As a homeowner, you need to know about home security. But, it is important to learn all about the home security information out there. This article will help you assess your home’s security needs and decide on effective actions to take.

Make sure your home appears occupied. Buy timers so things will go on and off at different times. In this way, it will always seem that someone is in your home. This helps you keep your house burglar-free.

There are more features to a home alarm system besides making sounds when people break in. Most systems could sound an alarm when someone enters the home. This is a valuable safety feature for parents of small children since they know if their child has exited the home.

Beware giving keys to your maid unless the service has your absolute trust. If you do give your housekeeper a key or plan on doing so, it is imperative that they are honest and upstanding. One way to do this is to check their references. If it is a known company, check with your local BBB.

It is important to invest in building supplies that are as fire resistant as possible. This will help you protect your home under all circumstances. Because of the amount of damage fires can cause, it is important to protect your home from them.

Buy a safe for very valuable items in the house so you can keep them inside a single location. This is very important, as you do not want your gold, diamonds and personal items exposed if someone were to break into your house. Put the safe somewhere difficult to get to, like the attic.

You should mute your land line phone if you are going on a vacation. If your phone is ringing while you are out, burglars will realize that no one is home, making your home very vulnerable to an attack during your time away.

Be smart about where you decide to hide spare keys. Common places to hide a spare key are above your door frame or underneath your doormat. Therefore, thieves are more likely to check these places out first. One idea is to hide your key inside the collar of your outdoor dog.

Do not open your door for people you do not know. Criminals can be endlessly inventive when it comes to generating a convincing story to force their way into your home. No matter how sympathetic the story, remember that it could all be a put-on. Make a house rule forbidding anyone to open the door for an unexpected visitor.

Your friends may have some great advice for choosing the right company. Knowledge of first-hand experiences can be very helpful to you when it comes to making this important decision. Ask a few different people to help you make the best choice.

Clear away all the dead and dried out vegetation around your home in the summer. These can be fire hazards and can cause damage to your home. Therefore, you need to regularly clean your yard so that your home is protected.

Before leaving for vacation, turn off the ringers in your house. A home phone that rings and rings is a good way for a potential thief to know if anyone is home.

Use your garage for your car, not just storage. This will keep it away from thieves and vandals. Hiding your car from plain view will also keep potential intruders from tracking when you are home and when you aren’t.

Don’t overlook your garage as a potential access point for thieves. Many people worry about burglars getting into their attached garage and then entering their home, but there is a fix. Using a C-clamp on the garage door will prevent it from opening by staying on the door’s track.

If you have skylights, do not neglect them when making sure your home is secure. Skylights are commonly used by thieves to enter a home. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.

Regardless of the type of home security system you choose, be sure to have regular inspections and maintenance performed. Get someone from the security firm to inspect it. There are any number of problems that can cause malfunctions in your security system, from weather damage to animal activity. Sometimes, you may need a professional to locate the problem.

Be certain your wires are hidden, if you have installed a security system in your home. If the wires are exposed, an intruder can bypass the system by cutting its wires. Don’t make it easy for an intruder, have the wires buried or hidden within the home’s walls. Your system will be far more effective this way.

Find a home security company you can trust. This is especially true if you are uneasy with those who are installing the actual system. If you don’t feel comfortable, go with someone else. After all, you’re investing in a system that helps you to feel safe, so make sure the process involved in obtaining that system does the same.

Never throw out boxes for expensive items until the day your trash is picked up. These boxes sitting outside your home serve as a flag for thieves to target your home.

Don’t forget about the skylights when securing your home. Skylights are commonly used by thieves to enter a home. Your skylights should have strong components that can withstand tampering.

If your home isn’t new, replace the locks. Although the tenant before might have turned their key in, they might still have a duplicate key. Find a reliable locksmith who can replace the locks or do it yourself.

Walls are great for hiding things. If you have valuables that are small in size, you may want to hide them within your walls. Any phone jack or electrical outlet that isn’t being used is a great place to hide valuables. Anything not used currently makes a good spot for hiding.

Before you give a security company employee access to your home, make sure they’re in uniform and that they present acceptable identification. Having the name of the technician coming to your house ahead of time can help to ensure you are allowing someone who really works for the company into your home. This is a danger to your belongings and your family. Use caution to stay out of danger.

Criminals often pick houses where they can see the valuables inside. You might enjoy large windows so you can see out, but just remember that makes it easier for those burglars to see inside your home as well. If your windows are facing the street, make sure you cover them and protect your valuables.

Don’t let any service people into your home without checking their references completely. A background check is also recommended so you know if they have a criminal history. There is no way of knowing whether or not service people are honest, so you should not give them keys to your home.

Criminals are much less likely to target your home if it’s well lit. They do not want to be seen. With a well lit home there is no place for burglars to conceal themselves. Keep lights on during the night.

If you don’t own a paper shredder, it would be a good idea for you to buy one. Thieves can get lots of information simply by looking through your trash. You can also simply tear papers with personal information into small bits before you discard them.

It is a good idea to get some history on any home security companies you are thinking about doing business with. A long-standing company has a track record in the industry that people can attest to. It will make you feel better knowing that the company you choose is not fly by night.

Visible Cameras

If you think something looks odd when you get back home, don’t go inside. This is dangerous since the thief may still be on your property. Your best bet is to call the cops and wait until they arrive before you do anything else.

Install a surveillance system in your home. A wonderful way to make your home safer is by putting in hidden or visible cameras. Visible cameras can deter many intruders and if they disable them, the hidden cameras can still capture footage. Many surveillance systems may be easily accessed through a cell phone so that you can check on your house while you’re away.

When you’re dealing with a security company that provides you with significant equipment to install, ask about the benefits and drawbacks of buying versus leasing. While you will pay more to buy, you don’t have to keep paying for it month after month. Leasing is cheaper, but there may be hidden fees and contracts. Explore both options to see which works best for you.

Never place empty boxes for expensive items out on the curb. This will just alert criminals to the fact that you have expensive items in your home. Remember to cut up or break down those boxes and take them to the recycling center.

Don’t put your key in an obvious hiding place. An easily moved object close to the door is the first place a burglar will look. Hiding a key under the doormat is even worse; this cliched tactic will fool no one. It’s better to ask a trusted friend or neighbor to hold your extra key. If that isn’t an option, be creative with a hiding spot.

If you have rooms that are off limits to kids and company, the following is a great solution. Instead, use a numeric keypad. Install them yourself or get a local home security company to do that.

Think about hard-wired security systems if you’re worried about long term maintenance costs. A wireless system is a good option but you will have to replace batteries regularly. Also, your home will not be protected if you neglect to use fresh batteries. It can also be pretty expensive to replace batteries.

Avoid common hiding places for your spare key. Fake rocks are easy to spot. Anyone looking for your key will look under your doormat. It’s better to ask a trusted friend or neighbor to hold your extra key. If you want to keep it at your house, find a spot that’s not obvious.

If the living room window in your home has direct line of sight to the street, you’ll want to draw those curtains at night. You want to avoid having people peek through the window. If potential thieves see valuable items inside your house, they may target your house. Be discreet when showing off what everyone can see, and you can be more likely to avoid burglaries.

Sliding doors are a huge security issue. They can easily be unlocked by lifting them and then shaking them. Place a pipe in the door crevice to keep the door secure. This holds the door firmly in position. Even if the lock is broken, the door will still be held closed.

While locks which are sealed up on the inside are dandy, if you can’t lock it from the outside, it won’t be of much use. A deadbolt meets this requirement and is a good burglar deterrent as well.

Keep your windows upstairs locked. Many people think a criminal won’t check them. This is not always true. A burglar will attempt to get in any way they can.

If your home has a lot of exterior wiring, you could be inviting criminals to take advantage of you. Electrical components and wiring has copper, which is worth a good bit of money. Conceal it to make sure thieves don’t get their hands on it, and you can save a lot of money.

Buy security systems directly from the company and not a reseller. Resellers only want to make the most money they can, and they don’t necessarily guarantee their products. When dealing directly with the company, you can rest assured that you are not paying additional fees, and also that the company will be there to continuously service your equipment.

Have the locks changed if you’re moving into a new home. Regardless of whether you are renting or buying, you should either re-key the locks yourself, or request that your landlord take care of it for you.

Every homeowner needs to know all there is about securing their home. However, pulling out the most helpful pieces of information from the irrelevant can be a challenge. Keep these tips handy, so you can refer back to them as you proceed to make your home more secure.

You want to minimize the amount of your home’s interior that’s easily visible from outside. If you’re able to see your computer or television, burglars can as well. Consider putting up drapes or curtains to keep people from seeing what is inside. If you cannot do this, keep valuable things in other rooms.