Something terrible can occur when it is least expected. Don’t risk your home and family’s safety by being negligent. Read on to find some excellent tips to make your home as safe as can be.

Good home security systems sound a loud alarm when breached, and that’s not all. Most of them can be programmed to alert you to anyone entering your home. This is a good way to keep track of where your young children are.

Beware giving keys to your maid unless the service has your absolute trust. Anyone you give the keys to your home to should be unarguably honest. Read through their references very carefully, and don’t hesitate to follow up on their references to ensure they actually exist. If you hire a cleaner from a company, then you should check the company with the BBB.

Fire-resistant building materials are the way to go, both inside and outside the home. These materials will protect your home from both internal fires and the spread of fires that start on other properties. Fire prevention should be taken seriously because it can stop a major disaster from happening.

Never allow a stranger to enter your home. Even if someone has a good story, requires help or has a great product to sell, ignore them. These people might want to actually do you harm or could be casing out your house for a future break-in.

Check out your garage to ensure that it is secure. 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. Place a C-Clamp on the door track near the roller. This will prevent the door from lifting.

Store your car in the garage if you have it. It won’t be vandalized or stolen this way. Hiding the car from plain sight can keep possible intruders from figuring out when you’re home and also when you are not.

Install lights that have motion sensors. These lights turn on if someone walks closely to your house. The lights will notify you of motion and also deter would be burglars. Test the bulbs frequently, though.

Remove old plants and debris from your yard. These could catch on fire during the summer, especially if you live in a dry area. Keep your yard clear of debris to keep your house safe.

Those that live in rural area are not as concerned about having their home invaded as those who are located in the city. 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.

Place your valuables in cut-outs in your walls. You don’t have to damage the walls to do so. Take a closer look at your walls and note just how many access points there are already. For example, you could take the wiring out of an electric socket that is not in use and put your valuable jewelry in there.

See what the local police offer when it comes to home protection programs. They often offer home inspections, seminars and even the ability to purchase items. If your police department does not offer these programs, find a private security company.

Do not choose a home alarm system that monitors only your doors. It should protect the windows too. Therefore, ensure the windows have an attached alarm. All potential entry points should have an alarm. This is vital to keeping your family safe.

Never throw out boxes for expensive items until the day your trash is picked up. Having these boxes around for a while will give people an idea of what is inside your house.

Your home security system ought to be checked each year. Make certain the security company you choose provides for regular inspections. There are many things that can reduce the quality of your system. If it’s not visible, you might not even know there’s a problem.

Check references before giving anyone access to your home. Run a criminal background check on them, as well. Avoid giving keys out to contractors, maids and repairmen.

Perform landscaping for your home which enhances your home’s safety. Doors and windows should not be obstructed by trees, plants or shrubs. If they can be seen, there will be no place to hide. Put landscaping farther away from the house for greater safety.

End your shyness. Talk to your neighbors. Watch their homes for suspicious activity and get their word that they will do the same thing for you. Listen to gossip also. You may stumble across valuable security information, like if someone has noticed a stranger lurking around the neighborhood.

A paper shredder can be a good security investment. 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. You can also simply tear papers with personal information into small bits before you discard them.

Arrange for someone to pick up your mail and remove any fliers from your door if you are out of town. Often burglars will place these at homes and wait to see if people take them down. If the flier is not removed, they will know you are not home.

Use the space in walls to store your prized possessions. It is not necessary to cut out pieces from your wall. There are many places in your home that are pre-cut and available. How about unwiring your electric socket and using that as an area to stash your jewelry?

Anytime you make a new electronics purchase, keep the boxes off the curb until the very last minute. If thieves see these type of boxes outside your home, they may want to break in to steal the items. Remember to cut up the boxes when they’re emptied.

A dog is an excellent burglary deterrent system. Dogs are quite protective of their masters and home, and they can display quite a bark if someone comes near the house. Your dog doesn’t have to be a big, burly attack dog. Even small dogs can keep intruders away since they don’t want lots of noise when committing crimes.

The wires that are on your house are very valuable. Most people are unaware of this fact until a burglar takes it from their house. The copper wiring can be stripped and be turned in for money. To protect this expensive asset, hide your wires or make them hard to get to.

It is very hard to predict criminal activities, so you never know when your home has become a target. Rather than assuming you won’t be this unlucky, be prepared and utilize strategies to ensure your home’s safety. Start with these tips, and grow from there.