Do you want to make your home safer? You have to learn all you can. You should utilize all possible strategies in order to keep your home safe. The article below will educate you about home security.

Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? You could let your dog carry a spare key. Put it on your dog’s collar, making sure it is hidden. Your dog is an especially good key hiding spot if he doesn’t react well to strangers, since they won’t approach him, but the key will be there if you need it.

Always change the locks after moving into a new home. You have no way of knowing how many folks might have keys to your house. Call a locksmith as soon as you can for maximum security. Also, if you lose your keys, change the locks.

It is important to invest in building supplies that are as fire resistant as possible. This will help you protect your home under all circumstances. Lowering or eliminating the risk of a fire is an extremely important home security strategy because a fire can cause extreme destruction very quickly.

Never open the door for a stranger. People often think of ways to trick others into letting them in so they can steal from them. Make it a habit to only open your home’s door to people you were expecting.

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. Read through their references very carefully, and don’t hesitate to follow up on their references to ensure they actually exist. If you are using a cleaning firm, make sure it has an excellent Better Business Bureau rating.

If you own a garage, be sure to use it to place your car, as opposed to using it as a storage. This will keep it away from thieves and vandals. Keeping your car in your garage also keeps a thief from knowing whether you are at home or not.

You need to have your security system checked once a year. This is a job for professionals; get a security firm to inspect your equipment. There are many things that can reduce the quality of your system. You might not even discover these problems if they aren’t easily sighted.

Check with the police department in your town for home security tips and advice. Your local police department will help you with preventive measures, inspect your home and show you how to mark your valuables so they can easily be found. These programs can make a big difference to the security of your home, and they may just be a phone call away.

Security Company

Listen to your intuition as to whether your system is being installed by a trustworthy home security company. This is definitely the case if you’re not quite sure about the actual installation people. If you are unsure, contact the security company to make sure that the installer was actually sent by them. Your security system is supposed to help you, not cause you more stress.

Regardless of the type of home security system you choose, be sure to have regular inspections and maintenance performed. Ask someone from your security company to come over and have a look. Mother nature can sneak in and cause many problems. You may not be able to tell there is an issue by yourself.

Skylights need to be secure, too. Skylights are commonly used by thieves to enter a home. Use heavy-duty hardware to secure your skylights to the roof.

Walls are a good place to hide things. Small items of value can be hidden for safety in your home’s walls. Use an old switch plate, outlet or phone jack. Installing a false unused plate is very easy to do if your home doesn’t have one.

A skylight is another area that needs to be protected for home security. Skylights are nice to bring extra light into your house, but they are also easy ways for burglars to enter your home. Having heavy duty, reliable hardware is best when it comes to skylights.

Even if you only plan to be gone for a very short time, lock your house. You may be surprised to know that many burglars simply turn the doorknob and walk right in. Once a thief is inside, he can steal a lot of valuables in a short amount of time.

If you bought any expensive or large items, don’t throw the boxes out until the day trash is scheduled to be removed. Having these boxes around for a while will give people an idea of what is inside your house.

Never place a spare key in a plant box or under your welcome mat. Keeping a spare key is convenient but intruders will have access to your home if your key is too easy to find. Thieves are familiar with these hiding spots. A better solution is to give your key to a neighbor you trust.

If you move into a home or apartment that has been previously lived in, the first thing you should do is change the locks. Even if you’ve gotten a key from the previous owner or tenant, there could still be a lot of people out there who have keys to your home. You can purchase and install locks yourself to make sure only you have the key.

Carefully check the references of everyone before allowing them to enter your home. Don’t be afraid of conducting background checks to determine if they have a criminal history. There is no way of knowing whether or not service people are honest, so you should not give them keys to your home.

When deciding on an alarm system, be sure and get one that protects more than your doors. Your windows are also points of entry for burglars. You want to be sure that the alarm is connected to all windows and entry points. This can mean the difference between a safe home and one that is an easy target.

Unfortunately, every home is susceptible to threats. You can make your home safer though. You’ve just learned a lot of things you can do for the security of your home. Protect your home as much as possible by using them.