You should worry about your home’s security. You never know when someone is going to attempt to do you harm. Review this piece to learn how to add security to your home.

The best home security systems do much more than sound the alarm (literally). Modern systems are often capable of detecting any open door or window and announcing that fact. For families with young children, this is excellent for alerting when a child has entered or left the house.

Does your canine stay in the yard while you go out? Using Fido to hide your spare key can be a clever trick. Hook your key to the dog’s collar in a place that is shielded from view. This is very effective if your pet is afraid of strangers; therefore, burglars are not very likely to notice the key.

If you like to have a key hidden in case you lose yours, place it in a safe place. The doormat is too obvious of a place to hide it, as robbers will look there first. You should hide it in your dog’s collar.

Security System

Make sure to use caution when deciding if and where to hide an extra key outside of your home. Avoid cliched hiding places like over the door frame or beneath the doormat. Experienced criminals will check these places immediately. Try hiding your key somewhere more unique, like your outside dog’s collar.

Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to check it annually. Have a worker from the security company take a look at it. Many things can impact the performance of a security system, such as animals and weather. It’s quite possible for there to be a fault in your system even if you can’t see it.

End your shyness. Speak with your neighbors. Ask them to watch your home if you are on vacation. Never neglect gossip. You will learn a lot from your neighbors, including details about recent break ins in the area and the shady individuals they noticed.

Don’t let strangers enter your home. There are some people who are very convincing and good at getting you to let them into your house. Some criminals will come in, case your house and then come back when you are away.

Don’t give outside people the ability to see into your home. While it may be nice to look out, burglars will see your valuables inside. If your windows are facing the street, make sure you cover them and protect your valuables.

You should change all the locks if you just bought or rented a new home. You have no way of knowing whether the previous homeowner is trustworthy. Many other people could have keys to the property, and you probably don’t want them to all have access to your home.

In the summertime, you should rid your yard of dead bushes and vegetation. These are vulnerable to fires and put your home in danger. Clear your yard often if you want to prevent a fire from starting.

The wiring on your house is valuable to burglars. Many people have their wires stripped each year. Experienced criminals can make a decent amount of money quickly by stripping copper wiring off of houses in order to sell it at a scrapyard. Be sure to keep your wiring hidden or difficult to reach.

Keep a flashlight with good batteries in every room of your home, just in case you lose power. Having these in an easy to find place will allow you to see in the dark much quicker. If you have kids, teach them how to properly use the flashlights so everyone in the family can help out during a power outage.

If your home has skylights, don’t neglect to secure them. Skylights are nice to bring extra light into your house, but they are also easy ways for burglars to enter your home. Be sure that the skylights for your home are durable and reliable.

Before allowing someone into your house, be sure to carefully check their references. Be sure to perform a background check and look for any criminal history that might be in evidence. You can never be certain if the contractor, repairman, maid, etc. that you hire to do services in your home is honest. If you let these people in without knowing anything about them, you could experience significant losses.

Light up your home’s exterior. Thieves like to commit crimes when no one can see. So it’s smart to put a light in typically darker corners around your home. This means by the garage, in the doorways, around windows and much more.

Walls are the perfect place to hide. Hide valuables inside of your walls. Place them in switch plates, phone jacks or an electric outlet. If there are no unused plates, you can easily install fake ones.

Purchase a paper shredder to prevent your discarded papers from providing burglars with valuable information. Thieves are likely to steal documents that include your personal information if they can find them. If paper shredders don’t fit into your budget, you can manually rip up important documents yourself.

Put in a surveillance system. Adding video cameras on the property can be a good idea. Visible cameras scare intruders while a hidden camera could capture footage. Some security systems can be accessed with cell phones, so you can check on your house while you are away.

Lock up your house every time you leave. It might shock you to learn that most break-ins occur due to unlocked doors. It won’t take long for thieves to steal lots of expensive valuables.

Understand that break-ins happen all the time in this world. You want to be prepared for anything that could happen. Keep in mind what you have learned from this article to make your home safe for your loved ones.