You, of course, consider your home security a very important aspect of your daily life. Nonetheless, it is difficult to know what steps to take first. This article will be your guide, so read on.

Don’t give your keys to a house cleaner unless you totally trust them. Only select service people who are totally trustworthy. Check their references very carefully. If this professional is from a company, it’s best to check with the Better Business Bureau to see what kind of reputation they have.

Why not give your trusted dog the job of holding onto your spare key? This really only works if you’ve got an outdoor dog or if you’ve got a pet door. Latch the key on his collar and voila–you have a spare key available!

If you keep a spare key outside to prevent yourself from being locked-out, think carefully about where you hide it. Intruders will more than likely check under your doormat or above your door frame. Try hiding the key in your outside dog’s collar.

When you buy a new house, be sure the locks are changed. You simply do not know how many keys to the old locks are floating around. Call a locksmith as soon as you can for maximum security. You should also do this if your keys ever get lost.

Do not post on your social media accounts regarding when you will be away on vacation. This can indicate that your home will be free and vulnerable during the time.

When looking for a system to secure your home, do comparison shopping. You’ll find a wide range of prices from different companies. Ensure you talk to a minimum of three companies to obtain quotes before deciding the one that you believe is best for you.

Never open the door for a stranger. Folks are always thinking up new schemes to get people to open the door so that they can commit their crimes. Establish a rule where you and your family only open the door for expected visitors.

You should invest in fire-resistant roofing, flooring and ceiling. These materials will protect your home from both internal fires and the spread of fires that start on other properties. Lowering or eliminating the risk of a fire is an extremely important home security strategy because a fire can cause extreme destruction very quickly.

If your garage is attached to your house, make it secure. There is a solution for people that are worried about burglars going into their home through an attached garage. A C clamp helps for garage doors on a track. The clamp actually keeps the door closed if tightened close to the track roller.

Make sure the ringer on any phones in your home is turned off when you leave for vacation. A burglar might hear your phone ring and ring and ring, then realize that you are not home to answer it.

Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to check it annually. Your security company should send a representative to check your system. There are any number of problems that can cause malfunctions in your security system, from weather damage to animal activity. If it’s not visible, you might not even know there’s a problem.

You need to have your security system checked once a year. The security company should have a specialist come to look at it. 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. If it’s not visible, you might not even know there’s a problem.

When securing your home, don’t forget about skylights. Although skylights provide your home with a lot of light, it is also very helpful for burglars to break in. Make sure that you use safety hardware when the skylights are installed and maintained.

Changing your locks first can help make your home much more secure. Perhaps you aren’t sure who owned the home before you or maybe an old roommate has a key and never returned it. Regardless, changing the locks will ensure your security. This doesn’t usually cost much, and it can be accomplished in less than a day.

Walls make the perfect hiding spot. If you own smaller things that need protection, think about keeping them hidden in the walls. You can use phone jacks or electric outlets as hiding spots. If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.

Rural Areas

Use the spaces in your home’s walls to store valuables. You don’t have to damage the walls to do so. There should be pre-cut spaces throughout your home that will suffice. Remove the wires from an electric socket you do not use so you can hide your valuable jewelry.

People in rural areas are not usually as worried about burglaries as people in cities. 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. That said, stranger things have happened.

Don’t allow the wires of your home security system to be visible to others. Intruders can disable a system if they see the wires. Don’t make it easy for an intruder, have the wires buried or hidden within the home’s walls. This makes it much less likely that your system will be compromised.

Keep your most valuable possessions inside your walls. This doesn’t necessarily involve chopping up your walls, either. Many spots are already cut that can be used for this purpose. How about unwiring your electric socket and using that as an area to stash your jewelry?

If you have purchased any large and/or expensive items, do not throw the boxes away until the day before the trash man is scheduled to come. Letting such packaging sit out will signal to criminals that there are good things to be found in your house.

Choose an alarm which monitors other areas outside your doors. Burglars can gain entry through your windows as well. Attach the alarm to each window and ask for monitoring for them. You want the best security possible for your family.

Make sure all the wood around your doors is in great shape. Anybody wanting to break into your house can just pry off rotted wood and get inside. Replace any wood that has begun to rot with new wood so that your house stays safe.

If you have just bought any pricey new goods, never toss the boxes onto the curb prior to the garbage man’s arrival. Having these boxes around will let thieves know the type of items that are inside your home.

You should have several flashlights and batteries in all your rooms. These items will help you remain safe when there is no electricity. Teach your children how to use the flashlights so that everyone in your household can help.

Make sure you have several flashlights that are charged and ready to go in the event of a power outage. Having these in an easy to find place will allow you to see in the dark much quicker. If you have kids, teach them how to properly use the flashlights so everyone in the family can help out during a power outage.

If you haven’t bought a paper shredder yet, make it a point to do so. Many thieves sift through trash for personal info and to figure out when you plan to be away. Rip important documents in small pieces before throwing them away if you do not have a paper shredder.

You have to keep your home secure to have an enjoyable life. This is a universal truth. The best way to do this might not be clear to you right away, so you should take some time to research the subject. This article may be able to help you.

Ask about the different contract durations that a security company can offer you. Each will have its own pros and some cons, too. A long term contract should have a lower monthly rate but it also requires you to commit for a long period of time. There’s more freedom with a contract that’s shorter, but the monthly payments may be higher.