Homeowners need to secure their homes to keep their families safe. Burglaries are common, and probably always will be. Keep reading to gain useful insight about keeping your house and loved ones out of harm’s way.

You should always make sure your home looks like its occupied. Use timers to make electronic devices and lights turn on and off at intervals. In this way, it will always seem that someone is in your home. This will help to deter burglars.

Does your dog like to play in your yard? They may provide you with a useful place to hide your key. You can attach your key to your dog’s collar in order to keep the key hidden. This is very effective if your pet is afraid of strangers; therefore, burglars are not very likely to notice the key.

Put your spare key on your dog. This is a great idea if your dog is outside all the time, or they can get out through a doggy door. Simply affix a spare key to the collar of the animal. You’ll always have a backup plan if you lose your key!

Good home security systems sound a loud alarm when breached, and that’s not all. Many can be set for sounding their alarm if anyone enters. This isn’t just for burglars; parents with young children can also use it as a valuable tool to know when their child has come inside.

Make sure that you hide your spare key in a good spot. The doormat is too obvious of a place to hide it, as robbers will look there first. Try hiding your key somewhere more unique, like your outside dog’s collar.

When looking to purchase a good home security system, it is best that you look at many companies. You would be surprised to see that the prices are much different for each company, even though it’s for the same type of protection. Make sure you get quotes from at least three companies before you decide on which one you think is the best option.

When you’re picking out home security equipment and services, don’t forget to ask your friends and family for help. You can benefit from the experience of others that have gone before you by paying attention to their recommendations and warnings. Ask around so you’ll have as much advice as you need in order to make a sound decision.

Fire-resistant building materials are the way to go, both inside and outside the home. This ensures your home won’t be a tinderbox. Avoiding fire hazards is a great way to keep things safe.

Don’t open your door for strangers. Many people are devising many different schemes to get into homes and burglarize them. Therefore, only allow people you know and are expecting to enter your home.

Secure your garage. There is a way to stop thieves from entering your home from the garage. A C-clamp can prevent a garage door from even opening if the clamp is tightened on the door track near the roller.

Is your garage used for storage? Consider removing those items and keeping your car there instead. It will be far more secure against thieves. It won’t be vandalized or stolen this way. Hiding your car from plain view will also keep potential intruders from tracking when you are home and when you aren’t.

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.

Do not be reluctant to meet your neighbors. Be friendly with people that live in the neighborhood. Watch their homes for suspicious activity and get their word that they will do the same thing for you. Don’t ignore any gossip either. You may stumble across valuable security information, like if someone has noticed a stranger lurking around the neighborhood.

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. Ideally, you’ve picked up quite a few useful security hints from the preceding article. Apply what you’ve just learned, and keep your home safe.

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. Due to the distance between neighbors, some think rural areas are more likely to have intruders. Not everyone believes this, though.