Do you know much about home security systems? If you know little and do not know how to proceed, some additional knowledge may be helpful. You should keep reading to learn how you can keep your family safe.

After you purchase a new home, change the locks. You don’t know how many keys have been handed out previously. To make sure you’re the only person that can get into your home, contact a locksmith. You should also do this if your keys ever get lost.

Don’t give your keys to a house cleaner unless you totally trust them. When giving your house cleaner the key to your home, you need to be sure that they are reputable and honest. One way to do this is to check their references. If you’re hiring from a company, call the BBB for more information.

Be smart about where you decide to hide spare keys. Under the doormat or above the door frame are all too common spaces that will be checked first by potential intruders. For a better solution, try tucking your spare key into your dog’s collar, provided you have an outside dog.

Spare Key

Before agreeing to work with a security company, check with your friends and family for recommendations. Others may have had bad and good experiences that they share with you so that you may be able to save time and stress. Ask a number of people to get a several different opinions.

Do you let your dog outside when you leave the house? If so, the dog can be a terrific spot to keep a spare key. Simply put the key onto your dog’s collar so that robbers cannot locate it. This is the perfect place to store a spare key, especially if your dog doesn’t care for strangers.

Do not open your door for strangers. Burglars have many clever ways to convince householders to open the door. You should only open the door to people you were expecting.

Don’t announce your vacation agenda on your social networks. This is especially true if you have lots of unfamiliar “friends”. It’s natural to be excited about your trip, but this is as good as throwing out the welcome mat for people who know your home is unoccupied.

Do you live outside the city? You might be less worried about home invasions than if you lived in an urban area. Interestingly, many think those living in rural areas are actually more susceptible to break-ins since neighbors may not live close by. Still, many believe that rural environments are less frequently targeted by burglars.

In the summer, remove vegetation and dead wood from your yard. These can pose a fire hazard due to heat and storms with lightning. Clear your yard often if you want to prevent a fire from starting.

Always lock your home, regardless of how short your trip out is. Many burglaries happen because the intruders can just walk right inside. A burglar can steal a lot of expensive stuff in a short amount of time.

If your house has a garage, keep the car there, not just your junk. If your car is in your garage there is less of a chance to vandalize or steal it. Hiding your car away from plain view is a good way to keep intruders from knowing when you are at home or not.

When choosing an alarm system, consider one that offers protection for more than just your doors. The best systems are those that cover windows as well. Make sure the alarm is attached to all of them, and that monitoring is offered for all possible entry points. This is just one more thing you can do to protect your home.

Security System

If you bought any big or expensive things, wait until trash day to throw away the boxes. These boxes sitting outside your home serve as a flag for thieves to target your home.

Go with your instincts when choosing a security system company. This goes for the installer, too. Don’t hesitate to request a different technician or to hire a new company altogether. The point of having a security system is to make yourself feel at ease.

Unless you’re moving into a brand-new apartment or home, changing the locks should be one of your top priorities. Although the tenant before might have turned their key in, they might still have a duplicate key. You can even buy and install the locks yourself so you know that you are the only one with a key.

People in rural areas are not usually as worried about burglaries as people in cities. There are some who believe country folk are more at risk because neighbors are not nearby. Still, there are those who are of the opinion that rural properties are less of a temptation to burglars.

If someone from the security company comes to your home, ask to see their ID before allowing them in. Potential burglars can easily claim they are security company representatives so that they can enter your home. Intruders could disguise themselves as home security representatives to inspect your current security system. Be careful to avoid this sort of danger.

If you’ve got skylights, don’t forget about it when it comes to home security. Skylights are commonly used by thieves to enter a home. Be sure that the skylights for your home are durable and reliable.

What do you need to personally feel safe? Security systems are a proven method of reducing your chance of break-ins, but it is not always the right choice. Depending on your neighborhood and your household, you might well be better served by a reliable guard dog or self-defense training than by high-tech gadgetry. Understand completely the risks and rewards in order to make an informed purchase decision.

Replace all the locks in your newly purchased home. Though you may not suspect that the seller is up to something, you still need to be careful. Aside from that, other people lived in the home even before the ones from whom you purchased the home.

If you get home and your door is open, do not enter ti investigate. This is dangerous because the thief may be right inside. Instead, call the police to inform them of what happened, and wait on them.

You should have several flashlights and batteries in all your rooms. If the lights go out, they will ensure everyone stays safe. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the flashlights are.

Wireless alarm systems are a great investment. While wired systems may seem cheaper, they need your home to be rewired and they can fail due to a power outage. Systems that operate in a wireless environment can be easier to manage and are not as likely to cause extensive rewiring issues.

Any time you let a stranger into your home that is doing some kind of work, it is best to ask for references. Don’t be afraid of conducting background checks to determine if they have a criminal history. There is no way of knowing whether or not service people are honest, so you should not give them keys to your home.

A great protection against burglars is owning a dog. Dogs become extremely protective of their families and bark when uneasy. You will get good results even if you do not have a large or vicious dog. Even tinier canines can ward off intruders with enough noise.

Whenever you sign with a home-security company, it is important that you thoroughly read the contract. There may be hidden costs to doing business with them, including early termination fees and surprising equipment costs. You can easily avoid these fees if you do your research.

Don’t keep your car registration inside the glove compartment. This isn’t smart because anyone can reads them can see where you live. Instead, keep them with you at all times, or hide them somewhere else inside your vehicle. You must have them on hand if the police stop you.

Keeping your home well lit at night can help keep the burglars away. Thieves don’t want to be visible. A well-lit home is like a red flag to a burglar. Thus, you should always keep lights on at nighttime.

If your family room window is facing the street, keep the curtains drawn every night. You want to avoid having people peek through the window. If criminals can clearly view what’s going on in your house, it makes it easier for them to commit crimes. Keep your valuables out of sight and you’ll make yourself less of a target for crime.

Always use online resources to identify the very best home security firm. You can check out their packages and rates and also read some customer reviews. Then you can schedule an appointment for a home visit to discuss which package is best for you and what it will cost.

Home alarms are a good investment, but only when someone who hears it calls the cops. An alarm system with full-time monitoring by a security company is the safest option. You can rest assured that the police will be called by the company. You can’t always trust just the noise from the alarm to scare off the intruder.

Consider your security risk and safety needs before purchasing home security systems. A home security system is a good idea; however, it is not the perfect solution for every home. Some individuals are more comfortable with a canine alarm, while other people enjoy the feeling of security that a sophisticated alarm system can bring. Be sure to understand the sorts of risks you face before deciding what sort of security is best for you.

Also, keep your second floor windows locked at all times. A lot of people assume criminals won’t try these windows. This may not be what happens. Many home-security plans neglect this step, and unfortunately, many burglars know this.

Never enter your home if you arrive and find the door open. The burglar may be on the premises. Go to a neighbor’s or another safe area and call the police.

It is better to purchase your home security system directly from the company. Re-sellers are really looking to make a buck, and they will not always stand behind the products they sell. Whenever you buy straight from the company, you are assured you are paying the right price and that the equipment will cater to your needs.

Wireless alarm systems are a great investment. These systems are much more efficient and can save you time and hassle. Systems that operate in a wireless environment can be easier to manage and are not as likely to cause extensive rewiring issues.

External wiring is an attractive prize for thieves. Electrical wiring and wiring components contain valuable copper which can be sold by enterprising criminals. Concealing wiring can keep thieves from stripping copper from your things and leaving you with expensive repair costs.

If someone looks after your house when you’re gone, have them remove fliers from the door. Burglars sometimes tack these up and watch to see whether or not they are removed. If the flier is not removed, they will know you are not home.

Make sure you clean carbon monoxide and smoke detectors often. Dust builds up inside and can prevent the devices from detecting what they need to. This makes your detectors ineffective when keeping your home safe from carbon monoxide and smoke.

A great way to deter criminals from getting into the garage is to make sure nobody sees inside it. Frost your windows with film bought at a hardware store. Don’t leave your front door unlocked or standing open when you are working in the garage or yard.

An excellent tool in your arsenal is video surveillance systems. Mostly, only the criminals in movies wear masks. A lot of home burglars do not wear masks due to the fact that they don’t intend to allow anyone to see them. If they notice a security system, they won’t bother.

If you are a woman, you are much more at risk for a burglary. One way to throw off would-be assailants is to put a large pair of muddy boots on the front porch, to suggest the presence of a big man. This is sure to scare criminals off from your house.

Be very careful about what goes in your trash. If you leave the empty boxes of your newly purchased expensive electronics equipment sitting on your curb, burglars will take note of this and return to steal the equipment. Perhaps it might be only an appliance, but this signifies to burglars that you indeed have money.

Do you feel confident now? Learning all you can is key to home security. Keep all of this in your mind as you make your choice.

When installing outdoor lighting, use the type that detects infrared energy. It only comes on if a human comes near. This will deter most burglars. They know they’ve been seen and they will run.