The safety of your home and family is of utmost importance. Burglaries are on the rise and protection against floods or fires can be useful too. The following article has some great information to help keep your home safe and secure.

When you buy a new house, change the locks. You’re not aware of any copies that have been made by the previous owners of the house. To ensure that you are the only one who has access to your house, call a locksmith. You should also do this if your keys ever get lost.

Don’t post online when you’ll be away from your home. Although you may want to let others in on your excitement, it may inadvertently give burglars a heads up to target your property.

You should only provide a house cleaner your key if you completely trust them. Only select service people who are totally trustworthy. One way to do this is to check their references. If the cleaner has been sent by a company, call the Better Business Bureau to check on the company’s reputation.

Get advice from loved ones about home security systems. Your friends have gone through both bad and good experiences and they will be able to share them with you. Making a great choice is important, so this advice will come in handy.

It’s important to shop around before you settle on the right security system for your home. The prices can vary a great deal for the same level of protection from company to company. Get quotes from no less than three companies before choosing the best one.

When you’re going away, turn off your phone ringers. If your phone rings and is not being answered, criminals will realize that you’re away.

If you keep a spare key outside to prevent yourself from being locked-out, think carefully about where you hide it. Common places to hide a spare key are above your door frame or underneath your doormat. Therefore, thieves are more likely to check these places out first. For a better solution, try tucking your spare key into your dog’s collar, provided you have an outside dog.

Don’t let any person you don’t completely know into your house. Be wary of those who come to your door selling products, asking for help, or telling sob stories. This person might just be casing the joint to see if there is home security equipment.

Is your ceiling resistant to fire? What about your flooring or roofing? These materials will protect your home from both internal fires and the spread of fires that start on other properties. Preventing fires is the best way to deal with them.

If you’ve got a garage, make sure to use it for your car rather than extra storage space. This will keep it away from thieves and vandals. Additionally, if your car is put away, burglars will not be able to tell whether or not you are home.

Talk to people you know about their security systems. Most will be willing to share their likes, loves and loathes, especially as they realize how important it is to you. Sometimes, you may get great advice from the people you know.

Security Systems

Don’t let strangers enter your house. This includes a salesperson or people looking for help. These people might want to actually do you harm or could be casing out your house for a future break-in.

You need to have your security system checked once a year. Ask a qualified worker who specializes in security systems to take a look. Many factors cause issues with security systems like nature and wild animals. You might be unaware of problems that arise in some cases.

Don’t open your door when strangers are knocking. Criminals find ways to get people to open doors so they can commit crimes. Make it mandatory that doors in your home are only opened for expected visitors.

Changing your locks first can help make your home much more secure. Not everyone who leaves your house will leave happy, and a fresh set of locks will protect you from both former residents and acquaintances of your own looking to cause mischief. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.

An extremely important tactic for keeping your home safe is changing out the locks. Not everyone who leaves your house will leave happy, and a fresh set of locks will protect you from both former residents and acquaintances of your own looking to cause mischief. It is inexpensive, and most locksmiths will be available for next day appointments.

Be sure your valuables are not visible from the outside of your house. Large windows let in a lot of light, but they also allow outsiders to see inside your living space. If your windows face a street, be sure they’re always covered and have your valuables safe.

Understand certain safety precautions when it comes to having skylights for your home. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Make sure your skylights have reliable, heavy duty hardware in place.

It is important that your alarm system wiring is not exposed anywhere. Burglars can easily cut the wires if they are visible. Make it hard for a burglar to avoid your detection. This makes it much less likely that your system will be compromised.

You should always lock up your house, even if you’re only planning to be gone for a short time. Most burglars gain entry to a home through an unlocked door. Thieves can steal thousands worth of your belongings very quickly.

Did you know that the wires on your home are valuable? Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. The reason they are valuable is because of their copper. A burglar can easily strip off your wires from the outside of your home very quickly. Hide the wiring and make it harder to access to prevent this from happening.

If you are entering a house that has already been occupied, you should first change your locks. Though the prior occupant may have relinquished their keys, there may be copies out there. For maximum security, buy your own locks and install them yourself. This way you can be certain nobody else has a key.

Carefully check the references of everyone before allowing them to enter your home. For a relatively small fee, you can also run a background check for their criminal history. You need to be very careful with the contractors, repairmen or maids you trust with being alone in your home.

Don’t allow your landscaping make it easier for burglars to break into your home. You should not let plants and shrub block your doors and windows. Keeping these features free of vegetation robs would-be burglars of concealment and hiding places. This should be planned in advance for your safety.

Talk to any companies you’re considering hiring to install a security system about how long the company has been around. Companies who have been around for years will show that they have what it takes to succeed. In addition, it proves that they provide people with reliable services they can depend on. Whenever you know you aren’t doing business with a fly-by-night company, you will be more assured your home is protected.

One effective home security trick you can use is by installing outdoor motion sensor lights. Burglars like committing crimes in the darkness. Be sure and have a light next to any entry point in your home. This can include garages, doorways, porches, and even near any windows on the ground floor.

Be sure your home is well lit on the outside. Nothing is as attractive to a burglar as a dark, deeply-shadowed house. Add lights to any areas you believe are potential entry points for burglars. This means by the garage, in the doorways, around windows and much more.

Think about having a wireless security system for the home installed. It may cost less to get a wired system; however, rewiring to accommodate the system may be difficult. Additionally, power outages may negatively impact your system. The easy of installation and maintenance when it comes to wireless set-ups makes them the best bet.

With everything out there that pose a threat to a house, all homeowners need to know what they can do to keep their precious asset safe. You can find out some great ideas in this article to help keep your home safe. Use these ideas to boost your home’s safety.

Don’t neglect your garage when it comes to home security. Frost your windows with film bought at a hardware store. Also, avoid leaving the door open for prolonged periods of time.