Continue reading to learn more about your options concerning home security. It’s not that simple to make a big and costly decision. To make a great decision, you need proper knowledge about it.

After you buy your new house, get new locks. You have no clue how many people were given keys by the former owner. Changing the locks will give you peace of mind that you and your family are the only ones who have access to your home. Also, if you ever lose your keys, do the same.

Be very cautious about entrusting a maid service with a key to your home. Be sure any home cleaner you give your key to is trustworthy and reputable. Check their references fully. If it is a known company, check with your local BBB.

If you need to leave a key for a maid service, make sure that that whoever cleans your house is professional and trustworthy. If they will be there over an hour and you are thinking of giving them your home key, be certain they are honest, reputable and hard-working. Do a background check on them. If you hire a cleaner who works for a company, speak with your local BBB about the company’s reliability.

Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? If so, you can use your dog to hide your spare key. Stash the key on the pup’s collar to keep it out of sight. This is a good way to ensure easy home access, especially if your pet does not associate well with strangers.

Don’t let people into your home unless you know them. Even if their story is compelling, they need assistance or want to sell you something. Even home security representatives could be intruders who want to check the kind of protection you have.

Security System

Eliminate dead vegetation and wood in the yard in the summer. As things heat up in the summer, items may catch on fire and threaten your home. To make sure your home is safer, clear your yard periodically.

It’s important to shop around before you settle on the right security system for your home. Each company has different rates for their security system. Get quotes from several companies so that you can get the best price for your home security system.

Use your garage for your car and not for storage. This will keep thieves from stealing it or harming it. When it is in hiding, people won’t know if you’re home.

Don’t just hide your spare key anywhere. Avoid cliched hiding places like over the door frame or beneath the doormat. Experienced criminals will check these places immediately. Rather, think about putting a key on your outside dog’s collar.

Use exterior lights that have motion sensors. These lights will come on if someone walks near your home. This is a good way of knowing who comes near your home and keeps you safe if you ever come home late. Be sure to keep these lights working, though.

The first step in making your home more secure is to change out your locks. Anyone from an old roommate to a former tenant could have access to your home if you leave the old locks in place. It is pretty cheap and the job won’t take more than a few hours.

The first thing to do is get your locks changed out. Has a roommate or ex-lover moved out recently? If so, then you need to change out the locks in order to keep you and your home safe. It doesn’t cost much and they can usually show up within a day.

Rural Areas

If you’ve got skylights, don’t forget about it when it comes to home security. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Your skylights need durable and reliable hardware for true protection.

If you live in a rural area, you may not be as concerned about home break-ins as people who live in the city. Due to the distance between neighbors, some think rural areas are more likely to have intruders. Then again, others think rural areas are not as much of a target.

You could hide some valuables within your walls. It’s not necessary to cut out parts of your wall to do this. There are lots of places around the home that have pre-cut areas that you can use. For example, place jewelry in an unused electrical outlet.

Replace rotted wood that surrounds your door frame. Anyone hoping to enter your home can very easily do so by just prying away the rotted wood. Wood that is beginning to rot should always be replaced to make sure your home stays safe.

Once you’ve moved to a new house, make it a priority to replace all locks. While the person you bought the home from may seem on the up and up, you have no idea who they really are. And, other people could have lived in the home previously to them as well.

You should have several flashlights and batteries in all your rooms. Flashlights are very important, as they will give you the ability to move around in the event of an emergency. Teach your children how to use the flashlights so that everyone in your household can help.

Before allowing someone into your house, be sure to carefully check their references. Check if they have any history of criminal activity. You might not know that the maid or contractor entering your home is a crook, and this could be a very bad mistake.

Keeping your home well lit at night can help keep the burglars away. That’s because they want to remain hidden. Thieves have a hard time stealing things when there are lots of lights around. Thus, you should always keep lights on at nighttime.

Add motion detector lighting to the exterior of your home for increased security. In the evening hours, this lighting can provide extra security and an economical way to light your front entrance way when you arrive. When they are positioned correctly, they make it pretty much impossible for intruders to get to your house unnoticed.

Think about your personal security needs before you purchase a home security system. Even though these security systems can guard you and your family, that doesn’t mean they’re for everyone. In some situations, having a good dog and/or learning some self defense may be all that you really need to feel safe. Understand completely the risks and rewards in order to make an informed purchase decision.

Keep your garage shut and locked so burglars can’t peek inside. Cover your windows with frosting; this could be purchased at hardware stores. They prevent people from peeking inside. Don’t leave your front door unlocked or standing open when you are working in the garage or yard.

You should not enter your home if you find the door ajar. This is dangerous since the thief may still be on your property. The best thing to do is call the police and wait for them to arrive before doing anything else.

If there are areas of your home you want to keep locked off, you do not need keys. Code or fingerprint enabled keyless entry locks are a great solution. They are fairly simple to install, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing so yourself, you can ask your home security company about it.

You should think about getting a home security system that is wireless. These systems are much more efficient and can save you time and hassle. Systems that operate in a wireless environment can be easier to manage and are not as likely to cause extensive rewiring issues.

Keep curtains closed when you aren’t at home. If you keep them up, intruders will be able to see right into your home. If burglars see items in your home that appear valuable, they’ll likely break in to steal them. Always close your curtains and blinds while sleeping.

If you are planning to be away, and you have someone picking up your mail, ask them to also double-check your door for fliers. Burglars sometimes tack these up and watch to see whether or not they are removed. If the flier is not removed, it’s easy for a burglar to suspect that the owner is away.

Do not hide your key in obvious places. Fake rocks are particularly simple to spot. Hiding a key under the doormat is even worse; this cliched tactic will fool no one. It is best to simply ask a neighbor or trusted friend to hold on to an extra key for you. If you can’t, be creative where you put the key.

Dogs make a great security system. Dogs are quite protective of their masters and home, and they can display quite a bark if someone comes near the house. It is not necessary to have an aggressive dog. Even the barking of a tiny dog can repel potential burglars, who want to avoid noises as they carry out their crimes.

If you’ve got a keypad to lock your door, do not make a password which is obvious. Personal information, such as a birthday can be acquired on the Internet. If you use this as your password, you may make it easy for a burglar to rob you. Choose a math equation and make the answer your code, and make sure to keep the equation in mind.

Choose an out of the way place to hide your spare key, not the obvious ones. Fake rocks are particularly simple to spot. The doormat is the first place someone will look. A better plan is to ask someone you trust to keep your extra key in case you need it. If you must keep it elsewhere, be creative with your hiding spot.

Always lock the windows in your home, no matter what floor they are on. Many people think a criminal won’t check them. This could not be further from the truth. A burglar will attempt to get in any way they can.

Ask the security company you hire whether they have lights with motion sensors. Most companies will offer this service, and it illuminates the outside of the house whenever there is any movement. This will make you more safe as you walk up to your house, and it can keep intruders away.

Women are targeted for robbery more often, particularly if they have children or they live alone. Put big boots on the front porch to give the appearance of a man residing inside the house. This will make burglars think twice about breaking in.

Deadbolts with captive keylocks are the best locks on the market. These locks have a thumb latch that will keep intruders from opening it by using a broken window pane to reach in. If you are home, have a key inside the lock so you can easily exit if a fire breaks out.

Criminals really don’t like surveillance cameras. Don’t believe everything you see on TV or at the movies. Often home burglars don’t cover their faces at all because they don’t plan on running into anyone in the course of a burglary. If they detect signs of a video camera system then they will usually leave your home.

You need to install locks that are accessible from both inside and out. The best lock of choice is always a deadbolt, and those which have keys on both inside and out ensure they can’t be opened by a burglar.

Search for a company that offers you more than a simple security system. A good company will be sure to visit the house and give recommendations about what you can do to further keep your family out of harm’s way. For instance, you may need a stronger exterior door. You need to ensure that the firm really takes its work seriously, and you will be able to see that through such a consultation.

Hopefully, you’ll remember what you have just read as you continue your home security plan. The decision you make will have a huge impact on making sure your family stays safe. Keep these tips in mind as you secure your home.

Having firearms makes some people feel safer against intruders. Give some serious thought to purchasing a gun and learning how to use it. You will feel a lot safer once you have a firearm in your home and know how to use it.