You want your family to always have that safe and secure feeling at home. You want to know that while your family is away, your home remains secure. This article will give you some tips on how to protect your home.

Do you let your dog outside when you leave the house? If so, you can use your dog to hide your spare key. Secure the key on the inside of the dog’s collar. If your dog does not like strangers, this can help ensure consistent access to the house.

Your faithful dog makes a great hiding spot for a spare key. However, this method is only effective if your dog is large, scary, and stays outdoors. Place a spare key on the collar, and when you really need a spare, you know where to go!

Buy a safe to contain everything of great value. This is important, since you don’t want your valuables exposed to a potential intruder. Hide your safe in a place that is hard to get to, like a basement closet or an attic.

Keep your most precious belongings inside a safe. This ensures during a break in that the most important things are not stolen. The safe should be situated in an inconspicuous area of your home.

You need to be sure the attached garage of yours is secure. There is a solution for people that are worried about burglars going into their home through an attached garage. A C-clamp can prevent a garage door from even opening if the clamp is tightened on the door track near the roller.

If you retain a space key for when you get locked out, consider the place you hide it carefully. Never put a spare key under a doormat or above a door jam. You could hide the key with your dog on the collar.

If you reside in the country, you may be less worried about break-ins than urban dwellers are. There are differences between large cities and homes located in the countryside. You need to do some research on the areas where you live to get an idea of how frequent break ins are.

Don’t allow a complete stranger to come in your home. You have no way of knowing if the stranger on the other side of the door wishes to do you harm. Establish a rule where you and your family only open the door for expected visitors.

Don’t put extra keys under doormats or in planters. 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. For obvious reasons, experienced burglars know every possible hiding spot. Rather, give your key to a neighbor you find trustworthy.

Put motion-sensor lights into your home. They will illuminate your property if they sense any movement near your home. They will signal movement to you but will also serve as deterrents to the thieves. Get in the habit of checking and replacing the bulbs as necessary to ensure the lights remain effective.

You should always lock up your house, even if you’re only planning to be gone for a short time. It is more common than you would believe for a thief to find a home, try the door and walk right in when it’s unlocked. It does not take long for thieves to steal your expensive stuff.

If you’ve got skylights, don’t forget about it when it comes to home security. Skylights are excellent for beauty and light, but it’s easy for burglars to gain access to your home through them. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.

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. Don’t forget that there were likely other owners and residents in the house before the last set.

Do not place your spare keys under your mat or even in plant boxes. These seem like great places for you when you misplace your key. Thieves aren’t stupid and also know common hiding spots. Rather, give your spare key to a neighbor or friend that you trust.

Keep flashlights in your rooms. Flashlights are key because they allow you to move around if an emergency should arise. Also show your children how to use them so they can help out in emergencies.

When you hire a type of home security company, read the contract’s fine print before signing. They sometimes have hidden costs if you let go of them prior to the contract expiring. You can easily avoid these fees if you do your research.

If you move to a place that was occupied before, you should change the locks right away. Even if the tenants turned their keys in, they may have made copies. If you own, you can have the locks replaced and only you will have had the key.

Consider home security and safety when you are planning your landscaping. Make sure that the doors and windows to your home are not covered by trees, fences, shrubs or any other type of thing. This way, no one can hide there if they are attempting to break into your house. Landscaped features should be set further away for safety, yet keeping beauty in mind.

The most useful tool for finding home security is the Internet. Go through different websites and investigate testimonials about different companies and packages. Make appointments with the three best companies, and take the time to go over the details and compare them.

Before checking out security systems for your home, think about your personal security and safety needs. Although these systems can protect you and your family, not everybody needs them. Some neighborhoods would feel be safe enough if you knew basic self defense or had a large dog. Ensure that you have considered all your options before making a final decision.

Keep safety at the forefront when landscaping your property. Do not obstruct doors and windows with plants or furniture. If they can be seen, potential burglars will not be able to use them as hiding places before breaking in. Plan your greenery and shrubbery for areas away from the direct path to your home to add beauty while still keeping your house safe.

If you haven’t gotten a paper shredder, it may be time to purchase one. You would be surprised at how often thieves look through trash to find personal information to find out when you will be away from home so they can break in. If paper shredders don’t fit into your budget, you can manually rip up important documents yourself.

Before signing up for a particular home-security company, find out how long they’ve been around. A reliable home security company is one that has a long history in the community and can offer references from satisfied customers. You’ll find it a lot easier to put your faith in the professionals if you take the time to verify their trustworthiness.

The best method to maintain a thief from going into the garage is making sure nobody can see inside. Frosted windows will keep a burglar from being able to see inside. The material needed to do this can be found at home improvement stores. Also, avoid leaving the door open for prolonged periods of time.

Keep your home’s exterior well lit. It will be easier for intruders to keep an eye on you and approach your home if they can hide in the dark. Make sure to have lights anywhere an intruder might enter. Be sure to consider your front and back porch, garage, ground floor windows and any basement entryway.

When it comes to expert advice, you now have a plethora of choices at your disposal. Will you use these tips to make your own home safer? Keep learning about home security. Technology is rapidly advancing, changing the industry along with it. Stay up to date, and everyone stays safe.

If you are out of town for awhile, ask a friend to take a look at your door for any fliers. Thieves will drop off flyers to see if home owners are away. If the fliers isn’t removed, the criminal knows that no one is home.