If your home contains precious possessions, such as jewels, art or cash, don’t think only you know about it. You should protect your home and your family by investing in a quality home security system. You can pick up some great ideas for increasing the safety of your household by checking out the following article.

You should always make sure your home looks like its occupied. Invest in timers to automatically turn on and off any electronics at various times. In this way, it will always seem that someone is in your home. This is an excellent method for avoiding burglary and keeping your home secure.

Any time you buy a new home, have the locks changed. You don’t know how many keys have been handed out previously. Hire a locksmith so that you can be sure you are the only person who can access your home. Do the same thing if you happen to misplace a key.

You should mute your land line phone if you are going on a vacation. 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.

Home security plans have other features along with an alarm that goes off during a break-in. Most of them can be programmed to alert you to anyone entering your home. This is a valuable safety feature for parents of small children since they know if their child has exited the home.

Do not let people you don’t know in your house. Be wary of those who come to your door selling products, asking for help, or telling sob stories. There are people that just want to go into your home to see if you’ve got a type of home security system, and if they see that you don’t, they’ll return when you’re not home.

Valuable Items

You need to secure your garage if it is attached to your home. It is possible for an intruder to get in the garage and then gain access to the house; however, you can do something about it. A C-clamp is very useful for garage doors that lift on tracks. It will prevent garage doors from opening up whenever it is near the roller and is tight on the track.

Buy a safe for very valuable items in the house so you can keep them inside a single location. This will keep your stash of diamonds, gold and other valuable items out of view and inaccessible to burglars. Keep it hidden in a hard to find location.

Use your garage for your car and not for storage. Keeping your car inside will deter thieves from stealing or vandalizing 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.

When you decide to purchase a home alarm system, make sure you comparison shop. Prices vary significantly, even for similar levels of protection. Before choosing which company to go with, ask for quotes from a minimum of three companies.

Be outgoing. Get to know other people who live next door and others in your neighborhood. Watch their houses, and ask if they’d do the same. Never neglect gossip. You never know what sort of security issues you might become privy to.

A spare key must be carefully hidden and not in the obvious spots that a person might think. Intruders will think to look on the top if a door frame and under a doormat. Hide your alternative key on your dog’s collar.

Any program to improve the security of your home should begin with complete replacement of your door locks. Perhaps your roommate left town or you have gone through a messy divorce, and you need to feel that the home is safe. Most locksmiths can accomplish the job within 24 hours.

Be sure your roof, floors, and ceiling are fire resistant. This will help you protect your home under all circumstances. Keeping fire hazards away is a great safety precaution since fire can cause lots of destruction.

A good home security system monitors all entry points to your home. Your windows are easy entry points for crooks too. The alarm and monitoring system should be set for all windows and doors. The safety of your family will be ensured.

If you’ve got a garage, make sure to use it for your car rather than extra storage space. Keeping your car secured will prevent people from vandalizing it. If you keep your car in the garage instead of in the driveway, it is harder for thieves to know whether you are at home or not.

Don’t leave the packaging from any electronics or expensive purchases sitting on the curb until trash day. These boxes sitting outside your home serve as a flag for thieves to target your home.

When dealing with a company installing your home security system, it is important that you trust your gut. If the men who come to your home to do the installation seem untrustworthy, you can change your mind. You should not hesitate to ask if you can work with a different representative or find a different company if you are not comfortable. After all, you’re investing in a system that helps you to feel safe, so make sure the process involved in obtaining that system does the same.

Are you aware that your home’s wires are worth something? Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. Copper wiring is very valuable and susceptible to being stripped from the outside of your home. Be sure to keep your wiring hidden or difficult to reach.

Do not place your spare keys under your mat or even in plant boxes. While you may need to prepare if you have a spare key, it is wise to choose ways that do not increase the risk of a criminal gaining entrance to your home. Rest assured, thieves have a good idea about these hiding places. Try having your trustworthy neighbors hold spare keys.

Keeping the home illuminated during evening hours helps keep criminals away. That’s because they want to remain hidden. If your house is well-lit, criminals will be hard pressed to be able to go undetected. If you want to stay secure, keep your house brightly lit.

You should always lock up your house, even if you’re only planning to be gone for a short time. You may be surprised to know that many burglars simply turn the doorknob and walk right in. It doesn’t take long for a thief to steal thousands of dollars worth of stuff.

Be sure to make good use of the Internet when you’re trying to select your home security company. Look at various sites and read customer testimonials, along with details on various packages. You can then make three solid selections and make appointments with them.

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. And, other people could have lived in the home previously to them as well.

Put the boxes of any expensive electronic items in your trash can so would-be burglars won’t know see them. When burglars see these boxes, they will know you have them inside your home, making it more likely for them to break in. Remember to cut up the boxes when they’re emptied.

If you move into a home or apartment that has been previously lived in, the first thing you should do is change the locks. Although the previous owner should not have a key, there is no way for you to know this. You might even purchase and install your own locks so that you are assured of having the only keys.

If you have kids or roommates that you don’t want in certain household areas, it’s not necessary to lock multiple doors and tote around tons of keys. Some locks will allow you to punch in a code to gain access to the room. You can either install these locks by yourself, or have them professionally installed if you are not that handy yourself.

Having your home broken into is a reality and possibility that you cannot ignore. This is why it is important to always be proactive when it comes to your home security. Keep this article in mind when pondering ways to improve the security of your home, so that you can secure your family and yourself.

Consider a hard-wired security system if you are concerned about ongoing maintenance costs. A wireless system required the regular replacement of many batteries. You might forget to change out the batteries, which will result in your system not operating as it should. Also, frequent battery replacements can be costly.