Regardless of whether you own a home or rent one, you want your place to be as safe as possible. Perhaps you are unsure of the steps necessary to secure your home. Read on to find out! This article will show you what to do.

Buy fire-resistant building materials. These materials will protect your home from both internal fires and the spread of fires that start on other properties. You can enhance home safety with excellent fire precautions.

Hide your spare key in a place where no one would think to look for it. Intruders will more than likely check under your doormat or above your door frame. An example would be to attach a key to your dog’s collar, if he stays outdoors.

If you’ve got a garage, make sure to use it for your car rather than extra storage space. Keeping the car inside is a good way to keep criminals from stealing or harming it. Keeping your car in your garage also keeps a thief from knowing whether you are at home or not.

Is your ceiling resistant to fire? What about your flooring or roofing? This ensures your home won’t be a tinderbox. Avoiding fire hazards is a great way to keep things safe.

If you reside in a small town or rural area, then you might not be as worried about someone breaking into your home as city dwellers may be. Nonetheless, people in the country may be at greater risk due to being far away from neighbors. However, understand that regardless of where you live, a theft can occur anywhere. Therefore, you need to be prepared.

Eliminate dead vegetation and rotting wood from the yard each summer. These can quickly become fire hazards when hit by direct sunlight, placing your house at risk. Keep these cleared away regularly to maintain your home’s safety and to keep it in good shape.

Get creative and hide valuables inside your walls. This doesn’t necessarily involve chopping up your walls, either. Find a place where there is already a hole to get in through. For example, you could take the wiring out of an electric socket that is not in use and put your valuable jewelry in there.

Security System

You never want people to be able to see your valuables from outside of your home. While having huge windows may be good for letting in light and viewing what is outside, it also gives potential thieves a good look in your own home. If your house has street-facing windows, make sure they are always covered and your make sure your valuables are hidden away.

Get in the habit of checking your security system regularly. Ask someone who works at the security company to do a maintenance check. Wild animals, domestic pets, and weather are all factors that can affect the reliability of your home security system. You may not even know there is a problem if it is not visible.

One relatively inexpensive way to add an extra layer of protection to your home is to install motion sensor lights for the exterior of your home. In the evening hours, this lighting can provide extra security and an economical way to light your front entrance way when you arrive. They also help to keep intruders away, because an intruder does not want to come close to your property if they know they might be spotted.

Motion-sensor lights can alert you of a robbery before it even happens. They turn on only if someone is nearby. This lets you know something is moving and also drives off criminals. Just remember to change out the bulbs every so often so the lights remain in working order.

Talk to any companies you’re considering hiring to install a security system about how long the company has been around. A company that’s been around for a while has proven that their service is reliable. When you know that you’re dealing with a company of some repute, you can feel more at ease making that decision.

Don’t allow the wires of your home security system to be visible to others. You do not want the wires exposed for easy manipulation. Do not make entry into your home easy. Make sure the wires are not exposed either inside or outside your home. This will help to deter intruders that are looking to quickly disable your alarm system.

Consider all of your individual security needs before looking into any alarm systems. Though such systems can be terrific for many, not everyone really needs one. It may be better for you to take a self-defense class or buy a dog. The neighborhood you live in makes a difference. Know the risks so that you can make a better decision.

Did you know that the wires on your home are valuable? Often homeowners are unaware of this fact until they find that their wiring has been stolen. Copper, found in many wires, can be removed in little time, and is worth quite a bit of money. Make sure the wiring is concealed or difficult to access in order to keep this valuable item safe.

If you don’t own a paper shredder already, you might want to get one. Your trash contains so much personal information a thief would love to have. You can tear your documents up by hand before disposing of them if a shredder is out of your price range.

Keep a flashlight with good batteries in every room of your home, just in case you lose power. Flashlights are important for letting you navigate your home in the dark. Teach your children how to use the flashlights so that everyone in your household can help.

Don’t give anyone an opportunity to see inside your garage in order to ward off robbers. Frosted windows will keep a burglar from being able to see inside. The material needed to do this can be found at home improvement stores. It’s also a good idea to avoid leaving your garage door open for any longer than absolutely necessary, even if you’re at home.

Before you let a security company representative enter your home, make sure they are in uniform, and don’t hesitate to ask them for identification. Thieves may say they are from a certain company to get into your home. This represents a danger to your possessions and your family. Be careful if you want to avoid danger.

If you purchase a new, pricey electronic like a TV or computer, don’t leave the empty box near your curb. If a burglar sees your empty box, he or she will know that valuable item is inside your house. That’s good motivation for a break-in. Break up the boxes into smaller pieces before you put them near the curb.

Be sure and keep the outside of your house well lit. Dark houses invite burglars who prefer to operate under cover of darkness. Be sure and have a light next to any entry point in your home. Having these outdoor lights installed can really work as a deterrent to criminals who are considering your house.

One of the best home burglary systems is man’s best friend. Dogs are protective of turf and generally make noise when something is wrong. You will get good results even if you do not have a large or vicious dog. Even tinier canines can ward off intruders with enough noise.

When your door is found ajar when you get home, call the police. This can be quite dangerous because the burglar may still be on your property. It is best to call the police right away and go to a safe place until the police check your home.

You don’t have to have a giant key ring full of keys just because you want your home to be secure. Some locks will allow you to punch in a code to gain access to the room. You can install these locks yourself or have them professionally installed.

Don’t let anyone peek into your garage. Have your windows frosted so they aren’t as easy to see through. It’s also a good idea to avoid leaving your garage door open for any longer than absolutely necessary, even if you’re at home.

Inquire about different choices for contract lengths available from the home security provider. They all likely have different benefits and downsides. A longer contract might give you a lower monthly bill, but you could be stuck with those monthly costs if you sell your home or decide to discontinue services. A shorter term allows for flexibility, but it might be expensive.

Put the boxes of any expensive electronic items in your trash can so would-be burglars won’t know see them. A burglar may see the box and decide to target you as a result. Break up the boxes into smaller pieces before you put them near the curb.

When you’re dealing with a security company that provides you with significant equipment to install, ask about the benefits and drawbacks of buying versus leasing. While you will pay more to buy, you don’t have to keep paying for it month after month. The initial cost of leasing may seem low, but you may be required to sign a long term contract and it may carry a higher monthly fee. Find out which will work best for your needs.

Don’t put the registration to your car in your glove box. Anyone with access to your car can find out where you live, so it is not a smart thing to do. Keep these papers on you or hide them under a seat in your vehicle. They’ll always need to be close by in the event you get pulled over.

Consult with your home security provider on whether they can supply lighting that is motion sensitive. This system will cause the lights to flicker on when someone walks up to your home. This further protects you from having unwanted guests enter your home.

Always keep your valuables secure. Passports, financial records, jewelry, photos or legal documents should be locked away. You may want to invest in a floor safe for these. What is even better is the safe deposit box at your bank.

Buying home alarms is terrific, but only in the case where someone will contact the police when they sound. Even better is to purchase alarms that are monitored centrally, so that the police are automatically contacted. The neighbors will not always call.

Now that you’ve had a chance to review some ideas for securing your home, get started! Don’t waste any time and allow these ideas to go to waste. Let them act as a springboard for your own ideas about how you can best secure your home. You will sleep better at night knowing you have taken these important steps!

While locks are useful for sealing the inside, they won’t be that useful if you can’t lock them from outside. Ideal locks are deadbolts which lock with both internal and external key locks.