Something tragic or bad could happen to you when you do not expect it. Don’t risk your home and family’s safety by being negligent. Read the guidelines in this guide in order to make your house a safe place that will scare intruders from coming in.

When you buy a new home, be sure to have the locks changed. There is no telling how many key copies were made and given out by a previous owner. Having a locksmith replace the locks will ensure that no strangers have a key. Do the same thing if you misplace your keys.

Providing a key to the person cleaning your home can be acceptable, but you must be sure they are honest and worthy of your confidence. If you do give out a key to such individuals, be certain you know their reputation for honesty. Do a background check on them. Contact your local Better Business Bureau to find out more about the reputation of the cleaner you hired.

If someone comes to clean your home, only give them a key if they’re trustworthy. If you do give out a key to such individuals, be certain you know their reputation for honesty. Check their references fully. If your cleaning person comes from a company, check with the BBB.

Buy housing materials that are fire resistant. This can provide additional safety to the home, particularly in dry regions. It’s best to prevent a fire before it starts.

Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? This is a good spot for keeping your spare key. Attach the key inside their collar and make sure it can’t be seen. If your dog doesn’t like strangers, it’s even better.

Consider the advice of your friends when selecting your home security company. You can benefit from the experience of others that have gone before you by paying attention to their recommendations and warnings. Ask a number of people to get a several different opinions.

Social networking sites are great for keeping in touch, but post information sparingly. For example, you might avoid broadcasting when you are going out of town, especially if your friends list contains casual acquaintances. While you may want to shout it from the rooftops, you’re letting everyone know that your home will be vacant and easy to rob.

Shut off the ringer for all of the telephones in your home if you are planning to go on vacation for a long time. 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.

Ask friend for any advice they have prior to purchasing a security system or service. There are likely people you know that have had either good or bad experiences with these companies. Make sure to ask neighbors for advice too.

See if your local police department offers any home inspection or other protection programs. Many police departments offer programs that can include home inspections, home security training and more. Call and see what is available.

Do not allow anyone you do not know into your home. No matter what the excuse the person presents, keep them from entering your home. Some folks will enter to scout for security systems, and upon seeing you lack one, will resolve to return at a later time.

Security System

When it comes to securing your home, start by changing your locks. As time passes, keys end up getting into the wrong hands. This doesn’t usually cost much, and it can be accomplished in less than a day.

Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to check it annually. Ask someone who works at the security company to do a maintenance check. Many different things can make problems for your security system. If it’s not visible, you might not even know there’s a problem.

You need to go with your gut instinct when it comes to negotiating and dealing with a home security installation company. If you don’t feel comfortable with the technician, don’t allow them access to your home. Ask for someone else to come out or switch companies. Remember, the new security apparatus is meant to make you feel safe and secure.

Do not be reluctant to meet your neighbors. Be friendly with people that live in the neighborhood. Watch their houses, and ask if they’d do the same. Pay attention to gossip. You might actually learn a thing or two concerning people that have been hanging around.

While choosing your alarm system, ask about protection for windows and motion detection as well as doors. Burglars often enter through windows as well. Every single entry point needs to have monitoring on it. Do this to keep you and your family safe.

Rural Areas

If your home security system is installed, be sure its wires are well-hidden. Exposed wires make it easy for an intruder to cut them and disable the alarm. This makes it much easier for a thief to get inside your home. Keep the wires protected. This helps keep you and your family safe.

People in rural areas are not usually as worried about burglaries as people in cities. The risk is still there, so a home security system is vital. Other people believe rural areas are less likely to be targeted by burglars.

If you make a large purchase, like a big screen television, don’t simply set the box out in front of your home. They show the world you have money and lots of valuables inside.

It is important that your alarm system wiring is not exposed anywhere. Many intruders bypass a security system by cutting the wires. Keep the wires hidden in the walls or underground to keep intruders from getting in. This will make you much safer.

If you’ve just gotten a home, replace every lock. Regardless of how trustworthy you consider the last owners to be, neither you nor they can be sure that there aren’t others out there with keys to those locks. There are other people who have lived in the home as well.

Plug a rechargeable flashlight into an outlet in each room of your house in the event of power outage. Flashlights are critical, and provide you with the freedom to move about as needed. Teach everyone in your home to use the flashlights so all family members can see and help each other.

Alter the locks and the keys when you change homes. Although other tenants might not have a key anymore, they could have copied it. Find a reliable locksmith who can replace the locks or do it yourself.

If you sign a contract for a security company, read all the fine print first. There could be hidden costs if you were to quit your service prior to the expiration date of the contract, or you decide to add additional equipment later. You should avoid such expenses if you can, so make yourself aware.

Check someone’s references carefully before letting them come into your home. A background check is also a good idea, so that you know what their criminal history looks like. 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.

If you don’t own a paper shredder already, you might want to get one. A thief looking through your discarded papers can find a lot of information you do not want them to have. They may even learn your schedule, so they can burgle your home while you are away. Rip paper into tiny pieces if you can’t afford to purchase a paper shredder.

If you wish to boot your home’s security, one cheap way to do this is to buy exterior lights with motion detectors. At night, not only will these lights be handy to light up areas around your home,they are also a cost-effective and efficient security addition. Intruders will not be able to sneak into your home if you place your motion detector in the right spot.

A dog is an excellent burglar alarm. Dogs protect their territory diligently, and tend to make noise if something goes awry. You do not need a large, vicious guard dog. Even small dogs can deter criminals just by making noise when something is afoot.

When choosing between security companies, read everything on the contract. There could be fees for terminating the contract early or acquiring additional equipment down the road. You are going to want to avoid these kinds of hidden fees, so know about them up front.

If you live with children or others whom who don’t want entering some parts of the house, keys and lock sets aren’t the only option. Get key-less locks that need a code. Either you or a security company can install them.

Keeping your home well lit at night can help keep the burglars away. They prefer not to be seen. 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 your lights turned on during the night.

You shouldn’t keep your car registration documents inside the glove box. This isn’t smart since anybody who gets them is going to know your address. Instead, keep them with you at all times, or hide them somewhere else inside your vehicle. You must have them on hand if the police stop you.

Equip your home with a system designed for home surveillance. Installing hidden and visible video cameras are great for securing your house. Cameras that can be seen are an excellent tool for preventing most burglars from breaking into your home. However, if they are brave enough to try to disable your cameras, hidden cameras will capture them. Surveillance systems often allow you to access videos through your cell phone, too.

It is always best to go with a solid heavy wooden door, or a metal door for extra security. These types of doors are much stronger and harder for someone to break into. A would-be intruder will have much more trouble getting through one of these than a hollow door. You should replace each exterior door in the home before doing the minimal amount, as soon as you can.

Keeping a dog provides a great way to boost your home’s defense. Dogs can be extremely protective of their space and are great at barking when something is afoot. You will get good results even if you do not have a large or vicious dog. Small dogs are noisy and unpredictable and very good at deterring burglars.

Criminals are always unpredictable, and it can sometimes be difficult to understand if you and your home are a target for their illegal activities. Rather than just counting on luck, do what is necessary to protect your own home. Follow the tips presented here and stay up to date on the latest home security information to protect your home and family against crime.

Don’t put your key in an obvious hiding place. Rocks that aren’t real are easy to notice. Doormats, too. Instead, you should keep your spare keys with a trusted neighbor. If this is not possible, think on how you will hide it.