Are you well informed in regards to security systems? If you are confused when deciding for your house, then you must learn more about this subject. An alarm system is a significant investment and you need to know what you are buying.

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. This really only works if you’ve got an outdoor dog or if you’ve got a pet door. You can attach a copy of your key to the dog’s collar, so when you need that spare, you’ve got one handy!

Make sure your attached garage is secure. There is a way to prevent burglars from entering your home through the garage. Simply attach a C-clamp near the roller on the door track.

Once you buy a house, switch out the locks. This is because you really have no idea who has keys, and therefore access to your home. 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.

Buy a safe. If a burglar enters your home, he or she will have a hard time making off with your possessions. Keep your safe in a hard-to-get-to place, such as a basement closet or your attic.

If your house has a garage, keep the car there, not just your junk. Keeping the car inside is a good way to keep criminals from stealing or harming it. This will also make it more difficult for burglars to track when you away from home.

If you like to have a key hidden in case you lose yours, place it in a safe place. Too many people put their extra key under the mat in front of their door; burglars know to check there. An example would be to attach a key to your dog’s collar, if he stays outdoors.

Shut off the ringer for all of the telephones in your home if you are planning to go on vacation for a long time. When burglars hear phones ringing for an extended period of time in a home, they know that there is no one there to answer.

You should regularly check your home security system, regardless of how reliable you believe it is. Your security company should send a representative to check your system. Wild animals or plain old nature can wreak havoc on your home security system. You might not even discover these problems if they aren’t easily sighted.

Never open up your door to a stranger. There are people who are going to be convincing, but they can just be professional thieves. Keep a hard, fast rule that says you only open the door for invited guests in order to keep your family safe.

Rid the outside of your home from dead wood, vegetation and overgrowth during the summertime. They are a potential fire hazard during warmer months. Clear up your yard so it looks good and is safe.

Switch your locks. There are many different people who might have keys from your past, and removing the potential of them accessing your home can be a very good idea. Changing locks is not very expensive and should be done within a few hours.

Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to check it annually. Your security company should send a representative to check your system. There are quite a few things that can negatively impact the effectiveness of home security equipment. For example, adverse weather conditions or pests such as raccoons can cause problems. If you don’t see the problem, you may remain unaware of it.

When having a company install your security system, you must trust your feelings. If you are hesitant about the company, your gut feeling is especially important. Don’t hesitate to request a different technician or to hire a new company altogether. You want your new system to protect you, not be the way the thief gets into your home.

Skylights need to be secure, too. As nice as they look, they’re a prime target for thieves. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.

Rural Areas

People in rural areas are not usually as worried about burglaries as people in cities. On a different note, some people believe homeowners in more rural areas are more likely to experience robberies because of the lack of nearby neighbors. Others feel rural residents have a lower risk of being burglarized.

Don’t put extra keys under doormats or in planters. While it may seem like a convenient way to give you access to your home, intruders are aware of this practice. Thieves are familiar with these hiding spots. Try having your trustworthy neighbors hold spare keys.

You should change all the locks if you just bought or rented a new home. Even if the previous owner or tenant seems trustworthy, you have no way of knowing how many copies of the key they made and distributed. Also, there have likely been other owners of the home, and you don’t know them either.

Always get references from anyone you are considering hiring to do work inside your home. Perform a background check to learn about their criminal history, too. Someone can seem nice and professional on the outside, but they may not be so nice on the inside.

It is important that your alarm system wiring is not exposed anywhere. A burglar will simply cut the wires if he can see them. Make it hard for intruders and bury the wires or hide them inside your walls, if possible. This will make you much safer.

Request that prospective security firms design a system specifically for your home. You need some features which other families may wish to do without. When you don’t want to compromise in any way on the safety and security of your home, a custom-built system is usually the way to go.

Light up your home’s exterior. Criminals like to blend into the shadows, so do your best not to provide too many for them. Install lights in areas where intruders might come. This includes porches and doorways, the garage, as well as ground floor windows, which can invite an intruder.

Your first priority when you move to an apartment or house where others have lived in before is to replace all the locks. You do not want anyone to have a copy of the key. You can purchase locks and install them yourself to ascertain that only you have a key.

Can you locate your house number if you are standing on 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. This is a very easy issue to have rectified.

A great protection against burglars is owning a dog. They are protective of their home and owner and will alert you if someone is on your property. You don’t have to have a huge, violent guard dog, though. Even the barking of a tiny dog can repel potential burglars, who want to avoid noises as they carry out their crimes.

If you scheduled an appointment for a member of the security company to come to your house, ask them to show you some identification first. You would be surprised how many thieves will impersonate security representatives to get into your house. Intruders could disguise themselves as home security representatives to inspect your current security system. Caution is always advisable if dangers like this are to be avoided.

Are you more confident, given your new knowledge base about security systems for the home? This added knowledge will help you make a better decision when choosing a system. Keep the information above close as you consider the options.