Are you clueless about home security systems? Are you having trouble even figuring out where to begin? If you really don’t have an idea, you need to educate yourself. Read on to learn everything you need to know about home security.

Be sure your home appears to always be occupied. Invest in timers to automatically turn on and off any electronics at various times. This makes it appear that someone is home. This is a simple way to improve your home’s safety and make it less attractive to criminals.

Your home should looked occupied all the time. You can purchase timers that can control your household electronics such as lights, TVs and radios. This way, it will appear that you are at home. This is an effective deterrent against burglars.

Protect your spare key by using your dog. Of course, your dog has to be an outdoor dog (or you at least need to have a doggy door) for this to work. Place a spare key on the collar, and when you really need a spare, you know where to go!

Beware giving keys to your maid unless the service has your absolute trust. Before you give a cleaner full access to your home for extended periods of time, you have to be certain that they’re trustworthy and reliable. Be sure to make sure their references check out. If you’re hiring from a company, call the BBB for more information.

Does your dog like to play in your yard? Store the spare key with them. Secure the key on the inside of the dog’s collar. This is a good way to ensure easy home access, especially if your pet does not associate well with strangers.

Home security systems offer other triggering features besides having an alarm sound. They can be programmed to alert the homeowner if a person enters the home. If you have little ones wandering about the house, this makes it easy for you to know if they have come in or gone out.

Buy a safe to keep all of your valuables in one place at home. This will keep your stash of diamonds, gold and other valuable items out of view and inaccessible to burglars. Hide the safe in a very hard to reach place like the attic or a closet in the basement.

Home security systems have different kinds of features that can sound an alarm when someone breaks into your house. Most of them can be programmed to alert you to anyone entering your home. This is useful for parents who have small kids, as it helps keep them from leaving the house.

Hiding places for spare keys must be chosen with extreme care and caution. Hiding it beneath the doormat is very common and most intruders will look there. Think outside the box and put the key someplace unusual, like hidden in your dog’s collar.

Skylights need to be secure, too. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. The hardware that secures your skylights should be sturdy and durable.

Don’t let people into your house that you don’t know. It is essential you do not do this, even if the stranger gives you a convincing story or states they need your assistance. It’s quite possible that your charming guest is only interested in evaluating the security of your home; if they find it lacking, they may be back later to relieve you of some of your possessions.

Don’t ever put your spare key under your doormat or in a planter. You may believe you are making life easier for yourself, but you may just be giving thieves simple access to your house. Burglars are familiar with these hiding spots. Give it to a neighbor you trust instead.

Entry Points

The police department in your area may offer a home protection program. Your local police department will help you with preventive measures, inspect your home and show you how to mark your valuables so they can easily be found. Call and see what is available.

When deciding on an alarm system, be sure and get one that protects more than your doors. All of your windows are possible entry points for a thief too. You want to be sure that the alarm is connected to all windows and entry points. This can keep your family much safer.

If you are moving in your new home, ensure all the old locks are replaced. The previous owner may be perfectly respectable, but you can’t know that for sure. Aside from that, other people lived in the home even before the ones from whom you purchased the home.

If you’ve got a garage, boost home security just by using it for only a car instead of storage. Having the car in the garage will prevent it from getting broken into or stolen. Hiding it will help to deter people from tracking the times you aren’t there.

Replace rotted wood around entryways. Rotten wood is easily removed and can give an intruder a way into your home. Replace wood that is starting to rot with fresh new wood to keep your home as safe as possible.

If your home isn’t new, replace the locks. While you may trust those who lived there before you, you have no idea who lived there before them. You can even buy and install the locks yourself so you know that you are the only one with a key.

Before doing anything else, install new locks in your home. Whether you have a roommate who is about to move out, or a relationship that has run its course, it is a good idea change your locks. It doesn’t cost much and they can usually show up within a day.

Before allowing anyone into your home, check their references carefully. You should do a background check as well to find out their criminal history. It is not a good idea to give anyone a key to your home, even contractors or repairmen.

Keeping the home illuminated during evening hours helps keep criminals away. This will deter crooks from trying your home. When you have a well-lit home, crooks won’t be able to hide and it will be hard for them to break in undetected. Make sure the lights stay on to keep your home safe.

Walls are the perfect place to hide. You should think about hiding certain small valuables within your walls. You can use phone jacks or electric outlets as hiding spots. If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.

Since reading this article, do you feel as though you know more about what home security offers you? Keep this list handy as your plan your new home security system. You will be glad that you did, and it’s time to take care of this very important matter.