Are you going to make your home more secure? Thinking about this subject is smart, as it is never a mistake to do all you can to protect the people and things you love. You have to use all the information you can find. Check out this article to educate yourself on home security.

Always take time to compare and research before investing in an expensive security system for your home. Prices vary greatly in regards to the same protection for each company. Make sure you get quotes from at least three companies before you decide on which one you think is the best option.

After you buy your new house, get new locks. You have no way of knowing how many folks might have keys to your house. Hire a locksmith so that you can be sure you are the only person who can access your home. Also, you can contact a locksmith if you ever misplace your keys.

Aim to purchase fire-resistant ceilings, roofs and floors. This adds an extra layer of protection to your home, especially if you live in a very dry area with power lines. Fire prevention is always a good idea, and sometimes it can be a lifesaving idea!

Security systems are more than just an alarm. Modern systems are often capable of detecting any open door or window and announcing that fact. This can be valuable to parents with small children as they are made aware their child has opened or closed a door.

Do not post on your social media accounts regarding when you will be away on vacation. You may be very excited about your impending vacation, but there is no need to let potential burglars know when you will be gone.

Buy a safe to keep all of your valuables in one place at home. This will keep your stash of diamonds, gold and other valuable items out of view and inaccessible to burglars. Keep the safe hidden somewhere remote.

Meet with representatives from the security company you are considering to determine if they are trustworthy. If the men who come to your home to do the installation seem untrustworthy, you can change your mind. If you don’t feel comfortable, go with someone else. The point of having a security system is to make yourself feel at ease.

Spare Key

Walls can be a great hiding spot. If you own smaller things that need protection, think about keeping them hidden in the walls. Just open up an electrical outlet or a phone jack that is not in use. You can easily install fake unused plates.

Make sure that you hide your spare key in a good spot. Common places to hide a spare key are above your door frame or underneath your doormat. Therefore, thieves are more likely to check these places out first. A better place to keep your key is inside your outside dog’s collar.

Don’t ever place your spare key under your mat or next you a plant box. You might think that you are providing yourself a safe way into the house if you misplace your keys, but you are really inviting attackers inside. Intruders know about the usual hiding spots. Give it to a neighbor you trust instead.

Don’t let any person you don’t completely know into your house. Even if the person has a compelling story, needs help or has something to sell, they should not be given access. Some people want to enter your home just to see if there is a security system in place. They may be scoping the place to come back when you’re gone.

No matter how soon you plan to return home, you should lock your doors. Many home thefts start with the thief simply walking in an unlocked door or window. It does not take a long time for a robber to pilfer items worth thousands of dollars.

Be sure to keep your car in your garage rather than filling your garage with stored belongings. In this way, your car will be safer. Keeping your car in your house will deter intruders from vandalizing or stealing it. Keeping your car out of sight is also good for thwarting burglars’ attempts to determine when you are likely to be away from home.

Keep the wires of your home security system hidden. If the wires are exposed, an intruder can bypass the system by cutting its wires. Don’t make it easy for an intruder, have the wires buried or hidden within the home’s walls. You will be much safer.

Remember to have an annual inspection of your home security system. This should be performed by a technician from your security company. Many things can impact the performance of a security system, such as animals and weather. You may not be able to tell there is an issue by yourself.

If you are moving in your new home, ensure all the old locks are replaced. You don’t really know the people you purchased the house from or all the folks they shared keys with, so don’t place too much trust in the old locks. You should also keep in mind that other people may have lived in the home before the previous homeowner.

If you reside in a small town or rural area, then you might not be as worried about someone breaking into your home as city dwellers may be. Interestingly, many think those living in rural areas are actually more susceptible to break-ins since neighbors may not live close by. Some people think burglaries are less prevalent in rural parts.

Moving into an apartment or home that you’ve lived in should involve changing the locks first to maker them safer. You do not want anyone to have a copy of the key. You can change the locks yourself if you’re feeling really industrious.

Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. Skylights are nice to bring extra light into your house, but they are also easy ways for burglars to enter your home. You should have them equipped with strong, sturdy hardware.

Keep safety at the forefront as you landscape. All of your windows and doors should be unobstructed by plants, shrubs, trees or fences. If you have them visible, people can’t hide in those areas while they try to break in. Plan features like these further from your home to have a safe, beautiful design.

The wires that are on your house are very valuable. Lots of people don’t know this until their wires are stolen. Copper wiring is very valuable and susceptible to being stripped from the outside of your home. Therefore, ensure you hide your wires so that burglars cannot see them, or make the wires extremely hard for the burglars to get to.

If you see that the door is open, do not enter the house. You have no way of knowing whether the thieves are still inside. Just contact the police and sit tight until they arrive.

Replace rotten wood near door frames. Rotting wood is easy to remove and take apart if someone is trying to get in. Replace the rotting door frame with a new one and keep your home much safer.

If you are going on a vacation, ask a neighbor to pick up your mail and check your home for flyers. Burglars have been known to put these up, waiting to see if they are removed or not. If the flier stays in place, the burglar knows that the homeowner is out on vacation.

Ask the home security companies to visit your home and design a system tailored to your needs. Everyone has specific wants and needs when it comes to securing their home, family and belongings. Most companies will create an individual plan to meet your needs so you can have a high level of security to assure your peace of mind.

If you purchase a new, pricey electronic like a TV or computer, don’t leave the empty box near your curb. If thieves see these type of boxes outside your home, they may want to break in to steal the items. Break down the empty boxes whenever possible.

Consider a wireless home security system. Wired systems might be a bit less expensive, but they often involve intrusive rewiring of your home, and can become faulty during a power outage. The wireless systems are simpler to maintain and install and they don’t need power from the home to run.

A dog is an excellent burglary deterrent system. Man’s best friend is very territorial and makes a lot of noise during anything happening out of the ordinary. Keeping a huge and ferocious canine is not necessary. Even tiny dogs that make a ton of noise will deter a potential crime.

Is your street number on your house visible from the street? If you have an emergency, it will be hard for the police to find your house quickly if your numbers are hidden or too small to read. Luckily, you can fix this quickly and cheaply if you see there’s a problem.

See if your security firm offers a variety of contract lengths. These lengths can be both good and bad. The longer the contract, the lower your monthly bill, but if you move or become dissatisfied, you are stuck with the monthly fee. There’s more freedom with a contract that’s shorter, but the monthly payments may be higher.

When checking out security companies, ask whether they allow you to choose between buying or leasing the system. Purchasing your equipment may cost more in the beginning, but this is a one-time cost which does not recur. You’ll pay higher monthly fees if you lease the equipment, and that will add up over time. Look at what you can afford, as well as what is offered and make an informed choice.

Be sure not to use your birthday as the password on your door lock’s numeric key pad. Your birth date is pretty easy to come by, especially for seasoned thieves. Use a random number instead.

You shouldn’t keep your car registration documents inside the glove box. These valuable documents provide criminals with information about your home location. You should carry them with you or find some other hiding place inside your vehicle. Make sure you can easily and quickly access them in the event that a police officer pulls you over.

Think about getting a hard-wired home security system if maintenance costs are an issue for you. Wireless set-ups need battery changes all the time. Not replacing the batteries keeps your system from working properly. Replacing several batteries will quickly add up.

Unhappily, all homes are subject to security breaches. You can make your home safer though. This article should have given you some ideas to work with. Protect your home as much as possible by using them.

See about purchasing security systems directly from the firm instead of a reseller. A re-seller might not offer the same kind of services you can get from a home security company, and they will sell the same products for more. Whenever you buy straight from the company, you are assured you are paying the right price and that the equipment will cater to your needs.