As a homeowner, you need to know about home security. It is necessary, though, to sort through the large volumes of information that exist on the subject. This article will help you figure out the most important parts to remember.

When you buy a new home, be sure to have the locks changed. This is because you really have no idea who has keys, and therefore access to your home. Changing the locks will give you peace of mind that you and your family are the only ones who have access to your home. If you lose your keys, you should do the same thing.

Provide the house key to your professional house cleaner, but only if you fully trust them. If you plan to give them a key so they can clean in your home while you are away, ensure they are reputable and honest. One way to do this is to check their references. If you’re hiring from a company, call the BBB for more information.

Only allow maids and cleaning services to have a key to the house if they are known to be trustworthy. If they will be there over an hour and you are thinking of giving them your home key, be certain they are honest, reputable and hard-working. It is best to do a reference check on them. If they work through a larger firm, you can check up on the company with your local Better Business Bureau.

Get a good safe to store your valuables in your home. This is vital, as you want to safeguard your valuable items in case of home burglary. Keep the safe hidden somewhere remote.

Does your dog like to play in your yard? This is a good spot for keeping your spare key. Put it on your dog’s collar, making sure it is hidden. This is quite effective if your pet does not respond well to strangers.

Don’t let everyone in your social network know that you are leaving the home unprotected for your vacation trip; especially the people who you aren’t familiar with. Although you may want to let others in on your excitement, it may inadvertently give burglars a heads up to target your property.

If you do not know the person at your door, don’t open it. There are many different tactics that crooks use to enter homes, and a common way is simply to walk up to the door and ask for help. Create a rule where you only allow those you’ve invited to your home inside.

Make sure to clear your yard of brush and dead wood in the summertime. You risk a house fire if that sits there during the heat of the summer and catches fire. Keep your yard clear so it is a safe area.

Be sure to secure your attached garage. Lots of folks are concerned about burglars gaining access to the garage and then the home, but this can be addressed. A C-clamp placed on the garage door track will stop it from opening when you don’t want it to.

It doesn’t matter how much money you spent, you should have an annual test. Ask the security company to send a technician out to give your system a thorough inspection. Mother Nature and wild animals can also cause issues with your home security system. If you aren’t paying attention, you may not be aware of these problems.

Put motion sensor lights around your house. They’ll flip on when people walk within a certain distance of your house. They help notify you of any movement around your house and deter burglars too. Replace bulbs regularly and check the sensors once a month.

If you buy expensive electronics or appliances, throw the packages away the day that your trash pickup occurs. Letting such packaging sit out will signal to criminals that there are good things to be found in your house.

Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. They look great and provide light, but also are another access point. Your skylights should have strong components that can withstand tampering.

Before you let anyone into your house, thoroughly check their references. You should do a background check as well to find out their criminal history. You do not know if the people you hire are trustworthy, so do not give them a key to your home.

Don’t put spare keys inside plant boxes or beneath the welcome mat. While it may seem like a convenient way to give you access to your home, intruders are aware of this practice. Potential burglars know the usual hiding places. A better option is to entrust an honest neighbor with a spare key.

Whenever you sign with a home-security company, it is important that you thoroughly read the contract. There are early termination fees, and there may be fees for extra equipment procured in the future. If you can’t avoid these types of fees, you should at least be aware of them.

Your valuables should not be easily seen from outside your home. Although large windows in your home can provide your home with a lot of light, they can also provide burglars with an excellent view of the inside of your home. Make sure you keep your blinds closed or arrange your possessions in such a way that they can’t be seen from outside.

Don’t limit security to the inside of your home; the outside needs attention too. The doors and windows of your home should not be obstructed by trees, fences or shrubs. Do not give robbers a chance to hide in any area. Put these features at a greater distance from your house; let beauty also complement safety.

Lock your home at all times to err on the side of caution. Surprisingly, lots of burglaries occur because the burglar was able to simply walk in without having to actually break in. It won’t take long for thieves to steal lots of expensive valuables.

You should find out how many years of experience your home security service has. Companies in business for many years engender great confidence and trust. It can ease your mind when you know you’re not doing business with a company that might not be around tomorrow.

If you’ve recently moved into a house, get any locks changed out. It may seem as if the former owners of the home are honest, but really you don’t know much about them. Keep in mind that other families might have lived with them, too.

If you don’t own a paper shredder, get one. Thieves often find the trash cans to be a gold mine of pertinent information about potential victims. If you can’t get a paper shredder, try ripping papers into smaller pieces.

As you work on your home’s landscape, don’t forget about safety. Windows should be free from obstructions like trees, shrubs and fencing. This makes it where people can’t hide in different nooks and crevices. This should be planned in advance for your safety.

If a friend picks up your mail while you’re away, have them check for fliers on your door. Often burglars will place these at homes and wait to see if people take them down. If the fliers isn’t removed, the criminal knows that no one is home.

If you get home and the door is open, don’t go in. You have no way of knowing whether the thieves are still inside. Instead, wait outside until the police come, after calling them on your cell phone.

Homeowners need to learn everything that they can when it comes to security. However, sorting out the important information can be difficult. For this reason, you should remember the information in this article when you consider keeping your home secure.

If you don’t own a paper shredder already, you might want to get one. Thieves may look through your garbage for information. Cutting the papers into small pieces with a pair of scissors is another option.