Often homeowners fear the home security installation process will be tedious and irritating. This is especially true when specialists must enter the home. However, the process does not have to be so inconvenient. The tips included below will help you secure your home without a lot of additional hassle.

You can hide your spare key on your dog. This works with a dog that stays outside or a dog with a pet door. Latch the key on his collar and voila–you have a spare key available!

Make sure your home appears occupied. Buy timers that will make your TVs, radios and other electronics turn on and turn off at various times. It’ll make it seem like someone is home. This is an excellent method for avoiding burglary and keeping your home secure.

Once you buy a house, switch out the locks. Many people may have been given keys by the former owner. Hire a locksmith so that you can be sure you are the only person who can access your home. If you lose keys, make sure to do this, too.

Any time you buy a new home, have the locks changed. You never know how many copies of the keys the previous owners made and handed out. Contact a locksmith to make sure that only you have access to your home. In addition, replace your locks if your keys ever get lost.

Do you have an outside dog? If so, the dog can be a terrific spot to keep a spare key. You can attach your key to your dog’s collar in order to keep the key hidden. If your dog is suspicious of strangers, you have found a good hiding place for your key.

Home security systems have different kinds of features that can sound an alarm when someone breaks into your house. You can have your system alert you of any movement in certain areas of your home. This is important to parents who have small children, because they will want to know if the children have opened a door.

If you’ve got a garage, make sure to use it for your car rather than extra storage space. Protect your car from vandals by keeping it in the garage. 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.

Buy fire-resistant building materials. This adds an extra layer of protection to your home, especially if you live in a very dry area with power lines. Preventing a fire hazard is one of the safest precautions that you can take due to the level of destruction that it can cause.

Understand certain safety precautions when it comes to having skylights for your home. Although skylights provide your home with a lot of light, it is also very helpful for burglars to break in. Having heavy duty, reliable hardware is best when it comes to skylights.

Before selecting any home-security company, talk to your friends to see who they suggest. There are likely people you know that have had either good or bad experiences with these companies. Ask a number of people to get a several different opinions.

The walls are a perfect hiding place. You can hide small valuables in your walls. You could use a phone jack, electrical outlet or a switch plate. If you use all of them, you can always have fake ones installed.

Keep your car in the garage. This will keep thieves from stealing it or harming 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.

Replace rotten wood near door frames. It is simple for a robber to pry away rotting wood and enter your home. When you see that wood is beginning to rot, replace it with new wood for better home safety.

End your shyness. Talk to your neighbors. Agree to watch each other’s homes while you are away. Don’t disregard gossip either. You can learn of important security information, including if strangers have been lurking.

If you wish to boot your home’s security, one cheap way to do this is to buy exterior lights with motion detectors. This is a fairly inexpensive way to provide light and security to your property. When placed appropriately, no one will be able to break in unannounced.

Install motion-sensor lights. These lights will turn on if anyone walks too closely to your home. This is a good way of knowing who comes near your home and keeps you safe if you ever come home late. Make sure you regularly change the light bulbs to ensure they continue to work properly.

Be certain to read the entire contract when you hire a home security firm. They sometimes have hidden costs if you let go of them prior to the contract expiring. Be aware of these particular fees so you can steer clear of them.

You need to change our locks as your first step to ensuring your safety. Whether an old roommate left or a relationship ended, changing your locks is a good idea. Changing locks is not very expensive and should be done within a few hours.

Ask your security provider about their history in the business. Many years of service bode well for the company’s performance. Realizing you at involved with a stable firm will give you a sense of calm that is important.

When securing your home, don’t forget about skylights. While they are there to let light in, if you do not care for it properly it could also let in a thief. Be sure that the skylights for your home are durable and reliable.

Always keep your home’s exterior well lit. Darkness allows for all sorts of nefarious activities. Install some outside lights so you can see everything outside. Over doors, near windows and especially your back yard need to be lit.

No one should be able to see your valuables from outside. Large windows at the home’s front can be beautiful, but it can make it easier for criminals to see inside. Make sure you keep your blinds closed or arrange your possessions in such a way that they can’t be seen from outside.

What do you need to personally feel safe? You might find that an alarm isn’t necessary at all. Depending on your neighborhood and your household, you might well be better served by a reliable guard dog or self-defense training than by high-tech gadgetry. See to it that you understand the risks involved in making these purchasing decisions.

Replace all the locks in your newly purchased home. Although the person you purchased the house from might seem good, you really have no clue as to who they really are. Don’t forget that there were likely other owners and residents in the house before the last set.

If you don’t own a paper shredder already, you might want to get one. You would be surprised at how often thieves look through trash to find personal information to find out when you will be away from home so they can break in. Cutting the papers into small pieces with a pair of scissors is another option.

Are you aware of the fact that your home wiring is worth money? Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. The copper component of wiring is very valuable and may be stripped from the outside of your home in a fairly short amount of time. Keep your wiring hidden or inaccessible to potential burglars.

If you have roommates or kids who you do not want in certain areas of the house, you do not have to lock the doors and carry around a ton of keys. Instead, key-less key code locks can work just as well. You can install them yourself, or you can have a home security service install them.

Think about your personal security needs before you purchase a home security system. Although these systems can protect you and your family, not everybody needs them. Some neighborhoods may do better with self-defense classes or having a dog, while others may require the best home security technology you can get. Ensure that you have considered all your options before making a final decision.

If you are away, pull your shades closed. Leaving your windows unguarded exposes the interior of your home to everyone, including criminals looking for tempting targets. If they notice this, they may break in. Keep them down when you’re asleep, too.

There are many ways to make your home safer, both with and without home security systems. There are quite a few options available to you that will help your home be more secure. Keep this advice in mind to boost your home security.

Ask whether or not your home security company gives you the option to lease and/or buy your equipment. Purchasing equipment outright will cost more initially, but may offer savings over the long term. Leasing is a good way to avoid the initial expense, but you will have to pay monthly fees. Pick the option that suits your particular situation best.