Do you want to make sure your home is protected? You’re doing the proper thing in terms of your home, so you can’t be too careful. You have to use all the information you can find. Become educated about home security by reading this article.

Your dog can keep your spare house key for you. This will come in handy if your dog is outdoors most of the time or if it can go outside through a pet door. Place a spare key on the collar, and when you really need a spare, you know where to go!

Make sure you trust your house cleaner before you provide them with a key. 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. Make sure you check references. If the cleaner has been sent by a company, call the Better Business Bureau to check on the company’s reputation.

Compare various home security systems when shopping. Prices can be very different from one product to another. You really owe it to yourself to solicit firm quotes from three different providers before you sit down to pick one.

If you like to have a key hidden in case you lose yours, place it in a safe place. Placing a key above a door or under a doormat is quite obvious! Try to find somewhere less obvious.

Do you have a dog that stays in your yard when you’re not at home? She or he is actually a good place to keep the spare key. Hook your key to the dog’s collar in a place that is shielded from view. If you have a pet that does not trust strangers, this can help you get into your house if needed.

Remove all of the vegetation outside in the hotter months. These can pose a fire hazard due to heat and storms with lightning. To make sure your home is safer, clear your yard periodically.

Motion-sensor lights can alert you of a robbery before it even happens. These are lights that turn on whenever any living thing gets too close to your home. Then you will know someone is present, and if the person is a burglar, he or she will be very likely to turn around and leave. Remember that the bulbs need to be changed so that the lights keep working.

Good home security systems sound a loud alarm when breached, and that’s not all. Many systems can be used to go off whenever anyone enters your home. This is important if you have small kids.

Changing the locks is a fundamental part of adding security to the home. If you have boarders, former live-in partners, or others who once had access to your home, this is especially important. It is usually inexpensive and can be done in less than 24 hours.

Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. While they are there to let light in, if you do not care for it properly it could also let in a thief. Check that skylights have heavy duty hardware that can stand up under unwanted tampering.

Don’t let people into your home unless you know them. While their story may seem legit, that doesn’t mean it is true. There are some people who will just come in to see if you have a home security system, and if you do not, they could come back later when you are not home.

Use your wall spaces to hide your valuables. It’s not necessary to cut out parts of your wall to do this. You can find pre-cut areas in your walls that can be used. Consider unwiring an electrical socket that isn’t used and storing your valuable jewelry.

You should change all the locks if you just bought or rented a new home. Regardless of how you feel about the sellers, you never know someone’s true intentions. People may have lived in the home before those owners, too.

Check with the police department in your town for home security tips and advice. They may offer neighborhood watch programs, home inspections, engraving tools for marking code numbers onto items so that they will be easily identified if stolen. Call and see what is available.

Before you let a security company representative enter your home, make sure they are in uniform, and don’t hesitate to ask them for identification. You would be surprised how many thieves will impersonate security representatives to get into your house. This leads to danger. Use caution to stay out of danger.

Before you let any strangers enter your home, be sure you look over their references. A background check is also recommended so you know if they have a criminal history. Someone can seem nice and professional on the outside, but they may not be so nice on the inside.

Even if you have a great security system, it must be checked annually. Ask a home security employee to give it a look. Your security system’s quality can be impacted by numerous factors, such as the weather and wild animals. You might not even discover these problems if they aren’t easily sighted.

There is a lot you can do to make your home safer. That said, there are ways to negate your risk. The above article has provided great suggestions on home security. Utilize them so that you can be assured that your home is completely protected.