If you’ve always wondered whether or not you should invest in home security, keep reading. With this sort of important decision, you should not settle for less than you need. It is important that you are in control of your home’s safety. To do this, you must be knowledgeable on the matter. Go over the following article to find out more about home security products and the habits you can adopt to protect your home.

Place the spare key that you make on your dog. This approach is useful if your dog is a large breed that lives outdoor, or if your house has a doggy door. You can purchase a special collar that will hold your spare key, so when you forget your keys your dog can let you in.

It is a good idea to replace all the locks on the new home you buy. You simply do not know how many keys to the old locks are floating around. Find a good locksmith who can replace the lock and make a few copies of your key. Also, you can contact a locksmith if you ever misplace your keys.

If your home has a lot of valuable items inside, then you need to purchase a safe so that all of these items can be kept in a single location. This ensures during a break in that the most important things are not stolen. Keep the safe hidden in a hard-to-find location like an attic or a basement closet.

You should only provide a house cleaner your key if you completely trust them. Be sure to check out the background of any housekeeper you plan to provide with a key to your home. It is best to do a reference check on them. If your cleaning person comes from a company, check with the BBB.

If you will be vacationing for an extended period of time, turn off the ringer on all the phones in your house. A burglar might hear your phone ring and ring and ring, then realize that you are not home to answer it.

Invest in a safe in order to secure very valuable items. You can’t have your valuable personal items and jewelry out in the open for anyone to see. Your safe should be placed somewhere it is not readily noticeable.

You should never open your door to someone you do not know. There are many different tactics that crooks use to enter homes, and a common way is simply to walk up to the door and ask for help. Make sure everyone in your house knows not to open the door unless they know the person standing outside.

Before selecting a security firm, ask for recommendations. There are likely people you know that have had either good or bad experiences with these companies. By asking around, you will gain information about the pros and cons of a variety of options.

Be brave! Speak with your neighbors. Look out for their property, and see if they will look out for yours. Don’t ignore any gossip either. This might provide you with some valuable information, at times related to security, including information about potential strangers who you might not want near your home.

Don’t let strangers enter your house. No matter what the excuse the person presents, keep them from entering your home. Some people will simply knock on your door to see whether or not there is a security system installed, and if there isn’t, they may target you later when you’re away.

Motion-sensor lights can alert you of a robbery before it even happens. These kinds of lights will pop right on when they detect motion near your home. This lets you know something is moving and also drives off criminals. However, make sure to put in fresh bulbs every now and then.

Remove old plants and debris from your yard. You risk a house fire if that sits there during the heat of the summer and catches fire. Keep your family and your house protected by regularly clearing out your yard waste.

Those that live in rural area are not as concerned about having their home invaded as those who are located in the city. On a different note, some people believe homeowners in more rural areas are more likely to experience robberies because of the lack of nearby neighbors. Others hold that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.

Keep your car in your garage. You will not have to worry about thieves taking your car if it is inside your garage. Besides, intruders will have a hard time determining whether or not you are home if you keep your car inside your garage.

Don’t forget skylights when doing a security sweep for your home. Skylights have a good function, but unfortunately they also often provide a way for a burglar to enter. Be sure that the skylights for your home are durable and reliable.

Always change the locks if you have someone move out of your home. Perhaps your roommate left town or you have gone through a messy divorce, and you need to feel that the home is safe. It is not expensive and you can do it in less than a day.

Walls make the perfect hiding spot. Small items of value can be hidden for safety in your home’s walls. You could use a phone jack, electrical outlet or a switch plate. Anything not used currently makes a good spot for hiding.

Walls make the perfect hiding spot. If you need to protect expensive items in your home, put them inside the walls. You could use a phone jack, electrical outlet or a switch plate. If you’re using all your outlets, you can install phony ones.

Don’t just consider alarming your doors when you’re considering an alarm system. It should protect the windows too. Be sure your home alarm covers all entry points into your home. Doing this will help ensure the safety of your home and loved ones.

Your flashlights should always be equipped with good, working batteries. Flashlights are critical, and provide you with the freedom to move about as needed. Also show your children how to use them so they can help out in emergencies.

When moving into a house, ensure that each lock has been replaced. Although you may trust the previous homeowner, you cannot be 100% sure of their character. If the previous owners have never changed the locks, there could be people out there who owned the house before them and still have keys to your house.

Your first priority when you move to an apartment or house where others have lived in before is to replace all the locks. You do not want anyone to have a copy of the key. It is possible to purchase and put in locks on your own so you can be assured you have the only keys.

If someone from the security company comes to your home, ask to see their ID before allowing them in. Having the name of the technician coming to your house ahead of time can help to ensure you are allowing someone who really works for the company into your home. This situation presents danger to your home, family and belongings. Be cautious to stay away from those potential dangers.

Check references before giving anyone access to your home. Try doing a background check to look at their criminal history. It is impossible to know if the newly hired maid or one time repairman might be a crook unless you check them out. Providing them with your key might be the biggest mistake you’ve ever made.

The Internet is your friend when searching for a home security company, so you should use it wisely. Browse through different websites and seek out customer reviews about different services and packages. Once you do this, make appointments with the three best companies you find so that you can compare pricing and other important details.

Armed with this information, it should be easier for you to secure your home with the best possible outcome. Having the proper system installed and knowing how to employ it effectively is key. Take what you’ve read, and put it to good use today so that your family is kept safe.

Whenever you are landscaping your home, you should consider safety. Your doors and windows should not be obstructed by shrubs or fences. This makes it where people can’t hide in different nooks and crevices. Landscaped features should be set further away for safety, yet keeping beauty in mind.