Your home needs to be the safest place for your family to be at all times. Whenever you leave, your home should remain secure until you return. You can find some great advice concerning the safety of your home in this article.

When you set out to purchase home security equipment, remember to comparison shop. Prices can be very different from one product to another. You really owe it to yourself to solicit firm quotes from three different providers before you sit down to pick one.

Do you keep your dog outside when you aren’t home? She or he is actually a good place to keep the spare key. Secure the key on the inside of the dog’s collar. This works very well if you have a pet that is not very fond of strangers. You will get the access you need without having to worry about your safety.

Hide your spare key in a place where no one would think to look for it. Intruders will think to look on the top if a door frame and under a doormat. A possible solution is to attach a key to your outdoor dog’s collar.

Avoid opening the door if you don’t know who is standing on the other side. Nowadays, thieves are creative when thinking of ways to get homeowners to open a door and let them in. Make it a rule in your home that you only open your door to people who you were expecting.

Don’t let strangers enter your house. This includes a salesperson or people looking for help. There are some people who will just come in to see if you have a home security system, and if you do not, they could come back later when you are not home.

You should clean your yard of vegetation and dead wood. When summer heats up, such debris can catch fire. Be sure all sorts of flammable items are kept under control around your home.

If you’ve got a garage, make sure to use it for your car rather than extra storage space. Keeping your car secured will prevent people from vandalizing it. Besides, intruders will have a hard time determining whether or not you are home if you keep your car inside your garage.

Rid the outside of your home from dead wood, vegetation and overgrowth during the summertime. As it gets hotter, the chances of these igniting and putting your house at risk increase. Clear yard regularly to maintain your house safe.

Security System

You need to have your security system checked once a year. A security professional should visit to help with the testing process. There are many reason why a home security system can have problems, and it might be the weather or wild animals that cause it to malfunction. If the problem cannot be seen, you probably won’t even realize there is one.

If you’ve got a garage, make sure to use it for your car rather than extra storage space. It won’t be vandalized or stolen this way. Hiding your car away from plain view is a good way to keep intruders from knowing when you are at home or not.

Skylights need to be secure, too. They look great and provide light, but also are another access point. Skylights need to be installed correctly and safely, with hardware that will keep intruders out.

Keep valuables hidden within the walls. This doesn’t necessarily involve chopping up your walls, either. There are many places in your home that are pre-cut and available. What about un-wiring an electrical socket which isn’t used to utilize as a cover to hide your jewelry?

Use motion sensors on exterior lighting. When a person walks by your home too closely, these lights will go on. You will receive advance warning of any potential issues, and a would-be intruder will probably be scared off. Get in the habit of checking and replacing the bulbs as necessary to ensure the lights remain effective.

No matter how soon you plan to return home, you should lock your doors. Most real-world burglars aren’t master lock-breakers; they simply stroll in through a door left carelessly unlocked. It can be a quick job for a burglar to steal items of great value.

After installing a security system in your home, make sure any wires are hidden. Many intruders bypass a security system by cutting the wires. Hide them in the walls or bury them underground to keep people from tampering with them. This will make you much safer.

You want an alarm system that protects more than your doors. Thieves can easily enter your home through a window. Be sure your home alarm covers all entry points into your home. This is just one more thing you can do to protect your home.

If you are throwing away the box an expensive item came in, wait until trash day to put the box out. Empty boxes might draw the attention of robbers and let everyone know you own new and expensive goods.

Replace rotted wood around entryways. An intruder could pry the rotten wood easily to open the door. Find a reliable contractor who can replace the door frame for you.

Always go over the small print on contracts offered by your home security company. Sometimes, hidden costs can be incurred if you get rid of the service before a certain date. You should avoid these fees as much as you can; therefore, you need to know of their existence.

Before letting a home security representative inside, ask for identification. It is very common for thieves to pretend to be company reps in order to get into your home. This puts your household and valuables at considerable risk. Trust your gut and if something does not feel right, it is okay to go with your feelings.

When you are trying to hire a home security contractor, read all the small print on your contract before signing it. There might be hidden costs or other things you should know about. You want to avoid as many of these fees as you can, so read everything.

When seeking out home security firms, the Internet is an indispensable tool. Check out different websites, and read through package details and customer testimonials. Once you have selected a few potential home security providers, set appointments to interview them and find out what they have on offer.

Buy a paper shredder. Your trash contains so much personal information a thief would love to have. If you can not afford to purchase a paper shredder, just rip the paper into smaller pieces.

Now that you have read this article, you have the knowledge you need to protect your home. How can you use it to protect your home? You should do more research after reading this article and start comparing different home security systems.

Research how long a security company has been in the business before contracting with them. A company with a long history has proved they can survive and provide great service to people. It will make you feel better knowing that the company you choose is not fly by night.