Often homeowners fear the home security installation process will be tedious and irritating. This is especially true when specialists must enter the home. Fortunately, it does not need to be that bad. The information below will enlighten you on the process so that you can keep your home safe.

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. Only select service people who are totally trustworthy. Check their references fully. If your cleaning person comes from a company, check with the BBB.

Be sure that your home is always occupied. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. This way, your house will always look occupied. This will help to deter burglars.

Invest in a safe in order to secure very valuable items. This is important, since you don’t want your valuables exposed to a potential intruder. The safe should be situated in an inconspicuous area of your home.

Comparison shop when you are ready to buy a home security system. The prices can vary a great deal for the same level of protection from company to company. Be certain to obtain multiple quotes prior to making your choice.

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.

Your flooring and roofing should be fire resistant. This is a good way to protect your home against fires, for instance if you live near power lines or in a dry area. Preventing fires is the best way to deal with them.

Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. If your phone is ringing while you are out, burglars will realize that no one is home, making your home very vulnerable to an attack during your time away.

You need to secure your garage if it is attached to your home. Some people are concerned about burglars entering through an attached garage. You can use a C-clamp to secure the door and prevent it from being opened by strangers.

Avoid opening the door if you don’t know who is standing on the other side. Burglars have many clever ways to convince householders to open the door. Only open the door for people you are expecting.

Police Department

Use motion sensors on exterior lighting. These lights will turn on if anyone walks too closely to your home. They will signal movement to you but will also serve as deterrents to the thieves. Be sure to keep these lights working, though.

See if your area police department has any home security programs. There are plenty of things that can be done, from a safety walk to cataloging expensive items to help protect your investment and your family. If your police department does not offer these programs, find a private security company.

Go with your gut when you invite a home security company representative into your house. Don’t hire anyone who makes you uncomfortable. Don’t hesitate to request a different technician or to hire a new company altogether. The system and the company should put your mind at ease.

It is important that you check your home security system periodically, at least once a year. Get a security comapny tech to check it. Wild animals, domestic pets, and weather are all factors that can affect the reliability of your home security system. You may not be able to tell there is an issue by yourself.

Do you live out in the country? If so, you might not be as worried about burglars breaking in as those people in the city are. Others think that living in the country is more risky than other areas because houses are so far apart. Still there are those that think that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.

Motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home is a great idea. This type of light will come on when they detect motion within a certain distance of your home. They help notify you of any movement around your house and deter burglars too. Test the bulbs frequently, though.

Never throw out boxes for expensive items until the day your trash is picked up. You are alerting thieves that there is something worth stealing inside your home.

If you buy expensive electronics or appliances, throw the packages away the day that your trash pickup occurs. If you leave the boxes out all week, it lets people know what type of items you have in your home.

Keep flashlights in your rooms. Flashlights are very important, as they will give you the ability to move around in the event of an emergency. Also show your children how to use them so they can help out in emergencies.

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. It does not take much time to strip off the expensive copper wires from the exterior of your house. Hide the wiring and make it harder to access to prevent this from happening.

Make sure that the person analyzing your home for a home security system is who he says. Thieves can pass themselves as workers, which can end up in a robbery of your home. This represents a danger to your possessions and your family. Be very careful with who you let into your home.

You should have several flashlights and batteries in all your rooms. Flashlights are very important, as they will give you the ability to move around in the event of an emergency. Teach your children how to use the flashlights so that everyone in your household can help.

Always check references before letting anyone work on your home. It wouldn’t hurt to also perform a background check. You never really know if you can trust a service person, and giving access to the wrong one can prove disastrous.

Before letting someone from a security company into a house, get some sort of official identification. Thieves may say they are from a certain company to get into your home. This can be extremely dangerous to your home and loved ones. Be very careful with who you let into your home.

Use the Internet to find a reliable home security company. The sites of the companies themselves will provide you with details about their services, testimonials from their customers, and pricing information. After narrowing down your top five choices, you can then take the next step by contacting each one.

If you’re hiring a company for home security, be sure to read any fine print before you sign that contract. You may find fees appear unexpectedly, including excessive costs for ending your contract early. Try avoiding these fees when you can so that you know about them.

Ask your security provider about their history in the business. Look for a security company that is well-established and has extensive experience in the industry. You get better peace of mind if you deal with someone you know you can trust for the long haul.

Don’t allow your landscaping make it easier for burglars to break into your home. You should not let plants and shrub block your doors and windows. If they can be seen, there will be no place to hide. Put landscaping farther away from the house for greater safety.

Consider a wireless home security system. While a wired system is more affordable, it also requires more extreme modifications of your home’s existing wiring. This could be a potential problem in the event that your power goes out. A wireless system is easy to install, and will not become inoperable if your power goes out.

You need to get a good home surveillance system. Both hidden and visible security cameras are effective in protecting your home. Cameras that can be seen are an excellent tool for preventing most burglars from breaking into your home. However, if they are brave enough to try to disable your cameras, hidden cameras will capture them. You can sometimes access security systems using your cell phone, keeping you informed on the go.

If you are going to be out of town for more than a day or so, have someone check your mailbox and door for mail and fliers. Crafty burglars will leave fliers on homes, and check to see if they’re being removed as a means for determining whether or not the home is vacant. Fliers that are left behind signal to the burglar that there is no one at home.

Are you able to see the numbers on your house from your street? If there is need for cops to come to your home, it will be hard for them to find it if the numbers are not readable or are tiny. Happily, it’s quick and easy to fix this problem.

Can you read your house numbers clearly from the street? If an emergency happens, the police can’t get to the home as quick if your numbers are obscured in any way or are too small. If you notice a problem, you should be able to fix it fairly cheaply, though.

Ask whether companies offer options to lease or buy your security equipment. Buying will cost you more initially for the equipment, but will save you a monthly bill. The cost of leasing is lower at first but adds up over time. Pick the option that suits your particular situation best.

Don’t use locks of the spring latch variety. These type of locks can actually be opened by using a credit card. This isn’t a difficult maneuver either. A deadbolt can be retrofitted to a door with a spring latch lock if you want to make it more secure.

Using a timer is a great way to make it seem as if you are home when you are on vacation. This makes it easy for you because you do not have to turn the switch. It also makes the lights go off and on even if you are not at home.

You want your blinds and curtains closed if you’re away from your home. When they are open, potential burglars get a free look in. Intruders will break in if they see an item they want. Your window dressing should also be closed while you sleep.

Make sure that your valuables are kept in a secure location. Some examples include legal documents, expensive jewelry, financial records, passports and family pictures. A great choice for keeping these items in your home is a floor safe. A better idea is storing them inside a type of safe deposit box that’s outside your home.

Always keep your valuables secure. Items such as family photos, passports, legal documents, expensive jewelry and financial records need to be placed at a secure location. Purchase a safe with a lock to store all of these items. What is even better is the safe deposit box at your bank.

If the door isn’t solid wood or metal, then replace it with a door that is. Doors made of these materials are sturdy. A burglar would not be able to kick that door in. It shouldn’t be too expensive to replace all exterior doors, so do it immediately.

Does your security firm offer lights with motion sensors? Many providers can supply this, and it switches exterior lights on whenever anyone comes near a point of entry. This can deter potential thieves, as well as offer extra security while you enter your home.

There are many ways to make your home safer, both with and without home security systems. Whether you feel comfortable buying a gun, putting up a fence or adding extra locks to your doors, you have several options. Continue using these tips until your home is secure.

Your alarm will only work if the police are notified. This is why it’s a great idea to consider a centrally monitored system. It is not easy to rely on neighbors for your safety.