Tragedy seems to spring up without any warning. Don’t ever assume bad things can’t happen to you or your family. Read on for great tips to make your home safer and to keep criminals from targeting you.

Create the illusion that your home is constantly occupied. Buy timers so things will go on and off at different times. Potential intruders will stay away from your home if they believe someone is inside. This is just one of the many precautions you can take to secure your home.

Do you have an outdoor dog? Your pet might just be the perfect place to stash a spare key to your home. Conceal it in the dog’s collar. This works especially well as storage if your pet isn’t too fond of strangers.

Use your dog as the protector of your spare key. Outdoor dogs or pet doors make this possible. Store a spare key within your dogs collar so you always have access to your home.

If you will be away from your house for an extended period of time, turn the ringers off for all your phones. 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.

Once you buy a house, switch out the locks. You have no way of knowing how many folks might have keys to your house. To make sure your home can only be accessed by you, enlist the help of a locksmith. Also, if you ever lose your keys, do the same.

Never allow str4angers to enter your house. Do not give in, even if a person uses a convincing story, asks for help or says they are selling something. Some people will simply knock on your door to see whether or not there is a security system installed, and if there isn’t, they may target you later when you’re away.

Buy a safe for very valuable items in the house so you can keep them inside a single location. This is vital, as you want to safeguard your valuable items in case of home burglary. Keep your safe in your basement or attic to make it hard to find.

During summer, remove your landscape’s dead vegetation and wood. These can quickly become fire hazards when hit by direct sunlight, placing your house at risk. Keeping your plants and bushes trimmed will benefit your family’s safety as well as the appearance of your home.

You should invest in fire-resistant roofing, flooring and ceiling. Having your home built with fire resistant materials will help safeguard your home in case it catches fire. Because of the amount of damage fires can cause, it is important to protect your home from them.

Keep your car in your garage. This will keep thieves from stealing it or harming it. When it is in hiding, people won’t know if you’re home.

Get advice from your friends before selecting a provider for home security. There are likely people you know that have had either good or bad experiences with these companies. Be sure you seek out advice by asking those people.

Try installing motion-sensor lights. These lights will come on if someone walks near your home. You will be alerted to movement, but most importantly, it will deter burglars or at least make you aware of their presence. Replace bulbs regularly and check the sensors once a month.

If you’re going on a trip for an extended period of time, switch the ringer off on all home phones. If the phone rings when you are away, burglars will know there’s nobody home, making the house vulnerable to a break-in when you are out.

Always lock your home, even if you plan on coming back within a few minutes. Break-ins are often the result of unlocked windows and doors. It won’t take long for thieves to steal lots of expensive valuables.

It will not benefit you to be shy. Speak to your neighbors. Keep your eye on their houses, and ask for help to keep yours safe too. Pay attention to gossip. You may learn some great information about security, such as if any strangers have been hanging around.

If you have just moved into a new home, have every single lock replaced. Though you may not suspect that the seller is up to something, you still need to be careful. You should also keep in mind that other people may have lived in the home before the previous homeowner.

Consider changing your locks as a part of your home security program. As time passes, keys end up getting into the wrong hands. It is not expensive and you can do it in less than a day.

When you landscape your house, make it safe. You should not let plants and shrub block your doors and windows. No one can easily break into a window which everyone can see. Have your landscape several feet away from your house for better safety.

If you’ve got skylights, don’t forget about it when it comes to home security. Skylights are a wonderful addition to any home, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of. Your skylights need durable and reliable hardware for true protection.

Keep your home’s exterior areas illuminated well. Burglars like committing crimes in the darkness. Be sure and have a light next to any entry point in your home. This can include the garage, doorways, porches and other areas which invite an intruder in.

When deciding on an alarm system, be sure and get one that protects more than your doors. Burglars often enter through windows as well. Make sure you have a monitored alarm on every one of them. This is vital to keeping your family safe.

A wireless home security system could be just the option you are looking for. Although wired systems are usually more affordable, they usually involve changing out the wires of your home. As a result, if a power outage occurs, these wires will probably not be effective. Wireless systems are easier to install and maintain, and they do not rely on the power in your home to work correctly.

Keep the wires of your home security system hidden. Exposed wires make it easy for an intruder to cut them and disable the alarm. Never make things easy for them. Ask the person installing it to bury the wires or hide them inside the walls. Your safety will increase.

Get a paper shredder. Thieves often find the trash cans to be a gold mine of pertinent information about potential victims. If you can’t get a paper shredder, try ripping papers into smaller pieces.

Make sure your flashlights have charged batteries and are found throughout your home. If the power goes out, you will be able to see everything. Keep in mind that your family might be separated during a power outage, and make sure you children know where to find and how to use your flashlights.

A great protection against burglars is owning a dog. Dogs become extremely protective of their families and bark when uneasy. A dog with a vicious attitude and large size isn’t necessary. Even the barking of a tiny dog can repel potential burglars, who want to avoid noises as they carry out their crimes.

One of the best things you can do to protect your home at night is to deter intruders with plenty of exterior lighting. Burglars don’t want to be visible. A well-lit home will make it hard for intruders to hide and take your valuables without being detected. That’s why it’s a good idea to light your home well for optimum safety.

Criminals are not predictable, and a break-in of your home can happen at any time. Take the necessary steps to keep your home safe instead of thinking you have it made. Remember these guidelines, and do a lot of research to protect yourself.

Don’t limit security to the inside of your home; the outside needs attention too. Do not obstruct doors and windows with plants or furniture. If you have them visible, people can’t hide in those areas while they try to break in. Plan your home with safety in mind.