You need to definitely be concerned about your home’s security! You never know when a “n’er do well” might come along and steal your belongings or harm your family. Read this guide to make your house more secure and safer.

Your dog can actually safeguard a spare key. Really this works only if you have a pet door or if your dog is an outdoor dog. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

Be sure that your home is always occupied. Keep your radio, TV and lights on timers. This makes people think you’re home. This is a great way to keep your home safe and avoid burglaries.

Before agreeing to work with a security company, check with your friends and family for recommendations. Your friends have gone through both bad and good experiences and they will be able to share them with you. Make sure to ask neighbors for advice too.

Do you have an outside dog? This is a good spot for keeping your spare key. Find a place to securely fasten the key to your pet’s collar where it’s not visible. This is quite effective if your pet does not respond well to strangers.

If you do not know the person at your door, don’t open it. Nowadays, thieves are creative when thinking of ways to get homeowners to open a door and let them in. You should make sure you only open the door to your home for people that you know and are expecting.

Buy a safe. You can’t have your valuable personal items and jewelry out in the open for anyone to see. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.

It will not benefit you to be shy. Build up a rapport with the people who own homes close to yours. Keep an eye out for their houses, and request that they return the favor. Do not ignore gossip either. Important security details (like the presence of strangers in your neighborhood) can come out of the most innocent conversations.

Don’t allow anyone you don’t know to look into your house. Remember that intruders have a lot of experience with tricking people. Even home security representatives could be intruders who want to check the kind of protection you have.

Use the space in walls to store your prized possessions. This doesn’t necessarily involve chopping up your walls, either. You can find areas in your walls that are pre-cut and use those. Perhaps you can use an old electricity socket as a place to hide your valuables.

Don’t open your door when strangers are knocking. You never know who they might be, despite their story. Enforce a rule within your house that no one opens the door to unexpected people.

Don’t hide an extra key under a rock or in a planter. Though you might think that you’re giving yourself something you could use to get into your house when you’ve lost your keys, you’re actually inviting intruders inside your house. Potential burglars know the usual hiding places. Rather, give your key to a neighbor you find trustworthy.

Be more proactive when you are determining the safety of your neighborhood. Engage your neighbors in conversation. Keep an eye on their houses and yards and request that they return the favor. Also consider listening in on some of the neighborhood gossip. You may find out helpful information about strangers lurking around.

Regardless of how long you plan on being away from your home, always lock all the doors and windows whenever you leave. You may be surprised to know that many burglars simply turn the doorknob and walk right in. Thieves can steal a lot of valuable stuff in mere minutes.

Criminals often pick houses where they can see the valuables inside. Though it is nice to have big windows to get a great view of the outdoors, it is also easier for burglars to look into your home. Cover all street-facing windows.

If you have purchased any large and/or expensive items, do not throw the boxes away until the day before the trash man is scheduled to come. Having these boxes around for a while will give people an idea of what is inside your house.

Instead of hoping that nothing bad will happen to you or your family, view the world in a more realistic way. Things can always happen, and you need to prepare yourself. Use the tips from this article to create a safer place for your family.

There is a lot of value in copper wiring. Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. Wiring can be removed from the outside of a home in a heartbeat. Be sure that your wiring is concealed or difficult to access in order to keep your wires safe.