Tragedy seems to spring up without any warning. Do not risk placing your family in this type of danger due to your negligence. The advice below will make for a great start.

Does your canine stay in the yard while you go out? If so, the dog can be a terrific spot to keep a spare key. Attach the key to the dog’s collar so that it is hidden from view. This is a good way to ensure easy home access, especially if your pet does not associate well with strangers.

Buy fire resistant roofing, flooring and ceiling materials. This adds an extra layer of protection to your home, especially if you live in a very dry area with power lines. Fire prevention is always a good idea, and sometimes it can be a lifesaving idea!

Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. You can’t have your valuable personal items and jewelry out in the open for anyone to see. The safe should be situated in an inconspicuous area of your home.

Avoid opening the door if you don’t know who is standing on the other side. 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 the rule that you just open a door to people that you expect to arrive.

Don’t just hide your spare key anywhere. Intruders will more than likely check under your doormat or above your door frame. You could hide the key with your dog on the collar.

In the summer, remove all the dead trees from your yard. This can be a fire hazard, especially if you live in an area with high heat. You can prevent disasters by keeping your yard clean.

Be sure your roof, floors, and ceiling are fire resistant. This can provide additional safety to the home, particularly in dry regions. Lowering or eliminating the risk of a fire is an extremely important home security strategy because a fire can cause extreme destruction very quickly.

Security System

If you’re going on a trip for an extended period of time, switch the ringer off on all home phones. A ringing phone that goes unanswered may signal to a burglar that nobody is home.

Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to check it annually. The security company should have a specialist come to look at it. Your security system’s quality can be impacted by numerous factors, such as the weather and wild animals. The problem might not be obvious to you, though.

Don’t put your spare key in an obvious place near your front door. Though you might think that you’re giving yourself something you could use to get into your house when you’ve lost your keys, you’re actually inviting intruders inside your house. Burglars are well aware of these hiding places. Ask a friend, neighbor or relative to keep your extra keys for you.

Walls make the perfect hiding spot. If you have valuables that are small in size, you may want to hide them within your walls. You could use a phone jack, electrical outlet or a switch plate. You put in a fake plate if there aren’t any unused in your home.

Choose an alarm which monitors other areas outside your doors. Burglars often enter through windows as well. Make sure you have a monitored alarm on every one of them. This helps ensure your family stays safe.

You can hide your valuable items inside your walls. This doesn’t require tearing into your walls, of course. There are many places in your home that are pre-cut and available. For example, place jewelry in an unused electrical outlet.

You want all wires of an installed security system to be hidden. You do not want the wires exposed for easy manipulation. Make sure the wires are installed inside the walls of your home. This will help to deter intruders that are looking to quickly disable your alarm system.

Ensure that valuables are stored in a hidden area that isn’t visible from outside your home. While having huge windows may be good for letting in light and viewing what is outside, it also gives potential thieves a good look in your own home. Always keep your windows covered and do not tempt others by displaying your possessions.

Are you aware of the fact that your home wiring is worth money? Most people are unaware of this fact until a burglar takes it from their house. Copper, found in many wires, can be removed in little time, and is worth quite a bit of money. That’s why it’s important to hide your wiring, or make it hard for criminals to have access to it.

If you have a home security system installed, make sure the wires are hidden. You don’t want a burglar to get access to them and disable your system. Don’t make it easy for an intruder, have the wires buried or hidden within the home’s walls. Your safety will increase.

If someone from the security company comes to your home, ask to see their ID before allowing them in. Burglars are creative, and they often pose as a member of the security team to get inside. This means peril for what you own as well as your loved ones. Caution is always advisable if dangers like this are to be avoided.

If you have just moved into a new home, have every single lock replaced. You don’t really know the people you purchased the house from or all the folks they shared keys with, so don’t place too much trust in the old locks. Many other people could have keys to the property, and you probably don’t want them to all have access to your home.

Ask your home security company how long they have been in business before you sign up for service. A company that’s been around for a while has proven that their service is reliable. It’s good to know that the company won’t disappear overnight and leave your home unprotected.

Even the wires inside your home are worth something. Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. Wiring can be removed from the outside of a home in a heartbeat. Make sure your wiring is hidden or hard to access to keep this valuable property safe.

Think about what you need to feel safe before considering security systems. Though such systems can be terrific for many, not everyone really needs one. It may be better for you to take a self-defense class or buy a dog. The neighborhood you live in makes a difference. Before you sink a lot of money into your home’s security, make sure that you’re properly addressing your particular risks.

Keep a flashlight with good batteries in every room of your home, just in case you lose power. Flashlights are key because they allow you to move around if an emergency should arise. Teach everyone in your home to use the flashlights so all family members can see and help each other.

If you come to your home and discover that your door has been left open, avoid investigating by yourself. It can be dangerous to walk in on an intruder. Call the authorities and let them take care of the situation.

Your landscaping should be designed based on what will be safest for your home. You should not let plants and shrub block your doors and windows. Do not give robbers a chance to hide in any area. Landscaped features should be set further away for safety, yet keeping beauty in mind.

Equip your home with a system designed for home surveillance. You can make a huge difference in your home’s security by putting in cameras whether they’re concealed or out in the open. Visible cameras scare intruders while a hidden camera could capture footage. It is possible to use your cell phone to look at your surveillance camera, meaning you can see your house when you’re gone.

Be sure your home is well lit on the outside. It will be easier for intruders to keep an eye on you and approach your home if they can hide in the dark. Install a light in any area a potential intruder can get into your home. This means by the garage, in the doorways, around windows and much more.

Find out more about the different contracts your security company offers. Each likely has its benefits and drawbacks. Long contracts are cheaper every month, but can outlast your stay in the home. Short contracts leave you with freedom, but also a larger bill.

If you are out of town for awhile, ask a friend to take a look at your door for any fliers. Canny burglars will often produce and distribute their own fliers so that they can see whether or not anyone takes them down. If their fliers are not moved, the crook knows the home is unattended.

When checking out security companies, ask whether they allow you to choose between buying or leasing the system. Buying it may cost more, but this means there are no monthly charges. Leasing is cheaper, but there may be hidden fees and contracts. Explore both options to see which works best for you.

Anytime you make a new electronics purchase, keep the boxes off the curb until the very last minute. Burglars will see those boxes and realize that there are valuable things in your home for them to get. Remember to cut up the boxes when they’re emptied.

Replace flimsy doors with solid wood or metal versions. Those materials will hold. A would-be intruder will have much more trouble getting through one of these than a hollow door. The cost of replacing these doors is very minimal if they were to break.

Inquire whether a security company offers variable contract lengths. There are going to be ups and downs for each one. While your monthly rates may be lower with a lengthy contract, you have no recourse should you list your home for sale or terminate your contract. A short contract may seem more expensive each month, but you have more freedom.

Motion sensitive lighting can be provided by your security company. This is a common offering from most companies. These lights, affixed to your home’s exterior, illuminate whenever anyone comes within range. This will make an intruder hesitant to break in, and it will provide you with additional safety whenever you arrive home late at night.

Criminals are not predictable, and a break-in of your home can happen at any time. Rather than crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, be proactive. Remember what you have learned, and do some research on your own so as to protect your family.

When it comes to security, sliding doors aren’t very safe. They are easily unlocked just by lifting and shaking. If a security system isn’t attached to these doors, then insert pipe to place into the door channel. Doing this will help keep your door closed tighter, making it more difficult for burglars to break in.