Though they want to improve the security of their homes, many homeowners are at a loss with where they should begin. However, it can be easy, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. By reading the below article, you’ll realize that you can take significant steps in protecting your home.

When you set out to purchase home security equipment, remember to comparison shop. Prices can differ a lot among companies for the same type of protection. Get quotes from several companies before making a decision.

It is a good idea to replace all the locks on the new home you buy. You don’t know the exact number of copies of that key the previous owners have or have handed out. To make sure you’re the only person that can get into your home, contact a locksmith. If you lose keys, make sure to do this, too.

If you will be vacationing for an extended period of time, turn off the ringer on all the phones in your house. If the phone continues to ring while you’re gone, this lets an intruder know that the home is empty.

Don’t be afraid to know the people who live near you. Get to know other people who live next door and others in your neighborhood. Keep on eye on their home and ask neighbors to return the favor. You shouldn’t neglect gossip. You might hear helpful information, for instance if strangers have been hanging around.

Do you have a dog that stays in your yard when you’re not at home? If so, you can use your dog to hide your spare key. The key can be attached to the collar of your dog. This will ensure that burglars cannot see it. If your dog doesn’t like strangers, it’s even better.

Use motion sensor lights. The lights will be triggered when someone gets too close to the house. You will receive advance warning of any potential issues, and a would-be intruder will probably be scared off. Remember that the bulbs need to be changed so that the lights keep working.

Never place a spare key in a plant box or under your welcome mat. While it can help you if you’re locked out, you could be letting intruders inside your home. Potential burglars know the usual hiding places. Ask a reliable neighbor or a friend to keep your spare key.

Buy housing materials that are fire resistant. This is a good way to protect your home against fires, for instance if you live near power lines or in a dry area. It’s best to prevent a fire before it starts.

Ensure that valuables are stored in a hidden area that isn’t visible from outside your home. Although large windows in your home can provide your home with a lot of light, they can also provide burglars with an excellent view of the inside of your home. Make sure you keep your blinds closed or arrange your possessions in such a way that they can’t be seen from outside.

Entry Points

Don’t let everyone in your social network know that you are leaving the home unprotected for your vacation trip; especially the people who you aren’t familiar with. It’s exciting going to new places and enjoying your time, but you could alert thieves to an empty home that they can easily break into.

Don’t just consider alarming your doors when you’re considering an alarm system. All of your windows are possible entry points for a thief too. Therefore, ensure the windows have an attached alarm. All potential entry points should have an alarm. They are the most effective.

Once you’ve moved to a new house, make it a priority to replace all locks. You don’t really know the people you purchased the house from or all the folks they shared keys with, so don’t place too much trust in the old locks. Aside from that, other people lived in the home even before the ones from whom you purchased the home.

You should not let anyone inside your home. Do not give in, even if a person uses a convincing story, asks for help or says they are selling something. This is the first rule of keeping your home secure.

Landscape your home with safety in mind. Don’t provide burglars with cover by planting big shrubs in front of your doors and windows. If these things can be seen by the naked eye, they won’t offer hiding places to potential criminals. Utilize shrubs and trees farther away in order to add beauty to your home while keeping it safe.

Keep your outdoor areas well lit. Criminals love darkness to help mask their crimes. Be sure all vulnerable exterior areas of your home are equipped with good lighting. This includes doorways and porches, the garage, and windows on ground floors which may invite intruders.

The fist thing you’ll need to do for home security is to get new 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 not expensive and you can do it in less than a day.

If you plan to be away and you have another person collecting your mail, have them double check your front door for fliers. Thieves have put them up in order to see if people are home to take them down. Fliers that are not removed let the burglar know that the home is vacant.

Put the boxes of any expensive electronic items in your trash can so would-be burglars won’t know see them. These boxes are a signal to burglars that you have something worth stealing. Cut the box up and hide the writing when you put it out.

Skylights should be secure. While they are there to let light in, if you do not care for it properly it could also let in a thief. Check that skylights have heavy duty hardware that can stand up under unwanted tampering.

Make sure that your house number are visible from the street. If there is need for cops to come to your home, it will be hard for them to find it if the numbers are not readable or are tiny. Fortunately, the solution to this is quick, easy and rather cheap once you are aware of the need.

There’s an easy way to secure interior doors (if there are areas you want to keep housemates and children out of) without obliging you to carry a key-ring around at all times. Install key-less locks instead. These locks use codes instead of keys. Any good security company can provide and install these locks, or you can even put them in yourself.

Walls are great for hiding things. If you have small valuables you want to protect, consider hiding them inside your walls. You can use the opening provided by an electrical switch plate or other device that is not being used. You can easily install fake unused plates.

If you are concerned about the cost of maintaining your security system, then you may find that a hard-wired solution is a good option. The wireless ones are convenient, however, they need multiple battery sets that must be changed frequently. The system will cease to work properly if the batteries are not fresh. Batteries can be very expensive to change.

Armed with the tips presented here, you are ready to make your home safe and secure. Begin to make a few changes around the house. These changes will allow you to sleep well at night. You are going to be able to put your feet up and relax very soon.

Did you know that the wires on your home are valuable? Many people have their wires stripped each year. Copper wiring is very valuable and susceptible to being stripped from the outside of your home. Therefore, ensure you hide your wires so that burglars cannot see them, or make the wires extremely hard for the burglars to get to.