Establishing a safe living environment might seem like a huge task to the average homeowner. You do not have to spend a lot to get an efficient home security system. By reading the below article, you’ll realize that you can take significant steps in protecting your home.

Your home should looked occupied all the time. You can purchase inexpensive timers that will control different electronics and lights in your home. This way it will always look as if someone is home, even when you are away. This is a great way to keep your home safe and avoid burglaries.

Man’s best friend can also be trusted to secure a spare key. If your dog lives outside or is able to come and go through a dog door, this is a viable idea. Keep a spare key around the dog’s collar.

When you buy a new home, be sure to have the locks changed. The previous owners or tenants might have made several copies of the key. Call a locksmith as soon as you can for maximum security. Also, if you lose your keys, change the locks.

Keep your jewelry, vital documents and other expensive items in a safe. You would hate for your expensive jewelry, personal family belongings, etc. to be stolen in case a burglar breaks into your home. Put the safe somewhere difficult to get to, like the attic.

Always take time to compare and research before investing in an expensive security system for your home. You’ll find a wide range of prices from different companies. Obtain quotes from a minimum of three home security companies before making a final decision.

Don’t let strangers enter your house. 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.

Ask friend for any advice they have prior to purchasing a security system or service. They probably have both positive and negative things to tell you, and those comments will help you make your own decision. Ask a few different people to help you make the best choice.

Request information from your local law enforcement agencies about home protection packages. The police can offer you some great advice, help you engrave valuables and even come check out your home. Call the local police department and inquire as to what programs they offer.

Don’t let strangers enter your house. Remember that intruders have a lot of experience with tricking people. Even home security representatives could be intruders who want to check the kind of protection you have.

Try not to have a shy attitude. It is important to communicate with others who also live in your area. Keep on eye on their home and ask neighbors to return the favor. Don’t ignore the gossip. You may learn some great information about security, such as if any strangers have been hanging around.

Rid the outside of your home from dead wood, vegetation and overgrowth during the summertime. These can be fire hazards and can cause damage to your home. Keep these cleared away regularly to maintain your home’s safety and to keep it in good shape.

Put motion-sensor lights into your home. They turn on only if someone is nearby. These lights will make you aware of, and can also scare off, potential burglars. Make sure you regularly change the light bulbs to ensure they continue to work properly.

If you own a garage, be sure to use it to place your car, as opposed to using it as a storage. You will not have to worry about thieves taking your car if it is inside your garage. When it is in hiding, people won’t know if you’re home.

Do you live outside the city? You might be less worried about home invasions than if you lived in an urban area. There are differences between large cities and homes located in the countryside. Some people, though, believe that you will not be at risk for a burglary.

Put up motion activated lighting. They turn on only if someone is nearby. They help notify you of any movement around your house and deter burglars too. However, make sure to put in fresh bulbs every now and then.

Don’t hide an extra key under a rock or in a planter. Remember that you are not the only one who is aware of these sorts of hiding places. Thieves are aware of the best hiding spots. Try having your trustworthy neighbors hold spare keys.

Don’t hide an extra key under a rock or in a planter. A key that is easily found is a convenience for a burglar, not just for you. Thieves are familiar with these hiding spots. Instead, trust a neighbor to hold your spare key.

When you pick an alarm system, it’s a good idea to get one that provides protection for both doors and windows. Windows are a way for thieves to enter your home as well. The alarm and monitoring system should be set for all windows and doors. This will make your family safer.

Regardless of how long you plan on being away from your home, always lock all the doors and windows whenever you leave. You may be surprised to know that many burglars simply turn the doorknob and walk right in. A burglar can steal a lot of expensive stuff in a short amount of time.

After bringing home a big-ticket item, such as an appliance or electronic device, avoid leaving the packages on the curb before trash day. If you set these boxes out with the trash, thieves will know you have expensive items in your house.

After installing a security system in your home, make sure any wires are hidden. Easily-accessible security wiring is a definite weak point in your home’s protection; the best alarm system in the world is useless if it’s easily disabled. Never make things easy for them. Ask the person installing it to bury the wires or hide them inside the walls. You will be much safer.

Don’t let anyone in your house without knowing their work history and checking their references. Conduct background checks if necessary. You need to be very careful with the contractors, repairmen or maids you trust with being alone in your home.

Are you aware of the fact that your home wiring is worth money? People often don’t think about this until they have it stolen from their home. Wiring can be removed from the outside of a home in a heartbeat. Therefore, ensure you hide your wires so that burglars cannot see them, or make the wires extremely hard for the burglars to get to.

If you are searching for ways to make your home more secure, one inexpensive way to accomplish this is to purchase exterior lights that have motion detectors. Cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing, these lights really add value to your home. When they are positioned correctly, they make it pretty much impossible for intruders to get to your house unnoticed.

Rotted wood in your door framing should be replaced. A burglar can easily strip away wood that has rotted. As a result, this will assist them in breaking into your home. Wood that is beginning to rot should always be replaced to make sure your home stays safe.

Ask your security provider about their history in the business. Any business with multiple years of history has a proven record in being reliable. Knowing that you are dealing with a shady company can keep you calm when making this crucial decision.

Invite a security company to come to your house and figure out a system that will work for you. Each customer wants certain things as far as home security goes. When you don’t want to compromise in any way on the safety and security of your home, a custom-built system is usually the way to go.

Ask the home security companies to visit your home and design a system tailored to your needs. Every house and every family will produce a unique set of security concerns that are best addressed with tailor-made security arrangements. If you are able to secure a company willing to tailor a system to your needs, there is a good chance that you will be satisfied.

Your precious pooch is one of your best home security weapons. These pets are usually territorial and want to protect their masters. You don’t have to have a huge, violent guard dog, though. Little dogs can also make big noise, which is the main thing that burglars care about.

Anytime you come home and notice that the door is open whenever you are quite certain you closed it, don’t enter on your own to investigate. You have no way of knowing whether the thieves are still inside. The best thing to do is call the police and wait for them to arrive before doing anything else.

Never make the password to your keypad your birthday. Your birthday is readily available for burglars to find. Choose a math equation and make the answer your code, and make sure to keep the equation in mind.

Invest in a high quality paper shredder. Thieves often dig through garbage to obtain personal data that will help them enter the house. You could also simply take care to tear up your discarded papers.

Make friends with a talkative neighbor who is home a lot. Busybodies are most likely to notice suspicious people lurking about. You will even be able to ask your neighbors to keep an eye on your home if you are going on a vacation.

The best method of preventing a burglar from breaking into your garage is preventing people from seeing inside. Frost your windows so people cannot look inside your home. Never leave the front door open for very long.

The best locks you can get are deadbolts that include captive keylocks. This type of device comes equipped with a thumb latch. This prevents manual opening of the lock via a nearby broken window. If you are home, have a key inside the lock so you can easily exit if a fire breaks out.

Can you read your house numbers clearly from the street? If there is need for cops to come to your home, it will be hard for them to find it if the numbers are not readable or are tiny. Happily, it’s quick and easy to fix this problem.

Having a dog that has a scary bark is helpful. A large, vocal dog is an unwelcome sight to would-be home invaders. Think about owning a big dog that can protect your family while serving as a playmate for the kids, a walking buddy or a friendly companion.

You should have a better idea of what you can do to make your home safer. Make some changes today. These changes will allow you to sleep well at night. This will help you to relax, de-stress and really enjoy your home.

The wiring on the outside of your home can draw burglars in. Electrical components and wiring has copper, which is worth a good bit of money. If you hide the wiring, thieves won’t be able to strip the copper.