Any woman who lives alone needs to focus on home security. You can take certain steps to help yourself feel better and less afraid. Review the advice in this piece on home security.

It is important for your home to always look lived in. You can buy timers to have radios, TVs, lights and other electronics go off and on at different times. This gives off the appearance that someone is home. This helps you keep your house burglar-free.

Have your home always look occupied. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. This way, your house will always look occupied. This should help you make your home safer and not attract the attention of potential intruders.

Always have the locks changed when you buy a new home. The person who previously owned the home may have made copies of keys. Find a good locksmith who can replace the lock and make a few copies of your key. If you lose your keys, you should do the same thing.

You can hide your spare key on your dog. But, this is only effective if your home has a pet door or your dog stays outdoors when you are not home. You can attach a copy of your key to the dog’s collar, so when you need that spare, you’ve got one handy!

Don’t let people into your home unless you know them. Remember that intruders have a lot of experience with tricking people. Some people may simply be trying to determine whether or not you have a home security installed; if you don’t, they may plan to return later if you are away from your home.

Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. This is vital if you don’t want diamonds, gold or other personal items exposed to a home intruder. Hide that safe in a difficult-to-reach place like in a closet inside your basement or an attic.

Home protection program details may be available at your police station. They often offer home inspections, seminars and even the ability to purchase items. Speak with the police in your area to see if they have these things.

Comparison shop when you are ready to buy a home security system. Several different firms may offer similar protection for wildly divergent prices. Try to get two or three quotes before making a decision.

Avoid being shy. Speak with your neighbors and friends in the area. Agree to watch each other’s homes while you are away. It does not necessarily pay to steer clear of gossip. You might hear helpful information, for instance if strangers have been hanging around.

If there are people you don’t know that have access to your social media sites, then you don’t want to let all of them know you’re on vacation. Although your first instinct is to share the news about an upcoming trip that excites you, the info may well fall into the hands of people who’d be interested in burglarizing your home while you’re away.

Don’t put your spare key in an obvious place near your front door. These are the first places criminals will look when they try to enter your home. For obvious reasons, experienced burglars know every possible hiding spot. Rather, give the key to a neighbor to hold.

You should talk to your friends and family about advice concerning certain home security companies. Most will be willing to share their likes, loves and loathes, especially as they realize how important it is to you. Ask a few different people to help you make the best choice.

Choose an alarm which monitors other areas outside your doors. Windows offer easy access to a potential thief. You want a security system that monitors all your windows and doors. This is just one more thing you can do to protect your home.

Local Police

Your first priority when you move to an apartment or house where others have lived in before is to replace all the locks. You do not want anyone to have a copy of the key. You can even buy and install the locks yourself so you know that you are the only one with a key.

See what the local police offer when it comes to home protection programs. They often offer home inspections, seminars and even the ability to purchase items. Call the local police department and inquire as to what programs they offer.

Always get references from anyone you are considering hiring to do work inside your home. You need to do background checks in order to find out about their criminal history. You can’t know for sure about the integrity of people you hire, and blindly giving them access to your home can be a huge mistake.

If you’re in a rural place, you might not be as worried about break-ins as those that are in the city. Some people feel that rural residents lead riskier lives because they are far away from neighbors. Still there are those that think that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.

When you are trying to hire a home security contractor, read all the small print on your contract before signing it. There could be fees for terminating the contract early or acquiring additional equipment down the road. You are going to want to avoid these kinds of hidden fees, so know about them up front.

Don’t throw away boxes for expensive or valuable items until the garbage collection day. Doing so is like giving a burglar an invitation to target your home; he or she will know there is something good inside.

Use the Internet to find a reliable home security company. Go through different websites and investigate testimonials about different companies and packages. With that information, you can make your appointments with the top three companies you’ve chosen so that you can compare pricing and look at specific monitoring and plans.

It’s smart to use the Internet when you are looking for a good security company for your home. Take a look at various websites and read over customer testimonials and details about various packages. Once you have selected a few potential home security providers, set appointments to interview them and find out what they have on offer.

Don’t limit security to the inside of your home; the outside needs attention too. Make sure that the doors and windows to your home are not covered by trees, fences, shrubs or any other type of thing. If they can be seen, potential burglars will not be able to use them as hiding places before breaking in. Put landscaping farther away from the house for greater safety.

Safety should be kept in mind when you are planning your landscape. All doors and windows must be unobstructed by shrubs, trees, fences, or plants. If criminals know you can see them, they are less likely to break in. This should be planned in advance for your safety.

Always keep your home’s exterior well lit. Burglars like committing crimes in the darkness. You should put a light on any area where a person could break in. Over doors, near windows and especially your back yard need to be lit.

Make an appointment with a home security company to evaluate the security needs of your home specifically. Everyone has specific wants and needs when it comes to securing their home, family and belongings. If you find a company that will tailor the plan you choose to your needs, you can get the highest level of security that makes you feel comfortable.

Consider a wireless home security system. Wired systems could cost less, but they can also require intrusive electrical work inside your house and can fail when the power goes out. Also, you will have a very easy time installing them.

If you get home and your door is open, do not enter ti investigate. It can be dangerous to walk in on an intruder. Get on the phone to the authorities immediately.

If you will be away from your home, arrange to have whoever is collecting your mail to also pick up fliers placed inside your door. Burglars sometimes place fliers as a means to see if anyone is home to remove them. Intruders can get a good idea of what your schedule is like or figure out that you are on vacation if the flyer stays on your door for a long time.

Get a paper shredder. Thieves can often be found looking through garbage cans in search of personal information found on bills and credit card slips. You could also simply take care to tear up your discarded papers.

Is your street number on your house visible from the street? If the numbers aren’t legible, police may drive right by. Thankfully, you can easily fix this problem very quickly and cheaply.

Get your neighbors to not only pick up your mail, but also any flyers left at your door. Sometimes burglars leave fliers in an attempt to see if anyone is home to remove them. If the flier is not removed, they will know you are not home.

Inquire whether a security company offers variable contract lengths. There are usually pros and cons in each contract. A contract that is longer might offer lower monthly payments, but you may have to continue with these if you decide to sell the house or discontinue services. Shorter contracts offer greater freedom, but may be more expensive each month.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to safeguard your home. There are cheaper alternatives that can keep criminals at bay. Keep these tips in mind to feel safer in your home.

Having a burglar alarm is really good, but it is only good if the police is alerted when it sets off. Even better is to purchase alarms that are monitored centrally, so that the police are automatically contacted. Don’t rely solely on your neighbors to notify the police.