It is very important to keep your home secure at all times. It is important to research home security in order to keep your home protected. Keep reading for some invaluable home security tips.

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. But, this is only effective if your home has a pet door or your dog stays outdoors when you are not home. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

Check around for prices, reputation, and reliability when choosing a home security provider. You would be surprised to see that the prices are much different for each company, even though it’s for the same type of protection. Get at least 3 quotes from security system companies and compare features and services as well as monthly costs.

Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. If you plan to give them a key so they can clean in your home while you are away, ensure they are reputable and honest. Read through their references very carefully, and don’t hesitate to follow up on their references to ensure they actually exist. Call the Better Business Bureau to see if their firm is well-reviewed.

If your social networking accounts are filled with folks you do not really know, do not announce vacations on the sites. It’s exciting going to new places and enjoying your time, but you could alert thieves to an empty home that they can easily break into.

Is your dog outside when you are away? Your furry friend is also a great storage place for your extra key. Put it on your dog’s collar, making sure it is hidden. This works very well if you have a pet that is not very fond of strangers. You will get the access you need without having to worry about your safety.

Don’t let strangers enter your home. Even if they tell you a sob story about needing help, this warning remains true. This is the first rule of keeping your home secure.

Social networking sites are great for keeping in touch, but post information sparingly. For example, you might avoid broadcasting when you are going out of town, especially if your friends list contains casual acquaintances. Although it’s fun to talk about, posting it online makes it more possible for criminals to find out when you’re gone.

Police Department

When you’re picking out home security equipment and services, don’t forget to ask your friends and family for help. There are likely people you know that have had either good or bad experiences with these companies. Taking a little time to listen can make you a much better decision maker when it comes to home security.

Check with the police department in your town for home security tips and advice. Many have quite a few helpful programs that you take, like on self-defense or other things related to your home. Call the local police department and inquire as to what programs they offer.

Don’t open your door if a stranger is on the other side. Burglars have many clever ways to convince householders to open the door. Make sure everyone in your house knows not to open the door unless they know the person standing outside.

Use your garage for your car and not for storage. This will keep it away from thieves and vandals. If you keep your car in the garage instead of in the driveway, it is harder for thieves to know whether you are at home or not.

Make sure to have your home inspection system maintained on at least an annual basis. Get someone from the security firm to inspect it. The weather and animals are two things that may cause havoc on your home’s security system. You might be unaware of problems that arise in some cases.

Go with your gut when you invite a home security company representative into your house. This is definitely the case if you’re not quite sure about the actual installation people. Make sure that the installer has experience installing your type of security system. Remember that every aspect of your home security system should support you in feeling more secure.

Security starts with new locks. 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. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.

It is not a good idea to hide a spare key on your property. Remember that you are not the only one who is aware of these sorts of hiding places. For obvious reasons, experienced burglars know every possible hiding spot. Rather, keep your spare keys with a neighbor you trust.

Replace rotted wood around entryways. If a person wants to enter your home, rotted wood can easily be pried away. Replace rotted wood with fresh wood to make your home safer.

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. These lights provide extra light for your home and are very cost efficient. If positioned correctly on the exterior of your home, the motion detectors make it virtually impossible for an intruder to sneak onto your property.

After moving into a pre-owned apartment or home, change the locks. The previous tenants may have returned the keys, but they could have a copy. You might even install new locks yourself so that you know you have the only keys.

Keeping your home well lit at night can help keep the burglars away. Burglars don’t want to be visible. Making your home’s exterior nice and bright will make it impossible for crooks to go undetected. So keep those lights on at night for a secure home.

Landscape your home with safety in mind. You should have a clear view out of all your windows and an unobstructed path to any doors. If they can be seen, there will be no place to hide. For a beautiful yard that’s also safe, keep the landscaping separated from the house.

Have your home security company inspect your home and suggest safety improvements. Every homeowner has specific needs for their home and their family. The right company will make you feel more safe and secure in your home.

It might be time to get yourself a paper shredder if you haven’t already gotten one. Thieves can often be found looking through garbage cans in search of personal information found on bills and credit card slips. Rip paper into tiny pieces if you can’t afford to purchase a paper shredder.

The areas outside your home should be kept well lit. Darkness allows for all sorts of nefarious activities. 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.

When you are away on vacation have a house sitter bring in your mail and any flyers and newspapers that accumulate in front of your house. It isn’t uncommon for burglars to put up fliers to see whether or not they’re removed. If it stays where they put it, they will know you are on vacation.

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. It isn’t uncommon for burglars to put up fliers to see whether or not they’re removed. If the flier is not taken down, the burglar assumes the homeowner is not in town.

If you purchase an expensive item, get rid of the box rather than allowing it to sit outside your home. If the burglars see the empty boxes, then they will realize you have the items in your home. As a result, they’ll be more likely to break in so they can steal it. Cut the boxes and wait until the garbage truck comes to put them outside.

Don’t leave empty boxes for big-ticket purchases outside on your curb. Burglars will instantly take notices of these boxes and what used to be in them, making you an easy burglary target. When you empty the boxes, cut them up and throw them away so that burglars do not see them.

Don’t use locks of the spring latch variety. These locks are the simplest ones to breach, since they are able to be opened by using just a credit card. Intruders can pick these locks by wedging a credit card in between the latch and the door. Add a deadbolt to doors with spring-latch locks.

You don’t need to rely on keys to prevent entry to certain areas of your home. You may have locks without keys that need a code. You can install them yourself, or you can have a home security service install them.

Don’t put your key in an obvious hiding place. The classic fake rock is too common and too easy to detect. The first place a person will look is a doormat. It is best to simply ask a neighbor or trusted friend to hold on to an extra key for you. If you have no choice but to hide a spare key, apply some inventive, out-of-the-box thinking when you do it.

Ask about the different contract durations that a security company can offer you. They probably each have their pluses and negatives. 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 allow your greater freedom, however they usually cost more each month.

Any priceless items need to be secured. This can include items like important photos, passports, pricey jewelry, and legal documents. Floor safes may come in handy for this purpose. For ultimate security, of course, such items can be kept in an off-site location like a bank’s safe deposit boxes.

Credit Card

If your door is not made out of solid wood or metal, you should replace it. Doors made of metal or wood are much sturdier than those that aren’t. This makes it much more difficult for a burglar to kick in the door and break in. Replacing doors is not very expensive and should make a real difference.

Don’t get spring latch locks. These type of lock is the easiest lock to pick, it could even be opened by a credit card. They can put the credit card in between the latch and door to open the lock. If you are already using locks that operate on spring latches, improve your security by adding a deadbolt.

Deadbolts with keys make the best locks. These type of locks have a latch that cannot be reached through an open window. If you are going out, simply lodge the key on the lock.

Just about everyone understands the key role of home security. Not every person knows how to really protect their home and possessions. Hopefully, the article you’ve just read has given you some ideas with regards to home security.

Don’t make it easy to see inside your home. If you’re able to see your computer or television, burglars can as well. Using curtains or blinds at your windows can help prevent people from seeing inside your house. If you can’t cover every window, keep your valuables in rooms that are blocked from view.