Arming yourself with home security knowledge is something everyone should do. However, you have to sift through the huge amount of information that is published on the matter. This article can help you glean the most important pieces of information that can help you develop the most effective home security plan.

You should always change the locks after purchasing a home. You will want to have a unique combination to stay secure. To ensure that you are the only one who has access to your house, call a locksmith. When you lose your keys, have your locks rekeyed.

Always make your house appear to be occupied. Timers can be used to turn lights and televisions on and off when required. This helps to create the illusion that someone is presently at home. This is an excellent method for avoiding burglary and keeping your home secure.

Only allow maids and cleaning services to have a key to the house if they are known to be trustworthy. You should not let cleaners have your keys if you feel like you cannot trust them, or if they will be working in your home while you are away. Check references thoroughly. If they work for a firm, call the local Better Business Bureau to find out that firm’s reputation.

It can be a good idea to only leave one ringer on in your home when you are away. If a burglar keeps hearing your phone ring, they’ll know the home is not occupied, making it more likely for a break-in to occur.

Do you have a dog that stays in your yard when you’re not at home? You could let your dog carry a spare key. The key can be attached to the collar of your dog. This will ensure that burglars cannot see it. If your pet does not get along with strangers, this will ensure your spare key stays safe.

Check out your garage to ensure that it is secure. A common concern expressed among homeowners is that someone might enter their garage and use that as an entrance to their home. There is a solution, however. A C-clamp placed on the garage door track will stop it from opening when you don’t want it to.

If you want to have a spare key close to your house in order to prevent lockouts, make sure you give its hiding place some careful thought. Too many people put their extra key under the mat in front of their door; burglars know to check there. One idea is to hide your key inside the collar of your outdoor dog.

If you’ve got a garage, boost home security just by using it for only a car instead of storage. Keeping your car inside will deter thieves from stealing or vandalizing it. Keeping your car out of sight is also a good way to prevent intruders from determining whether or not you are home.

Never let a stranger inside. It is essential you do not do this, even if the stranger gives you a convincing story or states they need your assistance. Some criminals will come in, case your house and then come back when you are away.

The first step in making your home more secure is to change out your locks. Whether you just bought your home or someone just moved out that you were living with, this is an important step to any new situation. It does not cost much, and can be handled very quickly.

Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to check it annually. A security professional should visit to help with the testing process. There are any number of problems that can cause malfunctions in your security system, from weather damage to animal activity. You might not even discover these problems if they aren’t easily sighted.

Every homeowner needs to learn about home security. It will take good sense to sift out the helpful information from that not useful to you. This means that this article will help you if you need advice about maintaining your home’s safety.

Motion sensor lights are a great investment. These lights will turn on if anyone walks too closely to your home. The lights will notify you of motion and also deter would be burglars. Make sure you keep fresh light bulbs in your motion activated lights so that they will work correctly.