It is up to you as a homeowner to make sure you keep your home safe. While an alarm is a good place to start, there are other steps that can be equally effective. Read on to find out more about keeping your home safe and secure.

The best home security systems do much more than sound the alarm (literally). They can actually be set to chime whenever a monitored door is opened. This is a valuable safety feature for parents of small children since they know if their child has exited the home.

You should always make sure your home looks like its occupied. You could purchase timers which make lights and TV’s, as well as other devices, power on or off at varying intervals. This will make your home appear as if someone is there. This will help safeguard your house to the best of your ability.

Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. A safe is the best way to protect your diamonds, gold and important documents. The safe should be situated in an inconspicuous area of your home.

Check around for prices, reputation, and reliability when choosing a home security provider. Some companies offer comparable levels of protection that can be priced very differently. Ensure you talk to a minimum of three companies to obtain quotes before deciding the one that you believe is best for you.

You should invest in fire-resistant roofing, flooring and ceiling. This will add an extra protection layer for your house, particularly if you live near power lines or in a dry location. Preventing fires is the best way to deal with them.

Is your ceiling resistant to fire? What about your flooring or roofing? This is a good way to protect your home against fires, for instance if you live near power lines or in a dry area. It’s best to prevent a fire before it starts.

Turn the ringer off on your telephone if you are going to be away. A ringing phone that goes unanswered may signal to a burglar that nobody is home.

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. Although your first instinct is to share the news about an upcoming trip that excites you, the info may well fall into the hands of people who’d be interested in burglarizing your home while you’re away.

Don’t let strangers enter your house. Even people who claim to need help may be out to harm you. Some criminals will come in, case your house and then come back when you are away.

Do not open your door for anyone you don’t 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. Keep a hard, fast rule that says you only open the door for invited guests in order to keep your family safe.

Eliminate dead vegetation and wood in the yard in the summer. This can be a fire hazard, especially if you live in an area with high heat. Clearing your yard keeps your home, belongings and family much safer.

Clear away all the dead and dried out vegetation around your home in the summer. These can quickly become fire hazards when hit by direct sunlight, placing your house at risk. You can prevent disasters by keeping your yard clean.

Annual check-ups are important for alarm systems. The security company should have a specialist come to look at it. There are many things that can be problematic with regards to home security systems, like wayward wild animals and the environment. Sometimes it is very difficult to see the problem if you don’t know where it is.

The walls are a perfect hiding place. If you have small valuables you want to protect, consider hiding them inside your walls. Target any unused phone jacks or electrical outlets for an easy hiding spot. If you do not have any unused plates, it is easy to install a false one.

Put motion sensor lights around your house. These lights will come on if someone walks near your house. Not only will they notify you of movement, they will also deter potential burglars, as thieves want to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Do not forget to change a bulb when it burns out.

Spare Key

Always lock your home, regardless of how short your trip out is. It is more common than you would believe for a thief to find a home, try the door and walk right in when it’s unlocked. Once a thief is inside, he can steal a lot of valuables in a short amount of time.

Never place a spare key in a plant box or under your welcome mat. These are the first places criminals will look when they try to enter your home. Thieves aren’t stupid and also know common hiding spots. The wisest course of action is to leave a spare key with a trusted friend or a reliable neighbor.

You want all wires of an installed security system to be hidden. A burglar can easily cut and disconnect wires that are left visible. Never make things easy for them. Ask the person installing it to bury the wires or hide them inside the walls. Your system will be far more effective this way.

A good home security system monitors all entry points to your home. All of your windows are possible entry points for a thief too. The alarm and monitoring system should be set for all windows and doors. This can mean the difference between a safe home and one that is an easy target.

Your flashlights should always be equipped with good, working batteries. If the lights go out, they will ensure everyone stays safe. Train your kids how to use flashlights so that all members of the family can contribute.

Having read the information presented here, you are ready to make your home safe and secure. Though it may all seem overwhelming, it is essential if you are to keep your loved ones and belongings secure. The advice in this piece really will help.

Before letting a home security representative inside, ask for identification. It is simple for a thief to pose as a representative of your home security company as a means of gaining access to your house. This can put your family and possessions in danger. Act cautiously to avoid potential dangers.