Homeowners are often daunted by the topic of home security. Improving home security is not necessarily expensive or time-consuming. As long as you spend he time necessary to memorize the advice in his piece, you will see that the process is cheaper and simpler than you may have believed.

Your dog can actually safeguard a spare key. This is only true if yours in an outdoor dog, or your house is equipped with a doggie door. Simply affix a spare key to the collar of the animal. You’ll always have a backup plan if you lose your key!

Once you buy a house, switch out the locks. You don’t know the exact number of copies of that key the previous owners have or have handed out. To make sure you are the sole person with access to the home, engage the services of a locksmith. If you lose keys, make sure to do this, too.

You should only provide a house cleaner your key if you completely trust them. Anyone you give the keys to your home to should be unarguably honest. Carefully check their references. Contact your local Better Business Bureau to find out more about the reputation of the cleaner you hired.

Some home security systems have additional security features besides sounding an alarm to deter a burglar. Most systems can be set to sound an alert when anyone enters the home. This is a good way to know if your small child has opened a door or closed it.

Do you keep your dog outside when you aren’t home? They may provide you with a useful place to hide your key. The key can be attached to the collar of your dog. This will ensure that burglars cannot see it. This is quite effective if your pet does not respond well to strangers.

Social networking sites are great for keeping in touch, but post information sparingly. For example, you might avoid broadcasting when you are going out of town, especially if your friends list contains casual acquaintances. This can indicate that your home will be free and vulnerable during the time.

Home security systems do more than sounding an alarm in case of a break in. Modern systems are often capable of detecting any open door or window and announcing that fact. This is great for parents that have small children so that they know when their kids open or close doors.

Never open up your door to a stranger. People try many ways to convince others to open up their doors so that they can commit burglary or worse. You should make sure you only open the door to your home for people that you know and are expecting.

If you will be away from your house for an extended period of time, turn the ringers off for all your phones. If your phone is ringing while you are out, burglars will realize that no one is home, making your home very vulnerable to an attack during your time away.

If you own a garage, be sure to use it to place your car, as opposed to using it as a storage. Protect your car from vandals by keeping it in the garage. Hiding the car from plain sight can keep possible intruders from figuring out when you’re home and also when you are not.

Don’t allow anyone you don’t know to look into your house. Remember that intruders have a lot of experience with tricking people. Some people want to enter your home just to see if there is a security system in place. They may be scoping the place to come back when you’re gone.

You need to go with your gut instinct when it comes to negotiating and dealing with a home security installation company. Don’t hire anyone who makes you uncomfortable. Do not hesitate to ask for a different person to install the system or even consider hiring a different company. After all, you’re investing in a system that helps you to feel safe, so make sure the process involved in obtaining that system does the same.

Understand certain safety precautions when it comes to having skylights for your home. Skylights have a good function, but unfortunately they also often provide a way for a burglar to enter. Your skylights should have strong components that can withstand tampering.

Do you live out in the country? If so, you might not be as worried about burglars breaking in as those people in the city are. There are some who believe country folk are more at risk because neighbors are not nearby. Still there are those that think that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.

Keep valuables hidden within the walls. It is not necessary to cut out pieces from your wall. There should be pre-cut spaces throughout your home that will suffice. Perhaps you can use an old electricity socket as a place to hide your valuables.

Skylights need to be secure, too. While they are nice and help with lighting, they also provide the burglars help with access to your home. Be certain to have skylights that incorporate strong, durable hardware.

After installing a security system in your home, make sure any wires are hidden. Exposed wires make it easy for an intruder to cut them and disable the alarm. Do not make things simple for a burglar, but rather bury all wires or hide them in the wall. You’ll be safer.

Get creative and hide valuables inside your walls. This does not mean that you should make alterations to your walls. Many spots are already cut that can be used for this purpose. You could removed the wiring from an electric socket that you aren’t using, and stash jewelry inside it.

Make sure you have several flashlights that are charged and ready to go in the event of a power outage. Having a well-charged flashlight on hand is very beneficial in case of emergency. Also show your children how to use them so they can help out in emergencies.

This information will keep you secured at all times in your home. Begin changing your home today. Soon your home will feel safe and secure 24/7. Then you will find it easy to relax and feel comfortable.

Ask the home security company about how long they’ve been running prior to signing up. Any business with multiple years of history has a proven record in being reliable. Being in the hands of a good company helps you have peace about your decision.