All homeowners ought to have a plan to make sure their home is safe; however, many simply do not. Advice can go a long way when it comes to better understanding home security. Read on to learn about how to secure your home.

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 important if you have small kids.

Why not give your trusted dog the job of holding onto your spare key? This will only be ideal if you have a dog door or an outdoor dog. Attach the key to your dog’s collar, and it will be handy if you ever need a spare.

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. You can enhance home safety with excellent fire precautions.

Buy a safe to contain everything of great value. You need this because you would not want burglars to see these valuable items around in your house. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.

Make sure the ringer on any phones in your home is turned off when you leave for vacation. If the phone continues to ring while you’re gone, this lets an intruder know that the home is empty.

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. It’s exciting going to new places and enjoying your time, but you could alert thieves to an empty home that they can easily break into.

You need to be sure the attached garage of yours is secure. Intruders could easily break into your garage and access your home. You can use a C-clamp to secure the door and prevent it from being opened by strangers.

Before selecting any home-security company, talk to your friends to see who they suggest. They may have had experiences with certain companies and can lead you in the right direction. Ask around to get lots of advice for making a better choice.

When summer comes around, eliminate all vegetation and dead wood from your yard. This can be a fire hazard, especially if you live in an area with high heat. Keep these cleared away regularly to maintain your home’s safety and to keep it in good shape.

Never allow a stranger to enter your home. Do not give in, even if a person uses a convincing story, asks for help or says they are selling something. It’s quite possible that your charming guest is only interested in evaluating the security of your home; if they find it lacking, they may be back later to relieve you of some of your possessions.

Have lights that sense motion. These lights turn on if someone walks closely to your house. You will be alerted when there is activity outside, and any potential burglars will be deterred because they do not want to be seen. Just remember that you must change the bulbs often in order to keep the lights working in order.

Make your home safer by storing your car inside the garage. If your car is in your garage there is less of a chance to vandalize or steal it. Storing your car in the garage will also make it difficult for anyone casing your home to figure out when no one is going to be there.

Those that live in rural area are not as concerned about having their home invaded as those who are located in the city. Some maintain that rural dwellers have greater risk since their neighbors live farther away. Some think rural areas see less burglary.

Change your locks if someone you don’t trust moves out of your home. If you have boarders, former live-in partners, or others who once had access to your home, this is especially important. It does not cost much, and can be handled very quickly.

Walls are excellent hiding spots. You can hide small, valuable items inside the walls of your home. You can use the opening provided by an electrical switch plate or other device that is not being used. If you have no unused plates, you can easily install false ones.

Your risks of being the target of home intruders really doesn’t depend on the area in which you live. Due to the distance between neighbors, some think rural areas are more likely to have intruders. Others think that rural places have less of a chance of being targets for burglars.

Lock up your house every time you leave. This is often a surprise, but the majority of burglaries are due to someone just waltzing right into an unlocked home. Once a thief is inside, he can steal a lot of valuables in a short amount of time.

Consider hiding valuables within your walls. You don’t have to cut out pieces of the wall to do this. Many spots are already cut that can be used for this purpose. You could removed the wiring from an electric socket that you aren’t using, and stash jewelry inside it.

When you purchase big, expensive items be sure to break down the boxes and take them to the recycling center yourself. Empty boxes for expensive new gear serve as advertisements to potentials thieves; don’t make it easy for them to spot such tempting targets.

Unless you’re moving into a brand-new apartment or home, changing the locks should be one of your top priorities. The person who used to live there may still have a key. You can change the locks yourself if you’re feeling really industrious.

Make sure your flashlights have charged batteries and are found throughout your home. This is important for you to be able to see should your power go out or you suffer an emergency. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the flashlights are.

Security Company

Your home’s exterior needs to be well lit. Criminals like to blend into the shadows, so do your best not to provide too many for them. Motion sensor lights can work great because they can also alert you when someone does come onto the property. This will include doorways, porches, your garage, and ground floor windows that criminals can use.

Before allowing any security company reps to come into your home, make sure they have on a uniform and they have valid ID. Thieves often pose as security company representatives in order to enter homes and look for valuables. This could be quite dangerous. Use caution to stay out of danger.

If you think something looks odd when you get back home, don’t go inside. This can be quite dangerous because the burglar may still be on your property. Instead, call the police to inform them of what happened, and wait on them.

Carefully check the references of everyone before allowing them to enter your home. A background check is also recommended so you know if they have a criminal history. You need to be very careful with the contractors, repairmen or maids you trust with being alone in your home.

If you don’t own a paper shredder already, you might want to get one. Thieves may look through your garbage for information. If you can not afford to purchase a paper shredder, just rip the paper into smaller pieces.

Perform landscaping for your home which enhances your home’s safety. Keep your doors and windows clear of any shrubbery. Do not give robbers a chance to hide in any area. Keep this in mind as you design.

Keep your garage shut and locked so burglars can’t peek inside. Use frosting to cover the garage window, so people cannot peer inside. Don’t leave your front door unlocked or standing open when you are working in the garage or yard.

Home security is crucial and one thing that many people don’t know much about. Learning about home security should be a main item in your life if you’re seeking to protect your property and the people that you love. With any luck, this piece has provided a good basis for investigation.

Ask the company if they offer systems for lease and sale. Buying equipment may be initially more expensive, but cheaper in the longer term. Leasing usually proves cheaper at first, but it comes with strings attached through contracts or continuing fees and charges. Evaluate both alternatives and choose the best option for yourself.