To make educated decisions regarding the security of your home, you need to have a grasp on all the information available. Decisions in this area are too important to be taken lightly. You should really think about which safety methods work best for your home.

Purchase a safe to lock all of the extremely valuable items in your home in one place. If a burglar enters your home, he or she will have a hard time making off with your possessions. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.

Keep your jewelry, vital documents and other expensive items in a safe. You need this because you would not want burglars to see these valuable items around in your house. The safe should be situated in an inconspicuous area of your home.

Shut off the ringer for all of the telephones in your home if you are planning to go on vacation for a long time. A home phone that rings and rings is a good way for a potential thief to know if anyone is home.

Social networking sites are great for keeping in touch, but post information sparingly. For example, you might avoid broadcasting when you are going out of town, especially if your friends list contains casual acquaintances. Although you may want to let others in on your excitement, it may inadvertently give burglars a heads up to target your property.

Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to have it checked each year. Ask someone from your security company to come over and have a look. The weather and animals are two things that may cause havoc on your home’s security system. You may not even know there is a problem if it is not visible.

If you will be away from your house for an extended period of time, turn the ringers off for all your phones. If the phone rings when you are away, burglars will know there’s nobody home, making the house vulnerable to a break-in when you are out.

Don’t forget skylights when doing a security sweep for your home. Although a skylight can bring light into one’s home and look good, it’s also a common entrance way for burglars. Any skylights in your home should be secured with strong hardware.

In the summer, remove vegetation and dead wood from your yard. These can pose a fire hazard due to heat and storms with lightning. Always clear the yard to ensure safety.

A wall is a great hiding place. Hide valuables inside of your walls. Place them in switch plates, phone jacks or an electric outlet. You can also install a fake one.

See what your local police department offers in terms of home protection programs. They may offer things such as home inspections, engraving tool loans, and other guidance about securing your house. Speak with the police in your area to see if they have these things.

Avoid leaving spare keys outside of your home. You are allowing people to invade your home when you make it easy for them. Burglars are familiar with these hiding spots. Ask a reliable neighbor or a friend to keep your spare key.

Make your home safer by storing your car inside the garage. If your car is locked up inside, it cannot be stolen or vandalized. When your car is hidden, it will be hard for intruders to tell if you are home or not.

No matter how soon you plan to return home, you should lock your doors. It might shock you to learn that most break-ins occur due to unlocked doors. Once a thief is inside, he can steal a lot of valuables in a short amount of time.

Motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home is a great idea. Lights like these will automatically turn on whenever someone is near them. They help notify you of any movement around your house and deter burglars too. Do not forget to change a bulb when it burns out.

When deciding on an alarm system, be sure and get one that protects more than your doors. Windows need to be monitored too. Each point of entry for your home should be monitored by the system. This will make your family safer.

After installing a security system in your home, make sure any wires are hidden. Intruders can get around security systems and into a home by cutting the wires. You don’t want to help them by doing this, so make sure you have the wires within the walls. This helps keep you and your family safe.

Were you aware that your home’s wires are valuable? Often homeowners are unaware of this fact until they find that their wiring has been stolen. A skilled intruder could remove all the copper from your home within less than an hour. Hide your wiring for optimum security.

When moving into your new house, change every lock. 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.

Make sure to have flashlights with fresh batteries in all rooms within your house in the event of a power outage. Power outages are common to all sorts of emergency situations, so having flashlights handy will enable you to maneuver in the dark. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the flashlights are.

If your home isn’t new, replace the locks. The previous tenant or owner may not have the keys, but you don’t know if they made copies for themselves or others. You can do your own installation to make sure that no one else has a key.

Use the Internet when you are seeking a new home security company. Check out different websites, and read through package details and customer testimonials. Once you have selected a few potential home security providers, set appointments to interview them and find out what they have on offer.

If you hire a security company, read any fine print. You need to find out about hidden costs, such as cancellation fees in case you want to cancel your contract before it expires. Avoid nasty charges or fees regarding early termination, contract expiration and additional features or equipment.

Think about your specific needs and risks prior to investigating security systems. Generic systems aren’t for everyone. Sometimes you may just want to invest in a dog or self-defense classes. Know the risks so that you can make a better decision.

Consider your security risk and safety needs before purchasing home security systems. Though such systems can be terrific for many, not everyone really needs one. Some neighborhoods feel more safe than others, but a good security system definitely makes you feel more safe. See to it that you understand the risks involved in making these purchasing decisions.

Anytime you come home and notice that the door is open whenever you are quite certain you closed it, don’t enter on your own to investigate. A thief might still be in there, which could put you in danger. Request that the police come and have them go in and check it out, before you go in yourself.

Since reading this article, you know more about home security. You don’t want to walk into your decisions blindly. You need to be comfortable that you have taken your family’s security seriously. Remember these tips as you formulate your home security plan.

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. Canny burglars will often produce and distribute their own fliers so that they can see whether or not anyone takes them down. If the flier is not removed, it’s easy for a burglar to suspect that the owner is away.