You should be concerned about the type of security you have for your home. You never know when a burglar will target your home. Review this piece to learn how to add security to your home.

You should only provide a house cleaner your key if you completely trust them. You should not let cleaners have your keys if you feel like you cannot trust them, or if they will be working in your home while you are away. All references should be checked. If the house cleaner is employed by a company, check with the BBB of your area to determine their reputation.

Is your dog outside even if you are away? Your pet might just be the perfect place to stash a spare key to your home. Fasten the key to your dog’s collar to hide it from view. This works especially well as storage if your pet isn’t too fond of strangers.

A home security system has other features in addition to sounding an alarm when there is a break-in. They often even alert you to any time a door is opened. This is important to parents who have small children, because they will want to know if the children have opened a door.

Don’t announce your vacation agenda on your social networks. This is especially true if you have lots of unfamiliar “friends”. While these platforms are there for sharing, this is announcing to the world that your home is an open target.

Don’t just hide your spare key anywhere. Above doors or under doormats are much too common to hide them and potential criminals will check them first. You could hide the key with your dog on the collar.

Don’t make a habit of giving strangers access to your home. Do not give in, even if a person uses a convincing story, asks for help or says they are selling something. Some people just want to know if there is a security system so they can plan on coming back later or not.

In the summertime, you should rid your yard of dead bushes and vegetation. Due to the heat, these items in your yard are more likely to catch on fire. As a result, your home could be caught on fire. Always clear the yard to ensure safety.

Buy fire-resistant building materials. This can help your home be safer. Fire prevention is paramount.

Motion-sensor lights can alert you of a robbery before it even happens. When a person walks by your home too closely, these lights will go on. You will be alerted to movement, but most importantly, it will deter burglars or at least make you aware of their presence. Remember to keep working bulbs in them at all times.

Any program to improve the security of your home should begin with complete replacement of your door locks. Perhaps your roommate left town or you have gone through a messy divorce, and you need to feel that the home is safe. This is something that you can do yourself and does not cost much money at all.

Solicit word of mouth recommendations from friends, colleagues and family members to find a great home security company or system. Knowledge of first-hand experiences can be very helpful to you when it comes to making this important decision. Ask around to get lots of advice for making a better choice.

Your risks of being the target of home intruders really doesn’t depend on the area in which you live. Some maintain that rural dwellers have greater risk since their neighbors live farther away. Some think rural areas see less burglary.

Always lock your house, no matter how briefly you expect to be gone. Break-ins are often the result of unlocked windows and doors. It doesn’t take long for a thief to steal thousands of dollars worth of stuff.

Don’t let any person you don’t completely know into your house. Even if someone has a good story, requires help or has a great product to sell, ignore them. It’s quite possible that your charming guest is only interested in evaluating the security of your home; if they find it lacking, they may be back later to relieve you of some of your possessions.

Take off your rose colored glasses and realize that bad things can happen to anyone. Anything could happen at any time, and you should be prepared. Keep this advice in mind to make your home a safe place.