Keeping the integrity and security is something that you need to be serious about and something that can’t be neglected. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to know exactly where to start. This article should give you some helpful tips and ideas.

Consider using your dog as a place to store your spare 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. You can attach a copy of your key to the dog’s collar, so when you need that spare, you’ve got one handy!

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. But, this is only effective if your home has a pet door or your dog stays outdoors when you are not home. You can attach a copy of your key to the dog’s collar, so when you need that spare, you’ve got one handy!

After getting a new home, make sure to change its locks. The previous owners or tenants might have made several copies of the key. Hire a locksmith so that you can be sure you are the only person who can access your home. If you lose your keys, you should do the same thing.

It is a good idea to replace all the locks on the new home you buy. You don’t know who might have a key. To make sure you have the only access to the home, hire a locksmith. If you lose your keys, you should do the same thing.

If someone comes to clean your home, only give them a key if they’re trustworthy. If you do give your housekeeper a key or plan on doing so, it is imperative that they are honest and upstanding. Ask for references and check them thoroughly. If you’re hiring from a company, call the BBB for more information.

You should only provide a house cleaner your key if you completely trust them. If they need the keys and plan on being in there for more than an hour, try to ensure that they are honest, hardworking, and reputable. Do a background check on them. If they work through a larger firm, you can check up on the company with your local Better Business Bureau.

Purchase a safe to lock all of the extremely valuable items in your home in one place. You need this because you would not want burglars to see these valuable items around in your house. The safe should be situated in an inconspicuous area of your home.

Make sure you have a safe to keep valuable items in one place. A safe is the best way to protect your diamonds, gold and important documents. Hide that safe in a difficult-to-reach place like in a closet inside your basement or an attic.

If you keep a spare key outside to prevent yourself from being locked-out, think carefully about where you hide it. Placing a key above a door or under a doormat is quite obvious! Try hiding your key somewhere more unique, like your outside dog’s collar.

If you have a garage, increase your home security by using it to house your car, rather than just for storage. This will keep thieves from stealing it or harming it. Storing your car in the garage will also make it difficult for anyone casing your home to figure out when no one is going to be there.

If there are folks you don’t know or trust in your social network online, don’t let them know you are going away. There may be a thief within this list and you would have been inviting him straight through your front door!

Use motion sensor lights. These lights turn on if someone walks closely to your house. They will notify you of any movement and can deter any possible burglars since they like remaining inconspicuous. Replace bulbs regularly and check the sensors once a month.

Don’t open your door for strangers. Nowadays, thieves are creative when thinking of ways to get homeowners to open a door and let them in. Only open the door for people you are expecting.

When dealing with a company installing your home security system, it is important that you trust your gut. Don’t hire anyone who makes you uncomfortable. Ask the company to send a different installer or simply change companies. Do some background research on the company you select, and look for people who make you feel safe.

Is your garage used for storage? Consider removing those items and keeping your car there instead. It will be far more secure against thieves. Keep the car within the garage will make sure no one harms or steals it. Hiding your car from plain view will also keep potential intruders from tracking when you are home and when you aren’t.

Do you live out in the country? If so, you might not be as worried about burglars breaking in as those people in the city are. Some people feel that rural residents lead riskier lives because they are far away from neighbors. Then again, others think rural areas are not as much of a target.

Be bold. Speak with your neighbors and friends in the area. You’ll find that friendly neighbors make for a powerful support network. Keep an eye on their properties and they’ll respond in kind. Don’t disregard gossip either. You could learn important security information, such as if strangers have been lurking around the neighborhood.

Don’t forget about the skylights when securing your home. Skylights are a wonderful addition to any home, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of. Keep them secure with heavy duty hardware that closes them off to potential thieves.

Changing your locks first can help make your home much more secure. Whether you just bought your home or someone just moved out that you were living with, this is an important step to any new situation. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.

Avoid placing spare keys under door mats or in plant boxes. You might think this protects you against being locked out of your home, but it also gives intruders access to your home. Burglars are well aware of these hiding places. Rather, give your key to a neighbor you find trustworthy.

Walls are great for hiding items. Jewelry and other small items can be protected very well when placed in hiding places in your walls. You can use the opening provided by an electrical switch plate or other device that is not being used. If you use all of them, you can always have fake ones installed.

Always lock your home, even if you plan on coming back within a few minutes. This is often a surprise, but the majority of burglaries are due to someone just waltzing right into an unlocked home. It won’t take long for thieves to steal lots of expensive valuables.

If you’re going to hire a company that provides home security, read everything in the contract before you sign it. There may be hidden costs in the event you wish to cancel before the end of the contract. This may also be true if you need more or different equipment in the future. Be aware of these particular fees so you can steer clear of them.

Always get references from anyone you are considering hiring to do work inside your home. For a relatively small fee, you can also run a background check for their criminal history. You can never be certain if the contractor, repairman, maid, etc. that you hire to do services in your home is honest. If you let these people in without knowing anything about them, you could experience significant losses.

Keep lights on at all times if you want to prevent break-ins from happening. Intruders will avoid being noticed. If your home is well lit, thieves won’t have any place to hide, so they may not want to steal anything from you. Keep the lights on when it’s dark.

Keeping the home safe is something you need to do for a calmer mind. There is no doubt about this fact. Thankfully, this article has shown you the way.

It might be time to get yourself a paper shredder if you haven’t already gotten one. Thieves often find the trash cans to be a gold mine of pertinent information about potential victims. If you can’t get a paper shredder, try ripping papers into smaller pieces.