You never know when crime may strike close to home. Don’t take any chances with protecting your home if you can do something about it. Read the guidelines in this guide in order to make your house a safe place that will scare intruders from coming in.

Man’s best friend can also be trusted to secure a spare key. This will come in handy if your dog is outdoors most of the time or if it can go outside through a pet door. Put a key on the dog’s collar so you have access to it when necessary!

Make sure that you change the locks once you’ve taken possession of the house. You have no way of knowing how many folks might have keys to your house. Get a locksmith in right away. Be sure to cal a locksmith if you were to lose your keys as well.

After you buy your new house, get new locks. It’s important to know everyone who has a key to your home. Changing the locks will give you peace of mind that you and your family are the only ones who have access to your home. Do the same thing if you happen to misplace a key.

Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? He or she is actually a great place to store your spare key. Put it on their collar. If your dog is suspicious of strangers, you have found a good hiding place for your key.

Make sure you have a safe to keep valuable items in one place. If a burglar enters your home, he or she will have a hard time making off with your possessions. Hide your safe in a place that is hard to get to, like a basement closet or an attic.

Home security systems do more than sounding an alarm in case of a break in. The majority of systems are able to be set to put out an alert when any individual enters the home. Parents of children can track their kids this way.

When looking to buy a security system, shop around. You’ll find a wide range of prices from different companies. Make sure you get quotes from at least three companies before you decide on which one you think is the best option.

If you have a stranger at your door, do not open it. Criminals find ways to get people to open doors so they can commit crimes. You should make sure you only open the door to your home for people that you know and are expecting.

If you will be away from your house for an extended period of time, turn the ringers off for all your phones. If the phone rings without you there, burglars will suspect that you’re not home, and that can make your home a target for an attack while you’re gone.

Your garage should be as secure as your home. Lots of folks are concerned about burglars gaining access to the garage and then the home, but this can be addressed. Try putting a C-clamp on your garage door track. This will stop the door from rising if you want to keep it closed.

Don’t allow anyone you don’t know to look into your house. There are some people who are very convincing and good at getting you to let them into your house. This is the first rule of keeping your home secure.

Changing your locks first can help make your home much more secure. Maybe you had a roommate move out or have a disgruntled ex-lover, changing the locks is the best way to keep yourself safe. It is generally cheap and may be done in a little under a day.

You should never open your door to someone you do not know. You never know who they might be, despite their story. Create a rule where you only allow those you’ve invited to your home inside.

You can hide certain valuables within your walls. It is unnecessary cut space into your wall. Find a place where there is already a hole to get in through. If you have an electric socket you do not use, hide valuables behind their covers.

You need to secure your garage if it is attached to your home. Many people worry about burglars getting into their attached garage and then entering their home, but there is a fix. If your garage door happens to lift on a track, using a C-clamp can help. the C-clamp prevents the door from opening if it’s tightened on the track close to the roller.

Even if you only plan to be gone for a very short time, lock your house. Break-ins are often the result of unlocked windows and doors. They can get a ton of stuff quickly and be long gone before you return.

When summer comes around, eliminate all vegetation and dead wood from your yard. This sort of thing is a fire hazard in the heat of summer. Therefore, you need to regularly clean your yard so that your home is protected.

Entry Points

Keep your car in the garage. Keeping your car in your house will deter intruders from vandalizing or stealing it. Besides, intruders will have a hard time determining whether or not you are home if you keep your car inside your garage.

The alarm system you choose should protect more than just the doors to your home. Your windows are easy entry points for crooks too. Make sure the alarm is attached to all of them, and that monitoring is offered for all possible entry points. The safety of your family will be ensured.

A wall is a great hiding place. You can hide small, valuable items inside the walls of your home. Any phone jack or electrical outlet that isn’t being used is a great place to hide valuables. You can easily install fake unused plates.

Keep the wires of your home security system hidden. Intruders can easily disable your home security system by cutting or unplugging the wires. Do not make things simple for a burglar, but rather bury all wires or hide them in the wall. You will be much more safe.

Do not let people on the street see valuable items in your home. Large windows at the home’s front can be beautiful, but it can make it easier for criminals to see inside. You should cover any windows that are facing the street so your valuables will be safe.

Be on the lookout for rotten wood anywhere near your doors or windows. Anybody wanting to break into your house can just pry off rotted wood and get inside. Wood that is beginning to rot should always be replaced to make sure your home stays safe.

Plug a rechargeable flashlight into an outlet in each room of your house in the event of power outage. This is important for you to be able to see should your power go out or you suffer an emergency. Your kids should know how to work the flashlights so that everyone can help.

Criminals are often unpredictable, and it is hard to tell when your home could be a target for a burglar. Rather than hoping you wont be targeted, you should take active steps to prevent it from happening. Follow the tips presented here and stay up to date on the latest home security information to protect your home and family against crime.

Check someone’s references carefully before letting them come into your home. A background check may also be a good idea. You can’t always be sure that maids, service workers or contractors are honest, and therefore giving out keys can be a big error.