Is home security a complete mystery to you? Are you unsure where you would even start? If this is you, then you just need to find out more about what your options are when it comes to a home security system. Read this article to learn about your home security options.

Your dog could carry a spare key for you. This approach is useful if your dog is a large breed that lives outdoor, or if your house has a doggy door. Attach the key to your dog’s collar, and it will be handy if you ever need a spare.

Use your dog as the protector of your spare key. This only makes sense if your dog is outdoors a lot or you have a pet door. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

Beware giving keys to your maid unless the service has your absolute trust. If you plan on giving them the key so that they can work in your home for over an hour, make sure that they’re reputable, hardworking, and honest. Carefully check their references. If you hire a cleaner from a company, then you should check the company with the BBB.

Provide the house key to your professional house cleaner, but only if you fully trust them. Be sure any home cleaner you give your key to is trustworthy and reputable. One way to do this is to check their references. If they work through a larger firm, you can check up on the company with your local Better Business Bureau.

Turn off ringers on land line phones while you are on vacation. If the phone rings without you there, burglars will suspect that you’re not home, and that can make your home a target for an attack while you’re gone.

Is your dog kept outside when you are away? They can help you with your spare key. Find a place to securely fasten the key to your pet’s collar where it’s not visible. This is very effective if your pet is afraid of strangers; therefore, burglars are not very likely to notice the key.

Use your garage for your car, not just storage. Keeping your car secured will prevent people from vandalizing it. Hiding your car from plain view will also keep potential intruders from tracking when you are home and when you aren’t.

Make your home safer by storing your car inside the garage. This will help to keep your vehicle safe. Keeping your car in your garage also keeps a thief from knowing whether you are at home or not.

Any program to improve the security of your home should begin with complete replacement of your door locks. Not everyone who leaves your house will leave happy, and a fresh set of locks will protect you from both former residents and acquaintances of your own looking to cause mischief. It is not expensive and you can do it in less than a day.

End your shyness. Speak with your neighbors. You’ll find that friendly neighbors make for a powerful support network. Keep an eye on their properties and they’ll respond in kind. Pay attention to gossip. You may find out helpful information about strangers lurking around.

Make sure that your valuables cannot be seen from outside the home. Open curtains allow people to see inside your home and see exactly what you have. Be sure to put curtains on your front-facing windows so people can’t see your valuable belongings.

Walls can serve as a handy hiding place. Small valuables fit nicely inside walls. Just access unused switch plates, outlets or phone jacks. You can also just put in a false plate to cover a hiding place.

If you’ve bought large or pricy items, avoid throwing out boxes until the day the trash is scheduled for pick-up. Having these type of boxes hanging around will give robbers a good idea of what type of merchandise you have inside of your home.

Make sure that none of your valuables can be seen from the outside. Open curtains allow people to see inside your home and see exactly what you have. If your windows face a street, be sure they’re always covered and have your valuables safe.

Are you aware of the value contained in your home’s wiring? A lot of people don’t realize this fact until a robber steals it from their home. It does not take much time to strip off the expensive copper wires from the exterior of your house. That’s why it’s important to hide your wiring, or make it hard for criminals to have access to it.

Don’t just consider alarming your doors when you’re considering an alarm system. Each window represents a possible entry for your thief. Attach an alarm to every one of them, and make sure all entry points are monitored. Doing this will help ensure the safety of your home and loved ones.

Replace rotted wood that surrounds your door frame. Rotten wood can be removed in order to get inside your home. Keep your home secure by replacing rotted wood with fresh timber.

If you have just bought any pricey new goods, never toss the boxes onto the curb prior to the garbage man’s arrival. Having these boxes outside of your house will give robbers the temptation of robbing your house.

Equipping each room in your house with a reliable flashlight (charged with good batteries, of course!) is an excellent safety investment. Power outages are common to all sorts of emergency situations, so having flashlights handy will enable you to maneuver in the dark. Your kids should know how to work the flashlights so that everyone can help.

Keep safety in mind when doing landscaping. Doors and windows should not be obstructed by trees, plants or shrubs. With areas like these visible, there will be no hiding while attempting a break-in. Put landscaping farther away from the house for greater safety.

Before you let a security company representative enter your home, make sure they are in uniform, and don’t hesitate to ask them for identification. Thieves can pass themselves as workers, which can end up in a robbery of your home. This can be risky for you and your belongings. Use caution to stay out of danger.

Consider your security risk and safety needs before purchasing home security systems. Some systems might not be adaptable to your situation. In some situations, having a good dog and/or learning some self defense may be all that you really need to feel safe. See to it that you understand the risks involved in making these purchasing decisions.

If you come to your home and discover that your door has been left open, avoid investigating by yourself. It can be dangerous to walk in on an intruder. Instead, you should call 911 and wait in a safe location for the police to arrive.

Wireless Systems

Wireless alarm systems are a great investment. Systems that are wired can be a little cheaper, but may need significant reworking of your home’s electrical wiring and can fail in a power outage. The easy of installation and maintenance when it comes to wireless set-ups makes them the best bet.

There are wireless systems available for home security, as another option. Wired systems could cost less, but they can also require intrusive electrical work inside your house and can fail when the power goes out. Wireless systems are much easier to maintain and also to install, and they are not reliant on your central power source.

Make sure no one can look inside your garage. Have your windows frosted so they aren’t as easy to see through. If you use your garage for working on projects, don’t forget to lock it when you’re through working for the day.

Don’t leave empty boxes for big-ticket purchases outside on your curb. Burglars can see these and they know that you have them in your home, increasing your chances of a break-in. Break up the boxes into smaller pieces before you put them near the curb.

Do not keep the registration papers for your car inside the car’s glove compartment. This will prevent anyone from knowing where you reside. Hold these documents in person so you know where they are at all times. They must still be easily accessible should you be stopped by police.

If there are parts of your home you want no one else to enter, there is no need to lock doors or have a set of keys on you at all times. You may have locks without keys that need a code. Either you or a security company can install them.

Think about a security system that is hard-wired if you really have concerns about maintenance costs. Wireless set-ups need battery changes all the time. If you don’t replace the batteries, you’ll find that your system stops working correctly. What you spend on batteries, additionally, can really add up!

The best locks you can get are deadbolts that include captive keylocks. This type of deadbolt is secured with an inside latch. Even if a thief reaches in, he cannot turn the lock. After arriving home, you should put your key inside the lock and keep it there. That will allow you to get out quickly if there is a fire.

If your current door is anything other than solid wood or metal, swap it out for one that actually is. These types of doors are much stronger and harder for someone to break into. A burglar trying to kick in such a door is going to be in for some pain. You should replace each exterior door in the home before doing the minimal amount, as soon as you can.

If you are a woman, you are much more at risk for a burglary. Place big muddy boots near the front door so it looks like a male lives there. This will make criminals think again before trying to enter your home.

The windows on the second floor of your house should always be locked. Most people don’t think about someone entering the home from the second floor. This simply isn’t the case. This is often a weak area that criminals know about.

Having a big dog with a loud bark is beneficial. Burglars don’t want risk being attacked or bitten. Of course, the animal should be protective and also safe as a companion to your children or yourself. A dog with a temper may be scary, but the animal must also be friendly enough to interact with you.

Choose some deadbolts with captive keylocks for your home. This makes it impossible to open the lock from the outside because of the thumb latch. When you’re at home, you can leave your key in the keyhole so you’re able to leave in the event of an emergency.

Since reading this article, do you feel as though you know more about what home security offers you? Use what you have learned in this article and apply it to your situation. You should make sure you put serious thought into this matter.

Having a big dog with a loud bark is beneficial. Obviously, burglars will be afraid of being attacked by a large dog. Consider a new pet who can help to protect your home, as well as offer companionship to you and your family.