways to convince others to open up their doors so that they can commit burglary or worse. Make a house rule forbidding anyone to open the door for an unexpected visitor.

Be sure to replace all locks on a home you have bought. It may seem as if the former owners of the home are honest, but really you don’t know much about them. Remember that different families might have dwelt there before this person.

Your garage should be as secure as your home. Often people are concerned that burglars can enter the home via the attached garage . Happily, there is a solution to this problem. Use a C-clamp to secure the door if it’s off track.

Buy flashlights with strong batteries and make sure there is one in each room in case of power outages. They give you and your family the opportunity to move around should the electricity go out. This can come in handy if someone has cut your power and is attempting to break in.

If your house has a garage, keep the car there, not just your junk. Keeping the car in the garage can keep thieves from vandalizing or stealing it. Keeping your car out of sight is also good for thwarting burglars’ attempts to determine when you are likely to be away from home.

Screen the references of anyone who would have access to your house. Perform a background check to learn about their criminal history, too. You can never be too sure about anyone you hire to enter your home, and giving them access can work against you.

Annual check-ups are important for alarm systems. Ask a qualified worker who specializes in security systems to take a look. The weather and animals are two things that may cause havoc on your home’s security system. You may not know there’s an issue if you can’t see it.

Prior to purchasing a security system, think about what you need it for. Though such systems can be terrific for many, not everyone really needs one. In some neighborhoods, you might be better off taking a self defense class or owning a dog, while in others, the latest innovations in home security will protect you best. Be sure to assess the risk level you face before making big decisions.

Be bold. Converse with those living in your area. Ask them to watch your home if you are on vacation. Also consider listening in on some of the neighborhood gossip. You may stumble across valuable security information, like if someone has noticed a stranger lurking around the neighborhood.

If you get home and the door is open, don’t go in. The thief may remain inside. You should call the cops and then wait for them before you do anything else.

Put motion sensor lights around your house. The lights will be triggered when someone gets too close to the house. You will be alerted to movement, but most importantly, it will deter burglars or at least make you aware of their presence. Just do not forget to replace the bulbs periodically to keep them functioning at all times.

Think about getting a wireless security system for the home. While the wired systems are less expensive, they usually mean rather intrusive wiring for your house, which can also go out during power outages. Also, you will have a very easy time installing them.

Keeping your house safe is not a difficult feat. All you need is some reliable home security advice. Utilize the tools provided here to make the best home security decisions for your unique situation. Don’t neglect home security; stay safe.

Shred any documents and junk mail that contains identifying information. Unshredded documents can offer up a wealth of valuable personal information to thieves, including enough of your schedule to allow them to pinpoint the best time for a burglary. If you don’t have a paper shredder, tear the papers up.