You should be concerned about the type of security you have for your home. Knowing what a potential home invader will steal or how violent he will be is something you can’t predict. Read on to learn how to increase the security of your home.

Only give your house key to a professional house cleaner if you trust them. If you do give out a key to such individuals, be certain you know their reputation for honesty. Make sure you check references. 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.

Your home should looked occupied all the time. Buy timers that will make your TVs, radios and other electronics turn on and turn off at various times. This way it will always look as if someone is home, even when you are away. That means burglars will pass right by.

Home security plans have other features along with an alarm that goes off during a break-in. Many systems can be used to go off whenever anyone enters your home. This can be useful if you’ve got small children that are able to open doors.

When you buy a new house, be sure the locks are changed. There is no way to ascertain how many keys the previous owner handed out. Find a good locksmith who can replace the lock and make a few copies of your key. Do the same thing if you happen to misplace a key.

Your friends may have some great advice for choosing the right company. Other people are sure to have opinions and experiences to share. Sometimes, you may get great advice from the people you know.

Does your dog stay outside while you are gone? This pet may be an excellent storing spot for your spare key. You can attach your key to your dog’s collar in order to keep the key hidden. This is quite effective if your pet does not respond well to strangers.

Consult with your police department to find out about good programs for home protection. Several in various jurisdictions have programs which entail providing a home inspection, what protective measures will help your home and even how to engrave valuable items to make them easier to recover. Get in touch today.

Don’t allow anyone you don’t know to look into your house. Even if someone has a good story, requires help or has a great product to sell, ignore them. It’s quite possible that your charming guest is only interested in evaluating the security of your home; if they find it lacking, they may be back later to relieve you of some of your possessions.

Never place a spare key in a plant box or under your welcome mat. While you may feel that you are keeping yourself safe by allowing a way in for yourself, you are also allowing everyone else to visit whenever they want. Burglars are well aware of these hiding places. Rather, give your key to a neighbor you find trustworthy.

Don’t open up your door for someone who is a stranger. Many people are devising many different schemes to get into homes and burglarize them. You should only open the door to people you were expecting.

Believe it or not, the wires on your house are worth stealing. Many people never realize this value until wires are stolen right out of their home. Copper, found in many wires, can be removed in little time, and is worth quite a bit of money. Hide your wiring for optimum security.

Do not forget to secure the garage attached to your home. Lots of folks are concerned about burglars gaining access to the garage and then the home, but this can be addressed. If the garage door lifts via a track, you can use a C-clamp to stop your door from opening at the hands of intruders.

Always use online resources to identify the very best home security firm. Check out different websites, and read through package details and customer testimonials. Once you do this, make appointments with the three best companies you find so that you can compare pricing and other important details.

Be outgoing. Speak with your neighbors and friends in the area. Keep on eye on their home and ask neighbors to return the favor. Do not ignore gossip either. You can learn of important security information, including if strangers have been lurking.

Always keep your home’s exterior well lit. Criminals love darkness to help mask their crimes. So it’s smart to put a light in typically darker corners around your home. This includes doorways and porches, the garage, and windows on ground floors which may invite intruders.

Get flashlights with good batteries, and have them in each room in case you lose power. Flashlights are important for letting you navigate your home in the dark. Teach your children how to use the flashlights so that everyone in your household can help.

Make sure no one can look inside your garage. Cover your windows in frosting, which can be bought at big box hardware stores, so people can’t peek inside. Also, avoid leaving the door open for prolonged periods of time.

If you are entering a house that has already been occupied, you should first change your locks. While you may trust those who lived there before you, you have no idea who lived there before them. You can purchase and install locks yourself to make sure only you have the key.

If you live with children or others whom who don’t want entering some parts of the house, keys and lock sets aren’t the only option. Keyless locks require a code to unlock the door. You can install them yourself, or you can have a home security service install them.

Take advantage of the Internet while comparing your home security options. Check out different websites, and read through package details and customer testimonials. After that, choose your top three for consultations.

Find out more about the different contracts your security company offers. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. With a longer contract, your monthly payment is likely to be lower. The downside is you might be stuck for a longer period of time if you decide you don’t like the service or want to move. A short contract will avoid this, but may be more costly.

When your door is found ajar when you get home, call the police. This can be quite dangerous because the burglar may still be on your property. It is best to call the police right away and go to a safe place until the police check your home.

Find out if the company you choose will give you the option of buying or leasing home security systems. While you will pay more to buy, you don’t have to keep paying for it month after month. Leasing is usually the cheaper option; however, it does mean higher monthly bills and a contract. Check out both options and determine which is best for you.

Get a paper shredder. Thieves can often be found looking through garbage cans in search of personal information found on bills and credit card slips. Cutting the papers into small pieces with a pair of scissors is another option.

Avoid keeping your key somewhere expected. Rocks that aren’t real are easy to notice. The doormat is the first place someone will look. It’s better to ask a trusted friend or neighbor to hold your extra key. If you have no choice but to hide a spare key, apply some inventive, out-of-the-box thinking when you do it.

Make sure that your key is in a hidden place. A fake rock or flower pot are simply too easy to guess. Doormats are generally the first spot a person would look. The best strategy is to have a neighbor or good friend hold a spare key in case you need it. If none of these options are possible, try to think of an unusual hiding place.

An automatic device can control your lights, turning them on and off at the time you set. This can simplify your life, but it also makes your home appear lived in if you are away.

If you turn lights off and on at the same hours each day, you should use a timer. This helps the lights stay on and continue to switch even when you’re away from your home.

It is always best to go with a solid heavy wooden door, or a metal door for extra security. Doors such as these stand their ground. If a thief tried to kick the door, he would not be successful in doing so. Make sure to replace exterior doors for the cheapest amount possible.

Make sure your valuables, or things that can’t be replaced, are safe. Some examples include legal documents, expensive jewelry, financial records, passports and family pictures. Floor safes are excellent locations for keeping these particular items safe inside your home. An even better idea is to store them in a safe deposit box outside the home.

Ask your security company if they offer motion sensitive lighting. Many companies offer this, and it causes the lights on the outside of your home to go on as soon as someone approaches an entry way. This provides additional protection for you when you come home after dark, and can also prevent a burglary.

If the living room window in your home has direct line of sight to the street, you’ll want to draw those curtains at night. You don’t want to attract peeping Toms. If burglars spot the expensive items in your house, they may want to hit you next. Be discreet about what the public can see and you can reduce your chances of getting burglarized.

A home alarm system is a terrific investment, but make sure someone is there to call the cops if it happens to go off. Some security systems have constant monitoring, so that when the alarm goes off, a call is made to the police for you. It is not easy to rely on neighbors for your safety.

Is your door made of solid wood or metal? If not, then replace it. These doors are strong. A burglar trying to kick in such a door is going to be in for some pain. You should be able to replace each of the exterior doors in your home for a minimal amount, so do so as soon as possible.

Homes that have sliding glass doors can be more of a security risk. It’s easy to break into a sliding glass door by just lifting it up and shaking it. If your doors are not equipped with a security system, grab a pipe and cut it so that it fits the channel of the door. Doing this will help keep your door closed tighter, making it more difficult for burglars to break in.

Understand that break-ins happen all the time in this world. Anything can happen unexpectedly, so you should try to be prepared. Use what you have learned today to make the right decisions to keep your family safe.

Deadbolts are the best locks for your doors because they contain captive keylocks. This makes it impossible to open the lock from the outside because of the thumb latch. Any time your are in your home, the key should be left in the lock. This allows you to escape quickly in the event of a fire.