Regardless of whether you rent or own your home, you want your residence to be secure. You might not know how to improve security, so keep reading to learn more. Check out the advice below and pick up some handy ideas that can improve the security of your home.

Does your canine stay in the yard while you go out? They can help you with your spare key. Secure the key on the inside of the dog’s collar. Especially if pets don’t like strangers, this can be a useful way for having easy access to your house.

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. This will come in handy if your dog is outdoors most of the time or if it can go outside through a pet door. Store a spare key within your dogs collar so you always have access to your home.

Comparison shopping is essential when seeking a security system for the home. Every company offers different pricing. Get quotes from no less than three companies before choosing the best one.

If there are people you don’t know that have access to your social media sites, then you don’t want to let all of them know you’re on vacation. Potential intruders could get a good idea of when you will be gone by monitoring what you share on social networks.

When looking for a system to secure your home, do comparison shopping. Wild variations in pricing can exist for similar security products. Make sure you get quotes from at least three companies before you decide on which one you think is the best option.

Don’t let people into your house that you don’t know. Even people who claim to need help may be out to harm you. Some criminals will use any reason to gain access to look for security systems and easy entryways into your house.

In the summer, remove all the dead trees from your yard. Due to the heat, these items in your yard are more likely to catch on fire. As a result, your home could be caught on fire. Keep your yard clear so it is a safe area.

Never open the door for a stranger. There are people who are going to be convincing, but they can just be professional thieves. Make it mandatory that doors in your home are only opened for expected visitors.

If your house has a garage, keep the car there, not just your junk. You will not have to worry about thieves taking your car if it is inside your garage. When your car is hidden, it will be hard for intruders to tell if you are home or not.

Always lock your doors, even if you are just walking down the street. This is often a surprise, but the majority of burglaries are due to someone just waltzing right into an unlocked home. A thief can steal lots of stuff in a little amount of time.

When summer comes around, eliminate all vegetation and dead wood from your yard. As the summer heat rolls in, there is a higher chance that these can catch on fire, putting your home at risk. Keep your family and your house protected by regularly clearing out your yard waste.

Hide your security system’s wiring. You don’t want a burglar to get access to them and disable your system. You don’t want to help them by doing this, so make sure you have the wires within the walls. This will make you much safer.

If you are moving in your new home, ensure all the old locks are replaced. While the person you bought the home from may seem on the up and up, you have no idea who they really are. Remember that different families might have dwelt there before this person.

Determine what sort of home protection services or programs the local police department has to offer. Some police departments offer things like code numbers to help find your valuables should they get stolen. Contact your local police department to find out if they offer this type of program.

If you move into a home or apartment that has been previously lived in, the first thing you should do is change the locks. You do not want anyone to have a copy of the key. You can purchase the locks and install them yourself to ensure you’re the only person that has a key.

Check someone’s references carefully before letting them come into your home. Be sure to perform a background check and look for any criminal history that might be in evidence. You never know if the maid, repairman or contractor you hire is on the up and up, and letting them in or giving them a key could be a fatal mistake.

If you’ve got a garage, make sure to use it for your car rather than extra storage space. Keeping your car secured will prevent people from vandalizing it. Besides, intruders will have a hard time determining whether or not you are home if you keep your car inside your garage.

You should not enter your home if you find the door ajar. The burglar may be on the premises. Instead, wait outside until the police come, after calling them on your cell phone.

If you are going on a vacation, ask a neighbor to pick up your mail and check your home for flyers. It isn’t uncommon for burglars to put up fliers to see whether or not they’re removed. A flier that hangs around for days on end lets burglars know that there’s no one in the home.

Do you have skylights? If so, you should keep them in mind when protecting your home. Skylights are a wonderful addition to any home, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of. Any skylights in your home should be secured with strong hardware.

You need a home security system. Video cameras are an excellent way to keep your home safe. Visible cameras can scare intruders, and hidden ones can catch them in the act. Many surveillance systems can even be accessed via cell phone, allowing you to check up on your home when you are away.

Keep your car registration papers on you at all times. This isn’t smart because anyone can reads them can see where you live. Hide them somewhere else in the car, or carry them with you. They’ll always need to be close by in the event you get pulled over.

Walls are great for hiding things. If you own smaller things that need protection, think about keeping them hidden in the walls. You can use the opening provided by an electrical switch plate or other device that is not being used. You can also just put in a false plate to cover a hiding place.

If you’ve got a keypad to lock your door, do not make a password which is obvious. Anyone can find your birth date in your mail or on your social networks and can then access your home. Instead, make it a number which you can figure out through a math equation so you remember the equation instead of the number.

Use these ideas to make your home more secure. The time to start is now! Do not waste time or pass by these ideas without a second thought. They can help you put into effect your good intentions to make your home secure. When your home is safe, you’ll have peace of mind.

Hide valuables in spaces in your walls. You don’t have to damage the walls to do so. Instead, you can use the small spaces that are already there. Unused electrical sockets can be great for hiding expensive jewelry.