To make educated decisions regarding the security of your home, you need to have a grasp on all the information available. This isn’t a decision that you want to throw together. Think long and hard about creating a safe home for your family.

Your dog can actually safeguard a spare key. This can be done if your dog can come outside. You can attach a copy of your key to the dog’s collar, so when you need that spare, you’ve got one handy!

Make your house look occupied all the time. Buy timers so that lights, radios, TVs and all other electronics turn on and off at various times. This way it will always look as if someone is home, even when you are away. This will keep people from breaking in.

Get advice from loved ones about home security systems. Other people will probably have personal experience with these companies that are either good or bad. They can share their experiences with you, which will greatly assist you in making the best decision. Do your research; it will help you make a good decision in the end.

Only provide your house cleaner with a key if you trust him or her implicitly. If you plan on giving them the key so that they can work in your home for over an hour, make sure that they’re reputable, hardworking, and honest. One way to do this is to check their references. Contact your local Better Business Bureau to find out more about the reputation of the cleaner you hired.

Do not open your door for strangers. There are people who are going to be convincing, but they can just be professional thieves. Make it a habit to only open your home’s door to people you were expecting.

If you will be away from your house for an extended period of time, turn the ringers off for all your phones. If the phone rings when you are away, burglars will know there’s nobody home, making the house vulnerable to a break-in when you are out.

Your garage needs to be secure. Intruders can enter your home through an unlocked garage door. However, you can use a C-clamp to help keep the door secure.

Secure your garage. People often worry about people getting in through attached garages, but you have a solution. You can use a C-clamp to secure the door and prevent it from being opened by strangers.

Use your garage for your car and not for storage. Keep the car within the garage will make sure no one harms or steals it. Hiding your car away from plain view is a good way to keep intruders from knowing when you are at home or not.

You should always park your car inside your garage instead of using your garage to store some belongings. This will help to keep your vehicle safe. Keeping your car out of sight is also a good way to prevent intruders from determining whether or not you are home.

Do not be reluctant to meet your neighbors. Talk to your neighbors and those on your block. Watch their homes for suspicious activity and get their word that they will do the same thing for you. Don’t discount what sounds like idle gossip. Important security details (like the presence of strangers in your neighborhood) can come out of the most innocent conversations.

This article provides a starting point for your research. There is no reason for you to be unaware of how to secure your home. You need to make the safety of your family your top priority. Keep the ideas from this piece close at hand in the coming days.

Change your locks if someone you don’t trust moves out of your home. Changing the locks will ensure that you are the only one who knows the combination. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.