If your personal possessions include high-value items like jewelry, artwork or significant amounts of cash, you can’t assume that their existence is secret. You should protect your home and your family by investing in a quality home security system. Keep reading for ideas on making your home safe and secure.

Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. When giving your house cleaner the key to your home, you need to be sure that they are reputable and honest. Make sure you check references. Contact your local Better Business Bureau to find out more about the reputation of the cleaner you hired.

When you buy a new house, be sure the locks are changed. You have no way of knowing how many folks might have keys to your house. Having a locksmith replace the locks will ensure that no strangers have a key. Also, you can contact a locksmith if you ever misplace your keys.

Security Systems

Some home security systems have additional security features besides sounding an alarm to deter a burglar. Most security systems can facilitate alarm sounds anyone enters. This is important if you have small kids.

Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? Using Fido to hide your spare key can be a clever trick. Put it on their collar. If your dog doesn’t like strangers, it’s even better.

Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. If your phone rings and is not being answered, criminals will realize that you’re away.

Don’t let people into your house that you don’t know. No matter how innocent a person may seem or how interesting the product he or she may be offering, you must not allow access. These people might want to actually do you harm or could be casing out your house for a future break-in.

If you have an extensive online presence that includes a lot of people you don’t know too well, avoid announcing upcoming vacations. While you may want to shout it from the rooftops, you’re letting everyone know that your home will be vacant and easy to rob.

Secure your garage. You can prevent this from happening easily. If your garage lifts up on a track, try using a C-clamp. This will prevent your door from opening up if the clamp is close to its roller.

Local Police

Shut off the ringer for all of the telephones in your home if you are planning to go on vacation for a long time. A loud ring that goes unanswered can alert people to the fact that you aren’t home. This makes you more likely to be the victim of a burglary.

Take advantage of any and all security resources your local police force makes available to homeowners. 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. Discuss these programs with a local police officer to see if they’re available in your area.

Walls are great for hiding things. You can hide small valuables inside the walls. Just use an unwired electric plug, light switch or phone box. If you have no unused plates, you can easily install false ones.

Changing the locks is a fundamental part of adding security to the home. Has a roommate or ex-lover moved out recently? If so, then you need to change out the locks in order to keep you and your home safe. It is usually inexpensive and can be done in less than 24 hours.

Do not hide your spare key under your doormat or in a nearby 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. Thieves know about all these hiding spots. The wisest course of action is to leave a spare key with a trusted friend or a reliable neighbor.

When you purchase big, expensive items be sure to break down the boxes and take them to the recycling center yourself. If you leave the boxes out all week, it lets people know what type of items you have in your home.

Always go with your gut when it comes to choosing a security firm. If the men who come to your home to do the installation seem untrustworthy, you can change your mind. Ask for someone else to come out or switch companies. Ultimately, the whole point is for you to have peace of mind.

There is a lot of value in copper wiring. Some intruders could strip your home of every bit of copper. The copper component of wiring is very valuable and may be stripped from the outside of your home in a fairly short amount of time. Be sure that your wiring is concealed or difficult to access in order to keep your wires safe.

If you are entering a house that has already been occupied, you should first change your locks. While you may trust those who lived there before you, you have no idea who lived there before them. For maximum security, buy your own locks and install them yourself. This way you can be certain nobody else has a key.

Lock your home at all times to err on the side of caution. It may be shocking, but many home invasions and burglaries occur by intruders walking through the front door that was left open. A burglar can steal a lot of expensive stuff in a short amount of time.

When a security company wants in your home ask for an ID and see if they’re in uniform. Criminals can easily pretend to be from a security firm as a means to gain entry to the house. This can be extremely dangerous to your home and loved ones. Be careful to avoid this sort of danger.

Make an appointment with a home security company to evaluate the security needs of your home specifically. Every homeowner has specific needs for their home and their family. You’ll get the best protection by using a company that can tailor a plan to your requirements.

Purchase an alarm system that has a few “bells and whistles;” you don’t just need protection for your doors. Windows need to be monitored too. Be certain they are also alarmed and monitored. This can keep your family much safer.

Always keep your home’s exterior well lit. Burglars seek darkness so that they can stay hidden. Put a light anywhere where an intruder can enter your home. This means by the garage, in the doorways, around windows and much more.

Can you read your house numbers clearly from the street? If your house numbers are not easy to see, the police may have difficulty finding you in an emergency. Luckily, you can fix this quickly and cheaply if you see there’s a problem.

Be certain the wires to your home security system are neither visible nor accessible. A burglar can easily cut and disconnect wires that are left visible. Make sure the wires are installed inside the walls of your home. You’ll be safer.

Keeping a dog provides a great way to boost your home’s defense. Dogs are protective of turf and generally make noise when something is wrong. Your dog doesn’t have to be a big, burly attack dog. Even tinier canines can ward off intruders with enough noise.

Find out more about the different contracts your security company offers. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. A long term contract should have a lower monthly rate but it also requires you to commit for a long period of time. A shorter contract gives you more freedom, but it may cost you more per month.

Be sure to replace rotten wood in the frame of your front door. The rotten wood will be simple to remove, allowing a thief access to your home. Be sure and replace rotted wood with fresh wood in order to ensure home safety.

Steer clear of locks with spring latches. These locks are the simplest ones to breach, since they are able to be opened by using just a credit card. All they have to do is wedge the card between the latch and door, then wiggle it. Add a deadbolt to existing spring latch locks for maximum security.

Instead of thinking that your house will never be threatened by a criminal, always prepare for the worst. There’s no need to live in fear, but addressing some basic security concerns is always the prudent course of action. Keep the advice you’ve read about home security in mind to better protect you and your family.

Make sure that whoever is getting your mail while you are on vacation also retrieves any fliers left on the door. Burglars sometimes place fliers as a means to see if anyone is home to remove them. If it stays where they put it, they will know you are on vacation.