As you’re well aware, owning a home carries with it a very reasonable interest in home security. Nothing is worse than seeing your home destroyed or seriously damaged. Your house represents your biggest investment and the place you call home. Keep reading for ways to make sure your home remains protected.

Be sure that your home is always occupied. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. This will make your home look like someone is in it. This is an excellent technique that helps avoid robberies while keeping the property safe.

Do you keep your dog outdoors when you go out? You could let your dog carry a spare key. Secure the key on the inside of the dog’s collar. This works especially well as storage if your pet isn’t too fond of strangers.

Make sure you have a safe to keep valuable items in one place. You would hate for your expensive jewelry, personal family belongings, etc. to be stolen in case a burglar breaks into your home. Hide your safe in a place that is hard to get to, like a basement closet or an attic.

If you like to have a key hidden in case you lose yours, place it in a safe place. Under the doormat or above the door frame are all too common spaces that will be checked first by potential intruders. One good place to hide a spare key is in the collar of a dog that does not take kindly to strangers.

Buy fire resistant flooring, roofing and ceiling. This adds more protection to a house, especially if you’re in a dry area with some power lines. Fire prevention is paramount.

Whenever you are selecting a home security company, make sure you go with your gut feelings. If the installers make you feel uncomfortable, heed your feelings. Never hesitate to has for a new technician or even go with a different company altogether. You want the system to make you feel like you’re more comfortable.

If you have a lot of unfamiliar people on you social networking accounts, avoid letting everyone know you will be going on vacation. Potential intruders could get a good idea of when you will be gone by monitoring what you share on social networks.

Skylights could be a problem for the safety of your home. Skylights are a wonderful addition to any home, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of. Your skylights need durable and reliable hardware for true protection.

Remove old plants and debris from your yard. These can quickly become fire hazards when hit by direct sunlight, placing your house at risk. Clear yard regularly to maintain your house safe.

Use your walls as hiding spaces. You do not have to damage your walls to keep your valuables safe. Many areas in your house are already accessible for this purpose. If you have an electric socket you do not use, hide valuables behind their covers.

See if your area police department has any home security programs. Many police departments will offer expert advice, arrange inspections, sponsor neighborhood watches, and help you mark and register your valuables. Contact the police department to see if they have something similar.

Avoid leaving spare keys outside of your home. You might think that you are providing yourself a safe way into the house if you misplace your keys, but you are really inviting attackers inside. Thieves are aware of these hiding spots. Rather, give the key to a neighbor to hold.

Be outgoing. Talk to your neighbors and those on your block. Watch their homes and ask them if they’ll watch yours as well. Do not ignore gossip either. Important security details (like the presence of strangers in your neighborhood) can come out of the most innocent conversations.

Be sure your expensive belongings are not visible from the home’s exterior. You might enjoy large windows so you can see out, but just remember that makes it easier for those burglars to see inside your home as well. Blinds are a great way to allow the light in, without allowing people to see in at the same time.

An extremely important tactic for keeping your home safe is changing out the locks. Maybe you had a roommate move out or have a disgruntled ex-lover, changing the locks is the best way to keep yourself safe. It is usually inexpensive and can be done in less than 24 hours.

As you’ve read, keeping your house safe doesn’t need to be hard. You simply need to educate yourself on home security. Use the ideas written here to maximize your home’s security. Pay attention to details, and take the time to develop a plan that will allow you to protect your home efficiently.

When moving into your new house, change every lock. The previous owner may be perfectly respectable, but you can’t know that for sure. Keep in mind that other families might have lived with them, too.