It is important that you never completely put your guard down. Don’t ever assume bad things can’t happen to you or your family. Read the information provided here to help make your home a safer place today.

Place your spare key securely on your dog’s collar. This is a great idea if your dog is outside all the time, or they can get out through a doggy door. Hide a key inside the collar of your dog in case you need a spare.

Change the locks after buying a new house. Many people may have been given keys by the former owner. Call a locksmith to make sure you’re the only one with access to your home. You should also do this if your keys ever get lost.

Purchase ceiling, flooring and roofing that is fire resistant. This will help ensure the safety of your home, particularly if your home is located in a dry area. Stopping fire hazards is a key precaution to take since the damage it causes can be considerable.

Do you have a dog that stays in your yard when you’re not at home? Store the spare key with them. Put it on their collar. This is a good way to ensure easy home access, especially if your pet does not associate well with strangers.

Don’t use social media to announce that you will be gone for an extended period of time. There may be a thief within this list and you would have been inviting him straight through your front door!

Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. This is vital if you don’t want diamonds, gold or other personal items exposed to a home intruder. Keep the safe hidden in a hard-to-find location like an attic or a basement closet.

Do not open your door for strangers. People are coming up with all sorts of ways to convince people to open their door to them, with the intent of committing burglary or worse. Keep a hard, fast rule that says you only open the door for invited guests in order to keep your family safe.

If you’ve got lots of people you don’t know on your social networks, don’t let them know that you’re going to be on vacation. It’s natural to be excited about your trip, but this is as good as throwing out the welcome mat for people who know your home is unoccupied.

Be sure to secure your attached garage. A common concern expressed among homeowners is that someone might enter their garage and use that as an entrance to their home. There is a solution, however. 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.

Don’t open your door for strangers. People try many ways to convince others to open up their doors so that they can commit burglary or worse. Only open the door for people you are expecting.

During summer, remove your landscape’s dead vegetation and wood. These can pose a fire hazard due to heat and storms with lightning. Regularly clear away your yard to keep your home in good standing and safe for your family.

It doesn’t matter how much money you spent, you should have an annual test. This should be performed by a technician from your security company. Many different things can make problems for your security system. You may not know there’s an issue if you can’t see it.

Avoid coming across as overly shy. Speak with your neighbors. Watch their homes and ask them if they’ll watch yours as well. It does not necessarily pay to steer clear of gossip. You might find out valuable information related to security, like if there have been any strangers hanging around.

Your valuables should not be easily seen from outside your home. It may be great to have large windows with a view, but this means that people can look in. If you’ve got street facing windows, be sure and keep them covered.

Use motion sensors on exterior lighting. If someone enters their proximity, they will light automatically. Motion-sensitive lights will alert you to movement and deter people who want to break into your home. Make sure you keep fresh light bulbs in your motion activated lights so that they will work correctly.

After making major (i.e. expensive) purchases, don’t dump the packaging out front if your next scheduled garbage pick-up is several days away. If you leave the boxes out all week, it lets people know what type of items you have in your home.

Walls are excellent hiding spots. Small valuables fit nicely inside walls. Just use an unwired electric plug, light switch or phone box. You can also just put in a false plate to cover a hiding place.

Do you know how valuable the wires within your home are? Some intruders could strip your home of every bit of copper. The copper in the wiring is valuable and can be stripped off of the outside of the home in a relevantly short period of time. To keep the wiring safe, be sure that the wire is hidden from view.

Always lock your house, even if you are only going to be away for a few minutes. Many burglaries happen because the intruders can just walk right inside. It can be a quick job for a burglar to steal items of great value.

Unless you’re moving into a brand-new apartment or home, changing the locks should be one of your top priorities. The previous owners or tenants might have made some copies of the key. You can install locks yourself to make sure you’re the only one who has a key.

If you make a large purchase, like a big screen television, don’t simply set the box out in front of your home. You are alerting thieves that there is something worth stealing inside your home.

Always go over the small print on contracts offered by your home security company. There may be hidden costs involved that you were not aware of. If you can’t avoid these types of fees, you should at least be aware of them.

If you are moving into a new home, change the locks right away. You do not want anyone to have a copy of the key. You can change the locks yourself if you’re feeling really industrious.

Make an appointment with a home security company to evaluate the security needs of your home specifically. 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.

Before letting a home security representative inside, ask for identification. Intruders could disguise themselves to inspect your home. This could be quite dangerous. Act cautiously to avoid potential dangers.

Light up your home’s exterior. Burglars like committing crimes in the darkness. Be sure and have a light next to any entry point in your home. All doors, porches, garages and windows should be well lit.

Don’t let any service people into your home without checking their references completely. It wouldn’t hurt to also perform a background check. You do not know if the people you hire are trustworthy, so do not give them a key to your home.

If you come home and see your door ajar, never investigate it alone. It can be dangerous to walk in on an intruder. It is best to call the police right away and go to a safe place until the police check your home.

You can make your home safer by investing in some motion detectors and outside lights. During the night hours, these lights help light up the outside of your home, which makes them an excellent addition to your home security strategies. In addition, they are very affordable. If they are positioned correctly outside of your home, your motion detectors can make it impossible for strangers to sneak around.

If you must hide your key outside, do not put it someplace obvious. Everyone knows about fake rocks. Doormats are generally the first spot a person would look. It is best to simply ask a neighbor or trusted friend to hold on to an extra key for you. If you must keep it elsewhere, be creative with your hiding spot.

As you work on your home’s landscape, don’t forget about safety. All of your windows and doors should be unobstructed by plants, shrubs, trees or fences. Do not give robbers a chance to hide in any area. Keeping the areas around your windows free of plants can help to deter criminals from lurking too close to your home, without you noticing.

If you have a numeric keypad on your door as your lock, don’t make the password your birthday. Your birth date is easy information to obtain. Make it a random number that you and your family can commit to memory.

Invite a security company to come to your house and figure out a system that will work for you. Each customer wants certain things as far as home security goes. Doing this helps you get the best security you can get from the company, helping you to relax.

Be sure to close your curtains at night in rooms that face the street. You don’t need to have an invitation to people through your window. Someone who can peer into your home may decide that your valuables are ripe for the taking. Reduce the risk of being burglarized by being careful about what people can see.

If you think something looks odd when you get back home, don’t go inside. The burglar may be on the premises. Instead, you should call 911 and wait in a safe location for the police to arrive.

Look for captive keylocks when picking out a new deadbolt. A thumb latch prevents outsiders from accessing your door locks through an adjacent window. When you are at home, leave the key in the lock so that you can get out in case of a fire.

Ask your security company about the lengths of contract they offer. Each likely has its benefits and drawbacks. You might pay less each month for longer contracts, but it has its deterrents as well. With a shorter contract, you will have a greater level of flexibility. The downside is you will also have larger monthly bills.

Unfortunately, burglars can be extremely unpredictable. As a result, knowing when your home may be targeted can be difficult. Rather than hoping this will not be a problem for you, make your home safer. Remember these guidelines, and do a lot of research to protect yourself.

When you’re dealing with a security company that provides you with significant equipment to install, ask about the benefits and drawbacks of buying versus leasing. Although purchasing the equipment will likely cost you more money initially, this cost will only occur one time. It won’t be a cost you have to pay for every month. On the other hand, while leasing is more expensive overall, it can get you a better system if you don’t have funds available immediately. Think about both options before making a decision.