Making sure your place is safe and secure is definitely the job of every homeowner. You do not have to make it an expensive endeavor. Keep reading to discover some great home security tips and advice.

Place your spare key securely on your dog’s collar. However, this method is only effective if your dog is large, scary, and stays outdoors. Hide a key inside the collar of your dog in case you need a spare.

Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. Make sure you know they are legitimate before giving out the key. Read through their references very carefully, and don’t hesitate to follow up on their references to ensure they actually exist. 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.

Home security systems offer other triggering features besides having an alarm sound. Most security systems can facilitate alarm sounds anyone enters. This can be useful if you’ve got small children that are able to open doors.

Good home security systems sound a loud alarm when breached, and that’s not all. Modern systems are often capable of detecting any open door or window and announcing that fact. This could be valuable for parents who have small children, making them aware when their kid has closed or opened a door.

Shop around when looking for a good home security system. The prices can vary a great deal for the same level of protection from company to company. You really owe it to yourself to solicit firm quotes from three different providers before you sit down to pick one.

Do not open your door for people you do not know. There are many different tactics that crooks use to enter homes, and a common way is simply to walk up to the door and ask for help. Make it mandatory that doors in your home are only opened for expected visitors.

Be smart about where you decide to hide spare keys. Hiding it beneath the doormat is very common and most intruders will look there. Try to find somewhere less obvious.

In the summer, remove all the dead trees from your yard. These are vulnerable to fires and put your home in danger. Keeping your plants and bushes trimmed will benefit your family’s safety as well as the appearance of your home.

Is your garage used for storage? Consider removing those items and keeping your car there instead. It will be far more secure against thieves. Keeping the car inside is a good way to keep criminals from stealing or harming it. When your car is hidden, it will be hard for intruders to tell if you are home or not.

Install lights that have motion sensors. When a person approaches your home, the lights will blaze. Not only will they notify you of movement, they will also deter potential burglars, as thieves want to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Make sure you regularly change the light bulbs to ensure they continue to work properly.

Do not be shy. Talk to the people who live in your neighborhood. Look out for their property, and see if they will look out for yours. Don’t ignore the gossip. You may find out helpful information about strangers lurking around.

Before doing anything else, install new locks in your home. There are many different people who might have keys from your past, and removing the potential of them accessing your home can be a very good idea. It is pretty cheap and the job won’t take more than a few hours.

When dealing with a company installing your home security system, it is important that you trust your gut. This is particularly true if you’re uneasy with those that install your actual system. Never hesitate to has for a new technician or even go with a different company altogether. 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.

The walls are a perfect hiding place. You can hide small, valuable items inside the walls of your home. All you have to do is place them behind any unused phone jack, electrical outlet or switch plate. If you haven’t got any plates that are unused, simply install a false switch plate.

Place your valuables in cut-outs in your walls. This doesn’t require tearing into your walls, of course. Instead, you can use the small spaces that are already there. Unused electrical sockets can be great for hiding expensive jewelry.

Keep valuables hidden within the walls. You don’t have to damage the walls to do so. Your home should have a few pre-cut areas that can be used. Perhaps you could deactivate a few unused electrical sockets to use as a place to store stuff.

Avoid placing spare keys under door mats or in plant boxes. You might think this protects you against being locked out of your home, but it also gives intruders access to your home. Thieves are tricky, diabolical, and familiar with any and every hiding place. Try having your trustworthy neighbors hold spare keys.

Possible Entry

If your door is set in a rotted frame, you must replace the frame. An intruder can simply pry away that rotted wood and enter your home. Find a reliable contractor who can replace the door frame for you.

A good home security system monitors all entry points to your home. Each window represents a possible entry for your thief. Make sure the alarm is attached to all of them, and that monitoring is offered for all possible entry points. You want the best security possible for your family.

Plug a rechargeable flashlight into an outlet in each room of your house in the event of power outage. It is extremely important that you have flashlights because they allow you to move around easier in the dark, which is especially useful in an emergency. Your kids should know how to work the flashlights so that everyone can help.

Equipping each room in your house with a reliable flashlight (charged with good batteries, of course!) is an excellent safety investment. They will help you get around in case your entire home is dark. Your kids should know how to work the flashlights so that everyone can help.

Carefully check the references of everyone before allowing them to enter your home. A background check which includes any criminal history is warranted. You never know if the maid, repairman or contractor you hire is on the up and up, and letting them in or giving them a key could be a fatal mistake.

With the above advice, you can better secure your home. You can get right to work on improving your home’s security. You’ll find that it’s surprisingly easy to make your home more secure so that you can feel more at ease. This sense of security will enable you to relax and enjoy yourself.

A great way to achieve extra security is to install exterior lighting equipped with motion detectors. Nighttime security lights are affordable and effective in terms of security and handy in terms of visibility and safety. If positioned correctly on the exterior of your home, the motion detectors make it virtually impossible for an intruder to sneak onto your property.