It is up to homeowners to take proactive steps to ensure the safety of the home and its inhabitants. Sadly, home burglaries are very common, and other things like fire or floods can harm your home. Read this article to learn great tips and tricks that will ensure your home and family remains safe from any threat.

If you want to have a spare key close to your house in order to prevent lockouts, make sure you give its hiding place some careful thought. Never put a spare key under a doormat or above a door jam. Think outside the box and put the key someplace unusual, like hidden in your dog’s collar.

After getting a new home, make sure to change its locks. Many people may have been given keys by the former owner. Call a locksmith to make sure you’re the only one with access to your home. You should also do this if your keys ever get lost.

Buy fire resistant roofing, flooring and ceiling materials. This can provide additional safety to the home, particularly in dry regions. Preventing a fire is important since it can cause a lot of damage.

Don’t use social media to announce that you will be gone for an extended period of time. 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 everyone in your social network know that you are leaving the home unprotected for your vacation trip; especially the people who you aren’t familiar with. It’s natural to be excited about your trip, but this is as good as throwing out the welcome mat for people who know your home is unoccupied.

Consider the advice of your friends when selecting your home security company. Knowledge of first-hand experiences can be very helpful to you when it comes to making this important decision. Ask around so that you can have the advice that you need to make a good choice.

When in the process of selecting an alarm system, you should select a system that protects more than simply the doors of your home. Windows are a way for thieves to enter your home as well. If you have an alarm attached to each of your windows and doors, you can keep track of all the entry points for your home. This is just one more thing you can do to protect your home.

Secure your attached garage. It is possible for an intruder to get in the garage and then gain access to the house; however, you can do something about it. A C-clamp placed on the garage door track will stop it from opening when you don’t want it to.

If your door is set in a rotted frame, you must replace the frame. Anybody wanting to break into your house can just pry off rotted wood and get inside. Replace any wood that has begun to rot with new wood so that your house stays safe.

Local Police Department

Before you give a security company employee access to your home, make sure they’re in uniform and that they present acceptable identification. Criminals can easily pretend to be from a security firm as a means to gain entry to the house. This situation presents danger to your home, family and belongings. Be careful to avoid any potential dangers.

See if your local police department offers any home inspection or other protection programs. Many police departments will offer expert advice, arrange inspections, sponsor neighborhood watches, and help you mark and register your valuables. Contact your local police department to find out if they offer this type of program.

Think about safety when designing your home. Shrubs, trees, fences, etc. should not obstruct the view of your doors and windows. If criminals know you can see them, they are less likely to break in. Keep landscaping away from your house for safety reasons.

Don’t be shy. Be friendly with people that live in the neighborhood. Agree to watch each other’s homes while you are away. Listen to gossip also. You will learn a lot from your neighbors, including details about recent break ins in the area and the shady individuals they noticed.

Ask your home security company how long they have been in business before you sign up for service. Companies with a long history can give you the best service for many years. Being in the hands of a good company helps you have peace about your decision.

Skylights need to be secure, too. Although a skylight can bring light into one’s home and look good, it’s also a common entrance way for burglars. Be certain that skylights in your home can be locked securely.

Have a home security company come to your house and come up with a system that best suits your needs. You need some features which other families may wish to do without. When you don’t want to compromise in any way on the safety and security of your home, a custom-built system is usually the way to go.

When you purchase big, expensive items be sure to break down the boxes and take them to the recycling center yourself. Having these boxes nearby can tell robbers what kind of merchandise you’ve got in your house.

If you don’t have a paper shredder, you might want to buy one. Thieves can get lots of information simply by looking through your trash. You can tear your documents up by hand before disposing of them if a shredder is out of your price range.

Just moved in? Time for new locks! Regardless of how you feel about the sellers, you never know someone’s true intentions. And, other people could have lived in the home previously to them as well.

Make sure that whoever is getting your mail while you are on vacation also retrieves any fliers left on the door. Often burglars will place these at homes and wait to see if people take them down. If it stays where they put it, they will know you are on vacation.

When seeking out home security firms, the Internet is an indispensable tool. Many websites feature reviews, testimonials, and package details from home security services. From there, you can make appointments with your top three selections to compare final package pricing and specific details about plans and monitoring.

Make sure that your garage is not visible from the outside in. Cover your windows in frosting, which can be bought at big box hardware stores, so people can’t peek inside. Make a habit of keep your door closed and locked.

Homeowners should do everything under their power to make their home safe. This very article will contain several different ideas and suggestions that will help protect your family and your home from these threats. Use these ideas to boost your home’s safety.

Can you locate your house number if you are standing on the street? If you have an emergency, it will be hard for the police to find your house quickly if your numbers are hidden or too small to read. Fortunately, the solution to this is quick, easy and rather cheap once you are aware of the need.