If you’re looking for home security information, here it is. With this sort of important decision, you should not settle for less than you need. It is important that you are in control of your home’s safety. To do this, you must be knowledgeable on the matter. Read on to learn about the choices you have.

Be very cautious about entrusting a maid service with a key to your home. When giving your house cleaner the key to your home, you need to be sure that they are reputable and honest. Make sure you verify all references. If you’re hiring from a company, call the BBB for more information.

Your dog could carry a spare key for you. This is a great idea if your dog is outside all the time, or they can get out through a doggy door. Put a key on the dog’s collar so you have access to it when necessary!

Do you keep your dog outdoors when you are away from home? If so, the dog can be a terrific spot to keep a spare key. Put it on their collar. This is a good way to ensure easy home access, especially if your pet does not associate well with strangers.

It is important to invest in building supplies that are as fire resistant as possible. This will add an extra protection layer for your house, particularly if you live near power lines or in a dry location. Avoiding fire hazards is a great way to keep things safe.

Compare various home security systems when shopping. Prices vary quite a bit. Ensure you talk to a minimum of three companies to obtain quotes before deciding the one that you believe is best for you.

Eliminate dead vegetation and rotting wood from the yard each summer. This sort of thing is a fire hazard in the heat of summer. Keeping your plants and bushes trimmed will benefit your family’s safety as well as the appearance of your home.

Ask friends for some advice before choosing home security companies and systems. Other people are sure to have opinions and experiences to share. Do your research; it will help you make a good decision in the end.

Local Police

When planning to go away for a holiday, be sure to turn off the ringers on your home phones. Intruders might be attracted by a phone that rings constantly without anyone picking up.

See what the local police offer when it comes to home protection programs. Many police departments will offer expert advice, arrange inspections, sponsor neighborhood watches, and help you mark and register your valuables. Contact your local police department to find out if they offer this type of program.

Never let a stranger inside. Even if they tell you a sob story about needing help, this warning remains true. Some criminals will come in, case your house and then come back when you are away.

The walls of your home make for great hiding spots. You should think about hiding certain small valuables within your walls. Just access unused switch plates, outlets or phone jacks. If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.

Make sure to clear your yard of brush and dead wood in the summertime. You risk a house fire if that sits there during the heat of the summer and catches fire. Keep these cleared away regularly to maintain your home’s safety and to keep it in good shape.

When choosing an alarm system, consider one that offers protection for more than just your doors. Windows offer easy access to a potential thief. Attach an alarm to every one of them, and make sure all entry points are monitored. They are the most effective.

Put motion-sensor lights into your home. If someone enters their proximity, they will light automatically. This lets you know something is moving and also drives off criminals. Just remember to change out the bulbs every so often so the lights remain in working order.

Equipping each room in your house with a reliable flashlight (charged with good batteries, of course!) is an excellent safety investment. If the power goes out, you will be able to see everything. Your kids should know how to work the flashlights so that everyone can help.

You need to change our locks as your first step to ensuring your safety. Whether an old roommate left or a relationship ended, changing your locks is a good idea. It’s generally cheap can can take less than a day to do.

Early Termination

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. With neighbors so far away, it may seem like a tiny risk. That said, stranger things have happened.

When choosing between security companies, read everything on the contract. There may be hidden costs to doing business with them, including early termination fees and surprising equipment costs. Avoid nasty charges or fees regarding early termination, contract expiration and additional features or equipment.

After making major (i.e. expensive) purchases, don’t dump the packaging out front if your next scheduled garbage pick-up is several days away. Doing so is like giving a burglar an invitation to target your home; he or she will know there is something good inside.

Criminals are much less likely to target your home if it’s well lit. They don’t want visibility. Ample lighting makes it difficult for would-be burglars to approach undetected, and this turns your home into a less attractive target. That’s why it’s a good idea to light your home well for optimum safety.

You should change all the locks if you just bought or rented a new home. As nice as the previous person may seem, you don’t really know them. Also, there have likely been other owners of the home, and you don’t know them either.

Look online for a reputable home security business. You can check out their packages and rates and also read some customer reviews. After that, choose your top three for consultations.

If you come to your home and discover that your door has been left open, avoid investigating by yourself. Keep in mind that intruders could still be inside. Instead, call the police to inform them of what happened, and wait on them.

Make sure that whoever is getting your mail while you are on vacation also retrieves any fliers left on the door. Burglars sometimes tack these up and watch to see whether or not they are removed. Fliers that are not removed let the burglar know that the home is vacant.

If you’re planning to be out of your home for a period of time, have a neighbor remove any fliers placed on your door. Some intruders will place a flyer at your home to see if the flyer is removed immediately or not. Fliers that are not removed let the burglar know that the home is vacant.

The number on your house should be easy to find. It is important for the authorities to find your address in the event of an emergency. If you notice a problem, you should be able to fix it fairly cheaply, though.

Are you able to see the numbers on your house from the street? If an emergency occurs, the police will not be able to find your home as quickly if these numbers are too small or are obscured in some way. Happily, it’s quick and easy to fix this problem.

If there are parts of your home you want no one else to enter, there is no need to lock doors or have a set of keys on you at all times. Code or fingerprint enabled keyless entry locks are a great solution. Either you or a security company can install them.

When you don’t want to spend a lot on maintenance, go for a hard-wired system. While there is a greater level of convenience if you go wireless, there is also a requirement that several batteries be changed, sometimes multiple times a year. If the batteries are not changed, the system might not work at all. Additionally, it can cost a pretty penny to buy batteries again and again.

You shouldn’t keep your car registration documents inside the glove box. This isn’t smart because that information contains your home address. Hide them somewhere else in the car, or carry them with you. Keep them close to you in case you get pulled over.

If you turn lights on and off around the same time, try using a timer. You will not have to expend as much energy taking care of the lights, but you will still be able to make sure your house is illuminated when you want it to be.

Using a timer is a great way to make it seem as if you are home when you are on vacation. This can simplify your life, but it also makes your home appear lived in if you are away.

Secure valuables that are truly irreplaceable. Some of these items can include legal documents, jewelry, passports, and priceless family photos. Purchase a safe with a lock to store all of these items. For added safety, place them in a safety deposit box at your bank.

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. Floor safes make for great places to hide such items. You may even choose to store them outside your home in safety deposit box.

A home security system can be really nice, but it’s only completely effective if someone notifies the police. Your best option is an alarm system that is monitored centrally so the police will be dispatched when the alarm sounds. You can’t necessarily rely on the neighbors to call.

If you have windows into your living room that open to the street, always draw your curtains in the evening. Don’t let anyone see inside. If burglars spot the expensive items in your house, they may want to hit you next. Try being discreet about what everyone sees to reduce the chances of being targeted by burglars.

The sliding doors made of glass that you see on many modern homes are actually a big security concern. You can easily unlock them by shaking and lifting them. If you haven’t hooked them up to your security system, you can install some pipe to fit within your door channel. Doing this will help keep your door closed tighter, making it more difficult for burglars to break in.

Take the information you have here so that you can go forward with home security. When you understand your needs and your options, it is much easier to be confident in your decision. Use this information to find a security system that will ensure your family’s safety.

Women are much more likely to be targeted for a home invasion, especially if they live by themselves or with children. Make it seem as if there is a man living in your home by putting large mud boots on your porch and a man’s hat in your car. This will help keep criminals away.