All homeowners should be well-versed in home security precautions. However, you will need to filter out the large amount of old and misinformation available on the web. This article will help you assess your home’s security needs and decide on effective actions to take.

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. Carefully check their references. Contact your local Better Business Bureau to find out more about the reputation of the cleaner you hired.

Spare Key

Do you have a dog that stays in your yard when you’re not at home? If so, you can use your dog to hide your spare key. Put it on your dog’s collar, making sure it is hidden. This is an especially good idea if your dog doesn’t like strangers, and gives you easy access to get in your home.

Put your spare key on your dog. Outdoor dogs or pet doors make this possible. Keep a spare key around the dog’s collar.

If you will be vacationing for an extended period of time, turn off the ringer on all the phones in your house. A home phone that rings and rings is a good way for a potential thief to know if anyone is home.

Providing a key to the person cleaning your home can be acceptable, but you must be sure they are honest and worthy of your confidence. If they need the keys and plan on being in there for more than an hour, try to ensure that they are honest, hardworking, and reputable. One way to do this is to check their references. If applicable, call the BBB to inquire about their reputation.

If you have an attached garage, don’t forget to secure it as well. Intruders could easily break into your garage and access your home. Get a C-clamp to secure your garage door if it is mounted on a track.

Home security systems offer additional features besides loud alarms during a break-in. Most of them can be programmed to alert you to anyone entering your home. This is a good way to keep track of where your young children are.

Walls can serve as a handy hiding place. You should think about hiding certain small valuables within your walls. All you need is a wall opening you’re not using (something like a phone jack, electrical box, or switch plate). You can also install a fake one.

Your friends may have some great advice for choosing the right company. Most will be willing to share their likes, loves and loathes, especially as they realize how important it is to you. Therefore, ask everyone you can in order to obtain the most advice. With thorough advice, the best decision can be made.

You never want people to be able to see your valuables from outside of your home. Large windows let in light and give you a great view outside, but that works both ways. You should cover any windows that are facing the street so your valuables will be safe.

Never allow str4angers to enter your house. While their story may seem legit, that doesn’t mean it is true. 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.

When in the process of selecting an alarm system, you should select a system that protects more than simply the doors of your home. It should protect the windows too. Get an alarm that will trigger if either the doors or windows are opened. This is a way to make sure your family will be safe.

Don’t open your door for strangers. Many people are devising many different schemes to get into homes and burglarize them. Therefore, only allow people you know and are expecting to enter your home.

If you have just bought any pricey new goods, never toss the boxes onto the curb prior to the garbage man’s arrival. You are alerting thieves that there is something worth stealing inside your home.

Compared to city dwellers, you might feel more safe in your rural home. Nonetheless, people in the country may be at greater risk due to being far away from neighbors. Some think rural areas see less burglary.

Replace all the locks in your newly purchased home. The previous owner may be perfectly respectable, but you can’t know that for sure. Remember that different families might have dwelt there before this person.

Walls are great for hiding things. If you own small valuables that require protection, try hiding them in the walls. Target any unused phone jacks or electrical outlets for an easy hiding spot. You can also just put in a false plate to cover a hiding place.

Were you aware that your home’s wires are valuable? Most people are unaware of this fact until a burglar takes it from their house. Copper wiring is very valuable and susceptible to being stripped from the outside of your home. This is why the wiring should be hidden or difficult to get to.

Always lock your home, even if you plan on coming back within a few minutes. Many burglaries happen because the intruders can just walk right inside. Thieves can steal thousands worth of your belongings very quickly.

Make sure your flashlights have charged batteries and are found throughout your home. If the lights go out, they will ensure everyone stays safe. Make sure your whole family knows where to find them and how to operate them.

You want all wires of an installed security system to be hidden. If the wires are exposed, an intruder can bypass the system by cutting its wires. This makes it much easier for a thief to get inside your home. Keep the wires protected. Keep yourself safe.

If your home isn’t new, replace the locks. Previous tenants may have given the keys back to the landlord, but it is always possible to make copies of keys. For maximum security, buy your own locks and install them yourself. This way you can be certain nobody else has a key.

Every homeowner needs to know all there is about securing their home. However, sorting out the important information can be difficult. Just review the tips given here to help you make your home secure.

Inquire with your home security service as to how long they’ve been in business. A long-standing company has a track record in the industry that people can attest to. Knowing you are not dealing with a fly by night company gives you extra peace of mind when making this important decision.