Every homeowner has the responsibility of doing his best in keeping his house safe. There are a wide range of security solutions available to you, depending on your circumstances. Keep reading for an inside look at what you can do to make your home secure.

It’s important to comparison shop for alarm systems. Different companies can provide equivalent levels of service and security, but their prices can vary wildly. Get at least 3 quotes from security system companies and compare features and services as well as monthly costs.

Make your house look occupied all the time. You can buy timers to have radios, TVs, lights and other electronics go off and on at different times. This gives off the appearance that someone is home. This should help you make your home safer and not attract the attention of potential intruders.

Don’t post online when you’ll be away from your home. It can be exciting to tell everyone about your vacation, but you could potentially be letting a burglar in on your whereabouts.

Place the spare key that you make on your dog. In order to make this work, your dog either needs to stay outside or have access to a pet door. Put a key on the dog’s collar so you have access to it when necessary!

Make sure the ringer on any phones in your home is turned off when you leave for vacation. A loud ring that goes unanswered can alert people to the fact that you aren’t home. This makes you more likely to be the victim of a burglary.

Home security systems do more than sounding an alarm in case of a break in. Modern systems are often capable of detecting any open door or window and announcing that fact. If you have little ones wandering about the house, this makes it easy for you to know if they have come in or gone out.

Do not open your door for strangers. Burglars are getting creative, and they will do anything they can to gain access to your home. Never open the door to anyone you do not know.

Use a safe to protect your valuables. This is vital since it means all of your things will be safe if someone breaks in your home. Hide that safe in a difficult-to-reach place like in a closet inside your basement or an attic.

The police department in your area may offer a home protection program. There are lots of different programs, like home inspections, that will help you take the proper steps to make sure your home adequately protected. These programs can make a big difference to the security of your home, and they may just be a phone call away.

Is your ceiling resistant to fire? What about your flooring or roofing? This adds an extra layer of protection to your home, especially if you live in a very dry area with power lines. Lowering or eliminating the risk of a fire is an extremely important home security strategy because a fire can cause extreme destruction very quickly.

Do not place your spare keys under your mat or even in plant boxes. Remember that you are not the only one who is aware of these sorts of hiding places. Any thief knows all the typical hiding spots. Instead, have a trustworthy neighbor hold on to your spare key.

If you’ve got a garage, boost home security just by using it for only a car instead of storage. A car kept locked in a garage is much less likely to be stolen or damaged. Keeping your car out of sight is also a good way to prevent intruders from determining whether or not you are home.

You never want people to be able to see your valuables from outside of your home. While it may be nice to look out, burglars will see your valuables inside. If your house has street-facing windows, make sure they are always covered and your make sure your valuables are hidden away.

Try installing motion-sensor lights. They turn on only if someone is nearby. This lets you know something is moving and also drives off criminals. Just remember that you must change the bulbs often in order to keep the lights working in order.

If you have purchased any large and/or expensive items, do not throw the boxes away until the day before the trash man is scheduled to come. These boxes sitting outside your home serve as a flag for thieves to target your home.

If you’re in a rural place, you might not be as worried about break-ins as those that are in the city. There are some who believe country folk are more at risk because neighbors are not nearby. Some think that there are less burglars in rural areas.

A simple way to increase your home security is to add motion lights around the house. At night, the lights will keep things bright round the house, but they are also efficient and cost-effective ways to help your security. If placed strategically around the house, motion detectors can make it very tough for criminals to get to your property.

Security Company

When hiring a home security company, make sure to read the fine print on the contract you are signing. There could be hidden costs if you were to quit your service prior to the expiration date of the contract, or you decide to add additional equipment later. These are costs you’ll want to avoid.

When a security company wants in your home ask for an ID and see if they’re in uniform. Potential burglars can easily claim they are security company representatives so that they can enter your home. This can put your family and possessions in danger. Use caution to stay out of danger.

Your home’s exterior needs to be well lit. Criminals love darkness to help mask their crimes. Be sure all vulnerable exterior areas of your home are equipped with good lighting. Don’t forget that this includes ground-level windows as well as doors, garages, and porches.

Keep lights on at all times if you want to prevent break-ins from happening. Burglars don’t want to be visible. It makes it look like you are home and makes it difficult for thieves to hide. Keep those lights shining brightly at night.

Buy a paper shredder. Many thieves sift through trash for personal info and to figure out when you plan to be away. If you can’t afford to buy a paper shredder, tear your papers up into tiny bits before throwing them away.

Your home’s exterior needs to be well lit. Burglars prefer the cover that night provides their criminal activities. Add lights to any areas you believe are potential entry points for burglars. This will include doorways, porches, your garage, and ground floor windows that criminals can use.

When standing in the street, can you see your house numbers? 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. Fortunately, it doesn’t require much to fix this problem.

Think about your personal security needs before you purchase a home security system. Generic systems aren’t for everyone. In some neighborhoods, you might be better off taking a self defense class or owning a dog, while in others, the latest innovations in home security will protect you best. Be sure to understand the sorts of risks you face before deciding what sort of security is best for you.

Do not use locks with spring latches. These type of locks can actually be opened by using a credit card. The card is slid into the crevice between the latch and the door, pushing the latch back and springing the lock open. If this is the kind of lock on your doors, strongly consider adding a deadbolt for safety.

Don’t neglect your garage when it comes to home security. Add some frosted glass panes to your windows to keep strangers from looking inside. Don’t leave doors open for long lengths of time when working there.

Make sure that your key is in a hidden place. It is easy to spot a rock that is fake. Many people will look under your doormat. The best idea is just to ask a friend or neighbor to hang on to a key for you. If that isn’t an option, be creative with a hiding spot.

Are you able to see the numbers on your house from your street? If you need assistance, emergency vehicles may not locate your home in a timely manner if the numbers don’t stand out. Fortunately, the solution to this is quick, easy and rather cheap once you are aware of the need.

If you’ve got a type of numeric keypad on the front door, don’t use your birthday as the password. A thief can easily find this information out. Instead, come up with a trickier password that only you will know the answer to.

Dogs are an excellent way to protect your home. Dogs are protective of turf and generally make noise when something is wrong. You will get good results even if you do not have a large or vicious dog. Even tiny dogs that make a ton of noise will deter a potential crime.

If the cost of maintenance is a concern, a hard-wired system may be your best choice. 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 you don’t replace the batteries, you’ll find that your system stops working correctly. Buying new batteries to replace the old ones can get expensive.

Don’t fit your exterior doors with locks of the spring latch variety. These type of lock is the easiest lock to pick, it could even be opened by a credit card. All they have to do is wedge the card between the latch and door, then wiggle it. If this is the kind of lock on your doors, strongly consider adding a deadbolt for safety.

Take to your security company, and find out if they have motion activated lights. Most companies will provide customers with this luxury. When anyone gets too close to the entry way, the lights turn on. This will ward off thieves and make you feel safe when you come home.

If you are away, pull your shades closed. If the blinds are up, then the intruders can see directly through your home. If burglars see items in your home that appear valuable, they’ll likely break in to steal them. Curtains and blinds should be drawn shut while you are asleep.

Sliding glass doors pose large security issues in homes. They can be simply unlocked with a lift and a shake. Without a security system to protect your home, you should shove a pipe or rod behind the sliding door–between the sliding half of the door and the door frame–to brace it against the frame. This keeps your door closed tightly and it will make it much harder to open forcibly.

Avoid storing car registration in your glove compartment. Anyone with access to your car can find out where you live, so it is not a smart thing to do. Keep these papers on you or hide them under a seat in your vehicle. You still need to have them close in case you are pulled over.

Buy a security system from a reliable company instead of a re-seller. Resellers only want to make the most money they can, and they don’t necessarily guarantee their products. When going through the company, you generally won’t have to pay as much, and you can rely on them to fix anything that goes wrong with the system.

After reading these tips, your home should be safe. Perhaps this seems to be very complicated and troublesome; however, you must proceed to secure your home and provide safety for your family. You can do this by applying what you’ve learned here.

Intruders might be interested in the wiring of your home. The copper and other metals found in electrical components, wires, and plumbing is valuable enough as scrap metal to make it worth stealing. Hiding wiring is a good way to prevent copper thieves from hitting your property.