Home security is very much misunderstood. To properly protect your items and home, you need to study home security. Keep reading for some invaluable home security tips.

Your home should looked occupied all the time. Invest in timers to automatically turn on and off any electronics at various times. This makes people think you’re home. This is an excellent method for avoiding burglary and keeping your home secure.

Your dog can keep your spare house key for you. This will come in handy if your dog is outdoors most of the time or if it can go outside through a pet door. Just hide a spare house key on the inside of your dog’s collar. Then when you need an extra key, you will be able to access this one.

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. This is only true if yours in an outdoor dog, or your house is equipped with a doggie 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!

Get a safe to protect your valuable items. If an intruder breaks into your home, at least these valuables will be secure. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.

Let a house cleaner have your keys only if they can provide you with references so you can verify their trustworthiness. If you do give out a key to such individuals, be certain you know their reputation for honesty. Ask for references and check them thoroughly. If your cleaning person comes from a company, check with the BBB.

Eliminate dead vegetation and rotting wood from the yard each summer. As things heat up in the summer, items may catch on fire and threaten your home. Keep your yard clear of debris to keep your house safe.

Use a safe to protect your valuables. A safe is the best way to protect your diamonds, gold and important documents. Keep your safe in a hard-to-get-to place, such as a basement closet or your attic.

Is your garage used for storage? Consider removing those items and keeping your car there instead. It will be far more secure against thieves. This will keep it away from thieves and vandals. If you keep your car in the garage instead of in the driveway, it is harder for thieves to know whether you are at home or not.

Is your ceiling resistant to fire? What about your flooring or roofing? This ensures your home won’t be a tinderbox. You can enhance home safety with excellent fire precautions.

Use motion sensor lights. This type of light will come on when they detect motion within a certain distance of your home. Not only will you know that someone is out there, it will also deter burglars because they want to be inconspicuous. Replace bulbs regularly and check the sensors once a month.

Do not forget to secure the garage attached to your home. Intruders could easily break into your garage and access your home. If your garage door happens to lift on a track, using a C-clamp can help. the C-clamp prevents the door from opening if it’s tightened on the track close to the roller.

An extremely important tactic for keeping your home safe is changing out the locks. Has a roommate or ex-lover moved out recently? If so, then you need to change out the locks in order to keep you and your home safe. This is a very easy process that you can complete within a day.

Remove all of the vegetation outside in the hotter months. They are a potential fire hazard during warmer months. Keep your yard clear so it is a safe area.

If you have skylights, do not neglect them when making sure your home is secure. Although skylights provide your home with a lot of light, it is also very helpful for burglars to break in. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.

Those living in rural areas often don’t worry as much about intruders compared to city dwellers. Some maintain that rural dwellers have greater risk since their neighbors live farther away. Some people think burglaries are less prevalent in rural parts.

Use your walls as hiding spaces. This does not mean that you should make alterations to your walls. You can find pre-cut areas in your walls that can be used. You could removed the wiring from an electric socket that you aren’t using, and stash jewelry inside it.

You can hide things in your walls. Hide valuables inside of your walls. Just open up an electrical outlet or a phone jack that is not in use. If you haven’t got any plates that are unused, simply install a false switch plate.

If you bought any big or expensive things, wait until trash day to throw away the boxes. Having these boxes around for a while will give people an idea of what is inside your house.

If the home you are moving into is not brand new, you should change the locks on all the doors. Although other tenants might not have a key anymore, they could have copied it. This will help safeguard that there is no one else with your key.

If you are moving in your new home, ensure all the old locks are replaced. Although you may trust the previous homeowner, you cannot be 100% sure of their character. Keep in mind that there may have been residents prior to that person too.

Motion-sensitive exterior lighting is a must. These lights illuminate your home during the night. As an added bonus, they are affordable and quite efficient. If strategically placed, motion detectors ensure that it’s difficult for intruders to break into your home sight unseen.

If someone from the security company comes to your home, ask to see their ID before allowing them in. Many thieves use this tactic to enter a house. This can put your family and possessions in danger. Caution is always advisable if dangers like this are to be avoided.

Ask a home security company to come to your house and design a security system that is perfect for your needs. Different people require different plans. Doing this helps you get the best security you can get from the company, helping you to relax.

Check references before giving anyone access to your home. Check if they have any history of criminal activity. You can’t know for sure about the integrity of people you hire, and blindly giving them access to your home can be a huge mistake.

Think about what you need to feel safe before considering security systems. Some systems aren’t necessary for some, while others may have a need for them. Some individuals are more comfortable with a canine alarm, while other people enjoy the feeling of security that a sophisticated alarm system can bring. Before you sink a lot of money into your home’s security, make sure that you’re properly addressing your particular risks.

Whenever you sign with a home-security company, it is important that you thoroughly read the contract. You need to find out about hidden costs, such as cancellation fees in case you want to cancel your contract before it expires. You want to avoid as many of these fees as you can, so read everything.

It is a good idea to invest in video surveillance for your home security system. Video cameras are an excellent way to keep your home safe. Visible cameras deter the majority of intruders, and if they try to disarm them, a camera that is hidden will keep capturing footage. There are surveillance systems that you can access and check by cell phone.

As you work on your home’s landscape, don’t forget about safety. Don’t provide burglars with cover by planting big shrubs in front of your doors and windows. This makes it where people can’t hide in different nooks and crevices. Put these features at a greater distance from your house; let beauty also complement safety.

Keeping thieves from the contents of your garage can be as simple as making sure they can’t easily look inside. Use a frosted film to cover the windows. This can be purchased at many hardware stores. It’s also a good idea to avoid leaving your garage door open for any longer than absolutely necessary, even if you’re at home.

Ask the home security company about how long they’ve been running prior to signing up. A company with a long history has proved they can survive and provide great service to people. You’ll find it a lot easier to put your faith in the professionals if you take the time to verify their trustworthiness.

Inquire as to the different lengths of contracts offered by your security company. There are usually pros and cons in each contract. Your bill may be lower with a long-term contract, but you could wind up paying for a service you’re not using if you decide to move. Shorter contracts allow your greater freedom, however they usually cost more each month.

A lot of people understand the role that home security systems play when it comes to our everyday lives. Surprisingly, though, very few people are aware of the steps that must be taken to protect their home and valuables. Armed with the information presented here, you have the resources you need to secure your home 24/7.

When you aren’t home, make sure your windows are covered. If you leave them open, potential burglars can look in and case the joint. If they notice something valuable, they’re more likely to invade your home. You should have the windows covered when you’re asleep.