Something tragic or bad can and will occur when you’re not expecting it. Don’t neglect the safety of your home, yourself and your family. Keep reading for useful advice on deterring burglars and making a secure home.

Security systems are more than just an alarm. You can have your system alert you of any movement in certain areas of your home. This isn’t just for burglars; parents with young children can also use it as a valuable tool to know when their child has come inside.

Your home should looked occupied all the time. Timers can be used to turn lights and televisions on and off when required. This makes people think you’re home. This is a simple way to give people up to no good think that you are home.

Shop around when looking for a good home security system. Prices vary quite a bit. Make sure you get quotes from at least three companies before you decide on which one you think is the best option.

Check out your garage to ensure that it is secure. You can prevent this from happening easily. A C-clamp can prevent a garage door from even opening if the clamp is tightened on the door track near the roller.

Beware giving keys to your maid unless the service has your absolute trust. You need to ensure that they are honest and reputable according to references before you have handed over the key. One way to do this is to check their references. Call the Better Business Bureau to see if their firm is well-reviewed.

Rid the outside of your home from dead wood, vegetation and overgrowth during the summertime. When summer heats up, such debris can catch fire. Keeping your plants and bushes trimmed will benefit your family’s safety as well as the appearance of your home.

Security Company

Some home security systems have additional security features besides sounding an alarm to deter a burglar. They can actually be set to chime whenever a monitored door is opened. This can be valuable to parents with small children as they are made aware their child has opened or closed a door.

Go with your gut when choosing a home security company to install a system. This is very true when you feel uneasy about the person installing the system. If you are unsure, contact the security company to make sure that the installer was actually sent by them. You want the system to make you feel like you’re more comfortable.

You could hide some valuables within your walls. This does not mean that you should make alterations to your walls. You can find areas in your walls that are pre-cut and use those. How about unwiring an electricity socket and using it as cover for a place to stash valuable jewelry?

If you want to have a spare key hidden outside of your home, hide it carefully. It is very common for homeowners to hide them under a mat or above the framing of their door, and intruders know this. You should hide it in your dog’s collar.

Rotten Wood

Be on the lookout for rotten wood anywhere near your doors or windows. Rotten wood can be removed in order to get inside your home. Replace rotted wood with fresh wood to make your home safer.

Your flooring and roofing should be fire resistant. These materials will protect your home from both internal fires and the spread of fires that start on other properties. Fire is such a destructive force that it makes excellent sense to reduce fire hazards in your home whenever possible.

If you move to a place that was occupied before, you should change the locks right away. Although other tenants might not have a key anymore, they could have copied it. You can purchase locks and install them yourself to ascertain that only you have a key.

Checking out security firms online is a great idea. Look at many websites and read customer reviews about the various services. Once you have selected a few potential home security providers, set appointments to interview them and find out what they have on offer.

Shut off phone ringers inside the home if you’re going to be gone for quite a while. If a burglar keeps hearing your phone ring, they’ll know the home is not occupied, making it more likely for a break-in to occur.

Safety should be kept in mind when you are planning your landscape. Don’t obstruct windows or doors with shrubs, plants, fences or trees. No one can easily break into a window which everyone can see. Keep this in mind as you design.

For maximum safety, your home needs bright exterior lighting. Nothing is as attractive to a burglar as a dark, deeply-shadowed house. Light up the dark spots around your home. Over doors, near windows and especially your back yard need to be lit.

Rid the outside of your home from dead wood, vegetation and overgrowth during the summertime. These items have a higher chance of catching fire during the hot months. Keep your yard clear so it is a safe area.

If you get home and notice an open door, do not go in to see what has happened. Keep in mind that intruders could still be inside. Your best bet is to call the cops and wait until they arrive before you do anything else.

Don’t neglect your garage when it comes to home security. Add frosting to your window glass to keep folks from looking in the house. Don’t leave your front door unlocked or standing open when you are working in the garage or yard.

If you have purchased any large and/or expensive items, do not throw the boxes away until the day before the trash man is scheduled to come. These types of items are appealing to thieves, and you may as well put a sign in your yard inviting them to steal yours.

Inquire about different choices for contract lengths available from the home security provider. There are going to be ups and downs for each one. While your monthly rates may be lower with a lengthy contract, you have no recourse should you list your home for sale or terminate your contract. Shorter contracts mean more freedom along with higher costs.

Always keep your shades, curtains and blinds closed when you are not at home. When they are open, potential burglars get a free look in. You may have things inside that will tempt them to break into your house. Close your drapes or blinds while you are asleep, too.

Replace rotten wood near door frames. If a person wants to enter your home, rotted wood can easily be pried away. Replace dead wood with thick, firm pieces to maintain a high level of security.

If you’ve got a keypad to lock your door, do not make a password which is obvious. People can easily access your birth date in order to gain entry to your home. Rather, try and make your combination the answer to an equation so that you only need to remember an equation instead of an actual series of numbers.

Think about a security system that is hard-wired if you really have concerns about maintenance costs. Although wireless systems are easier, they usually require a lot of batteries that require changing regularly. If you neglect battery changes, your system won’t work. It can be expensive to replace a ton of batteries.

Get flashlights with good batteries, and have them in each room in case you lose power. Flashlights are important for letting you navigate your home in the dark. This can come in handy if someone has cut your power and is attempting to break in.

You never know when someone might target your home. Rather than just counting on luck, do what is necessary to protect your own home. You want to keep learning more about home security to keep your home safe.