If you own a home, then you understand the importance of keeping it safe. Almost nothing is as bad as the thought of having your home broken into and destroyed. In addition to being your biggest investment, your home is also where you and your family make memories. Read on to learn how you can secure your precious home.

Make your home look occupied at all times. Invest in timers to automatically turn on and off any electronics at various times. This will give your home the appearance of someone being there. This can be a terrific method of securing your home and keeping burglars at bay.

The best home security systems do much more than sound the alarm (literally). The majority of systems will give an audible alert when someone enters the house. This can be valuable to parents with small children as they are made aware their child has opened or closed a door.

When you buy a new house, change the locks. Many people may have been given keys by the former owner. Have a locksmith install a brand new lock. You should also do this if your keys ever get lost.

Hide your spare key in a place where no one would think to look for it. Under the doormat or above the door frame are all too common spaces that will be checked first by potential intruders. Try hiding your key on a lawn statue or in a potted plant.

If you want to have a spare key hidden outside of your home, hide it carefully. Never put a spare key under a doormat or above a door jam. You could hide the key with your dog on the collar.

If you have an extensive online presence that includes a lot of people you don’t know too well, avoid announcing upcoming vacations. Although it’s fun to talk about, posting it online makes it more possible for criminals to find out when you’re gone.

Be sure to secure your attached garage. Intruders could easily break into your garage and access your home. You can use a C-clamp to stop the door from being opened.

In summer, take care to trim back branches and plants near the house. As the summer heat rolls in, there is a higher chance that these can catch on fire, putting your home at risk. Regularly clear away your yard to keep your home in good standing and safe for your family.

See if your area police department has any home security programs. There are plenty of things that can be done, from a safety walk to cataloging expensive items to help protect your investment and your family. A quick call to the non-emergency number at the police station in your town will tell you all you need to know.

Have lights that are motion-sensor installed. The lights will be triggered when someone gets too close to the house. They will notify you of any movement and can deter any possible burglars since they like remaining inconspicuous. Just do not forget to replace the bulbs periodically to keep them functioning at all times.

Don’t ever place your spare key under your mat or next you a plant box. While you may need to prepare if you have a spare key, it is wise to choose ways that do not increase the risk of a criminal gaining entrance to your home. Thieves are aware of all these spots. Give it to a neighbor you trust instead.

When dealing with companies that install home security systems, it’s important to trust your gut. Don’t hire anyone who makes you uncomfortable. There is nothing wrong with asking for a different technician if you’re uneasy. You want your new system to protect you, not be the way the thief gets into your home.

The alarm system you choose should protect more than just the doors to your home. Windows offer easy access to a potential thief. Every single entry point needs to have monitoring on it. This will make your family safer.

If your home has skylights, don’t neglect to secure them. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Use heavy-duty hardware to secure your skylights to the roof.

Never throw out boxes for expensive items until the day your trash is picked up. These types of items are appealing to thieves, and you may as well put a sign in your yard inviting them to steal yours.

Walls are great for hiding things. Jewelry and other small items can be protected very well when placed in hiding places in your walls. Place them in switch plates, phone jacks or an electric outlet. A security store will sell fake plates you can install anywhere.

Replace all locks in a new house. Even though the person who sold your home to you may seem honest, you simply can’t know for certain. Keep in mind that other families might have lived with them, too.

Always lock your house, no matter how briefly you expect to be gone. Break-ins are often the result of unlocked windows and doors. A thief can steal lots of stuff in a little amount of time.

Are you aware of the value of your home’s wires? Lots of people fail to appreciate this until they are hit by thieves. The wiring has copper and is easy to be quickly taken off a home. Make sure your wiring is hidden or hard to access to keep this valuable property safe.

As you’ve read, keeping your house safe doesn’t need to be hard. You need to have some knowledge about home security. Make your home very secure with the help of these excellent ideas. Be sure to follow all of the advice presented here for optimum security.

If you move to a place that was occupied before, you should change the locks right away. While you may trust those who lived there before you, you have no idea who lived there before them. You can purchase the locks and install them yourself to ensure you’re the only person that has a key.