Establishing a sound home security plan should be a priority for every homeowner. A little bit of self-education in the field of home security can go a long way towards making your home safer and yourself a more responsible homeowner. Read the information in this article to identify the best security system for your home.

You should always change the locks after purchasing a home. You don’t know how many keys have been handed out previously. Changing the locks will give you peace of mind that you and your family are the only ones who have access to your home. This is also a good idea in the event that you misplace your keys.

Any time you buy a new home, have the locks changed. This is because you really have no idea who has keys, and therefore access to your home. To make sure you have the only access to the home, hire a locksmith. This is also the thing to do if you lose the keys.

Home security systems do more than sounding an alarm in case of a break in. Many systems can be used to go off whenever anyone enters your home. It’s a great feature for parents as they can tell if a child is potentially leaving the house.

When placing your spare key outside for emergencies, give careful consideration to where you put it. Above a door frame or under a mat are not smart ideas. Hide your alternative key on your dog’s collar.

Hiding places for spare keys must be chosen with extreme care and caution. You don’t want to put them in common spots, such as above the frame of the door or under the doormat. You could hide the key with your dog on the collar.

Turn off ringers on land line phones while you are on vacation. If a burglar keeps hearing your phone ring, they’ll know the home is not occupied, making it more likely for a break-in to occur.

If you have a lot of unfamiliar people on you social networking accounts, avoid letting everyone know you will be going on vacation. Although your first instinct is to share the news about an upcoming trip that excites you, the info may well fall into the hands of people who’d be interested in burglarizing your home while you’re away.

Be certain your wires are hidden, if you have installed a security system in your home. Intruders can disable a system if they see the wires. Do not make things simple for a burglar, but rather bury all wires or hide them in the wall. This makes it much less likely that your system will be compromised.

Talk to people you know for referrals when choosing home security systems. It is probable that you will hear some great stories about some companies as well as some not so great stories about others. This can save you the hassle of having to research everything on your own. Do your research; it will help you make a good decision in the end.

When moving into a house, ensure that each lock has been 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. Keep in mind that other families might have lived with them, too.

During summer, remove your landscape’s dead vegetation and wood. These can be fire hazards and can cause damage to your home. Regularly clear away your yard to keep your home in good standing and safe for your family.

Check each spring for any rotting frames on your doors and windows. Replace them immediately if you spot any problems. Rotted wood can be easily removed by thieves. Replace this old wood if you want to keep your house safe.

Is your garage used for storage? Consider removing those items and keeping your car there instead. It will be far more secure against thieves. This will keep thieves from stealing it or harming it. Hiding the car from plain sight can keep possible intruders from figuring out when you’re home and also when you are not.

Keeping your home safe is important, but many people do not know much about it. Learning more about the concept should be a focus of anyone looking to protect their family and possessions. With luck, this article has proved of benefit to you in this regard.

Even if you have a great security system, it must be checked annually. Ask a home security employee to give it a look. There are quite a few things that can negatively impact the effectiveness of home security equipment. For example, adverse weather conditions or pests such as raccoons can cause problems. Sometimes it is very difficult to see the problem if you don’t know where it is.