Many companies will try to sell you a security system. Burglaries happen every day, no matter where you’re living. Thieves pick houses that appear to be easy targets. In this article we will discuss simple methods to prevent your home from being targeted for a burglary.

Have your home always look occupied. Buy timers so that lights, radios, TVs and all other electronics turn on and off at various times. This will give your home the appearance of someone being there. This should help you make your home safer and not attract the attention of potential intruders.

It is crucial that you change the locks as soon as you move into a new residence. There is no way to ascertain how many keys the previous owner handed out. To make sure you are the sole person with access to the home, engage the services of a locksmith. Be sure to cal a locksmith if you were to lose your keys as well.

If you’re going on a trip for an extended period of time, switch the ringer off on all home phones. 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.

Never allow a stranger to enter your home. There are some people who are very convincing and good at getting you to let them into your house. Some people will knock on your door simply to see whether you have a security system.

Ask your friends for advice before you choose a home security system or company. Knowledge of first-hand experiences can be very helpful to you when it comes to making this important decision. Taking a little time to listen can make you a much better decision maker when it comes to home security.

Home protection program details may be available at your police station. Many have quite a few helpful programs that you take, like on self-defense or other things related to your home. Discuss these programs with a local police officer to see if they’re available in your area.

If you have a garage, increase your home security by using it to house your car, rather than just for storage. Keeping the car in the garage can keep thieves from vandalizing or stealing it. Hiding your car away from plain view is a good way to keep intruders from knowing when you are at home or not.

If you have a stranger at your door, do not open it. You never know who they might be, despite their story. Create a rule where you only allow those you’ve invited to your home inside.

Before doing anything else, install new locks in your home. Perhaps your roommate left town or you have gone through a messy divorce, and you need to feel that the home is safe. Changing the locks can typically be done very cheaply and quickly.

You need to go with your gut instinct when it comes to negotiating and dealing with a home security installation company. If the installers give you the heebie-jeebies, it’s not a good sign. There is nothing wrong with asking for a different technician if you’re uneasy. You need to feel secure with the entire process.

See if your area police department has any home security programs. Several in various jurisdictions have programs which entail providing a home inspection, what protective measures will help your home and even how to engrave valuable items to make them easier to recover. Get in touch with the department to determine their offerings.

Moving into an apartment or home that you’ve lived in should involve changing the locks first to maker them safer. They previous occupants may have made copies of the keys. You can purchase locks and install them yourself to ascertain that only you have a key.

Make sure to ask for identification for any home security company representative. Burglars are creative, and they often pose as a member of the security team to get inside. Intruders could disguise themselves as home security representatives to inspect your current security system. Take care to steer clear of danger.

You should not be shy. It is important to communicate with others who also live in your area. Keep an eye on their houses and yards and request that they return the favor. Never neglect gossip. You could learn important security information, such as if strangers have been lurking around the neighborhood.

Always check references before letting anyone work on your home. You need to do background checks in order to find out about their criminal history. Avoid giving keys out to contractors, maids and repairmen.

Make sure the outside of the house is well lit. A burglar prefers to sneak around in the dark, and a well lit house is always a deterrent. So it’s smart to put a light in typically darker corners around your home. This includes doorways, windows, and your garage.

Switch your locks. Maybe you had a roommate move out or have a disgruntled ex-lover, changing the locks is the best way to keep yourself safe. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.

Is your street number on your house visible from the street? In the event of an emergency, police officers may have trouble finding your house if they cannot read your address numbers. Happily, it’s quick and easy to fix this problem.

Dogs are an excellent way to protect your home. Dogs are protective of turf and generally make noise when something is wrong. It doesn’t need to be a huge dog either. A terrier will make enough of a fuss to stop someone from breaking in.

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. The risk is still there, so a home security system is vital. You need to do some research on the areas where you live to get an idea of how frequent break ins are.

You don’t need to rely on keys to prevent entry to certain areas of your home. There are key-less locks that open with a push-button security code. You can install them yourself, or you can have a home security service install them.

Think about hard-wired security systems if you’re worried about long term maintenance costs. While wireless systems are great, they do require batteries on a consistent basis. If you neglect to switch out the batteries regularly, your security system won’t function properly. It’s also very costly to replace a lot of batteries at once.

If you have skylights, do not neglect them when making sure your home is secure. While they are nice and help with lighting, they also provide the burglars help with access to your home. Check that skylights have heavy duty hardware that can stand up under unwanted tampering.

Keeping your family safe should be your top priority. Do not assume you are safe from crime. Keep this advice handy, and work to make your home more secure. Do not delay. Make sure you do something about it before something happens!