If you have valuables like jewelry, art or lots of money, don’t assume that only you know about it. You should protect your home and your family by investing in a quality home security system. Read on to find out how to secure your home.

Keep your most precious belongings inside a safe. This is vital if you don’t want diamonds, gold or other personal items exposed to a home intruder. Keep your safe in a hard-to-get-to place, such as a basement closet or your attic.

Don’t give your keys to a house cleaner unless you totally trust them. 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. Go over their references and do some background research on the company they work for. If the cleaner is from a firm, try calling the local BBB to find out about the firm’s reputation.

If you have an extensive online presence that includes a lot of people you don’t know too well, avoid announcing upcoming vacations. Although your first instinct is to share the news about an upcoming trip that excites you, the info may well fall into the hands of people who’d be interested in burglarizing your home while you’re away.

Security systems are more than just an alarm. Modern systems are often capable of detecting any open door or window and announcing that fact. If you have little ones wandering about the house, this makes it easy for you to know if they have come in or gone out.

It is always best to not let people in that just show up out of the blue. Stay true to your safety, even if it appears the person has legitimate reasons for wanting entry. Some people just want to know if there is a security system so they can plan on coming back later or not.

Make sure you have a safe to keep valuable items in one place. You can’t have your valuable personal items and jewelry out in the open for anyone to see. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.

If you have an attached garage, make sure it is secure. There is a solution for people that are worried about burglars going into their home through an attached garage. Get a C-clamp to secure your garage door if it is mounted on a track.

You should clean your yard of vegetation and dead wood. They pose a fire risk. Clear yard regularly to maintain your house safe.

Check with the police department in your town for home security tips and advice. Your local police department will help you with preventive measures, inspect your home and show you how to mark your valuables so they can easily be found. Speak with the police in your area to see if they have these things.

Do you live out in the country? If so, you might not be as worried about burglars breaking in as those people in the city are. Due to the distance between neighbors, some think rural areas are more likely to have intruders. Others think that rural places have less of a chance of being targets for burglars.

You need to have your security system checked once a year. A security professional should visit to help with the testing process. There are quite a few things that can negatively impact the effectiveness of home security equipment. For example, adverse weather conditions or pests such as raccoons can cause problems. If the problem isn’t visible, you may be unaware of it.

Place your valuables in cut-outs in your walls. You don’t have to cut pieces out of the walls. There are lots of places around the home that have pre-cut areas that you can use. You could removed the wiring from an electric socket that you aren’t using, and stash jewelry inside it.

Don’t be shy. Engage your neighbors in conversation. Watch out for their homes, and ask them to do the same for you. It does not necessarily pay to steer clear of gossip. You might actually learn a thing or two concerning people that have been hanging around.

Replace Rotted Wood

Walls are great for hiding things. You can hide small, valuable items inside the walls of your home. Target any unused phone jacks or electrical outlets for an easy hiding spot. A security store will sell fake plates you can install anywhere.

Replace rotted wood around any door frames. A burglar can easily strip away wood that has rotted. As a result, this will assist them in breaking into your home. Replace rotted wood with fresh wood to make your home safer.

Don’t put spare keys inside plant boxes or beneath the welcome mat. While it may seem like a convenient way to give you access to your home, intruders are aware of this practice. Thieves aren’t stupid and also know common hiding spots. Rather, keep your spare keys with a neighbor you trust.

The number one thing you must do if you’re moving into a new place is have the locks changed. Although the tenant before might have turned their key in, they might still have a duplicate key. This will help safeguard that there is no one else with your key.

A good home security system monitors all entry points to your home. All of your windows are possible entry points for a thief too. Attach the alarm to each window and ask for monitoring for them. You want the best security possible for your family.

Before letting someone from a security company into a house, get some sort of official identification. Criminals can easily pretend to be from a security firm as a means to gain entry to the house. This proves rather dangerous for both your family and also your valuables. Proceed with caution.

While an alarm system or other security measures can make your home much safer, you must be sure that your security wiring isn’t exposed. Intruders can disable a system if they see the wires. Make it hard for intruders and bury the wires or hide them inside your walls, if possible. This will add security.

Having a bright and lit-up home at night deters crooks. This will deter crooks from trying your home. When your house is well lit, intruders have no place to hide. This makes it hard for them to get things from you. So keep those lights on at night for a secure home.

Even the wires inside your home are worth something. Lots of people don’t know this until their wires are stolen. Wiring can be removed from the outside of a home in a heartbeat. Hide your wiring to secure it.

Think about getting a wireless security system for the home. A wired system should be less expensive but you might have to spend your money on getting your home rewired. Wireless systems don’t need your home’s power in order to properly work. In addition, they can be usually be installed and maintained easier.

If you get home and your door is open, do not enter ti investigate. The thief might still be inside, and you don’t have any idea whether or not they are armed. Get on the phone to the authorities immediately.

Could burglars see inside your garage? Make sure that they can’t! Cover your windows in frosting, which can be bought at big box hardware stores, so people can’t peek inside. Make a habit of keep your door closed and locked.

Make sure the inside of your garage isn’t visible. Frost your windows so people cannot look inside your home. Do not keep your door open long enough for people to get an idea of what you own.

Dogs are among the most effective home burglary systems. Dogs naturally protect their homes and they make lots of noise when things go wrong. There is no need for a guard dog. Small dogs also help, because intruders don’t want people to notice the barking.

Don’t put the registration to your car in your glove box. This is not wise since anyone who has access to them will know where you live. You should carry them with you or find some other hiding place inside your vehicle. Remember, you do need to be able to access them quickly if you get pulled over by a policeman.

If you’ve got guests that you don’t want in particular areas of the home, close the area off so it is not accessible. Instead, use a numeric keypad. 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.

If you have a door that isn’t solid wood or metal, change it for either one. Metal and solid wooden doors hold tight and fast. These materials make it difficult for a would-be thief to break down the door. It shouldn’t be too costly to replace your exterior doors, so go do it.

Ask your home-security company about what contract lengths they provide to their customers. There are going to be ups and downs for each one. You might pay less each month for longer contracts, but it has its deterrents as well. A short contract will avoid this, but may be more costly.

Women living alone or with only children are easy targets for home invasion. Consider putting some large, dirty boots on your porch so that it looks like the man of the house is home. This will give criminals second thoughts and make your home a less tempting target.

Never keep the registration papers for your vehicle in your glove compartment. If someone finds them, they’ll know your address. You should make sure to keep them on you, or store them somewhere safe in your car. They must still be easily accessible should you be stopped by police.

Locks from the inside can be helpful, but it’s not real useful if you are unable to lock your door from the outside. Therefore, the best lock is the deadbolt. The ones with inside and outside keys will ensure that a burglar cannot open them.

Replace your doors with some that are solid wood or metal. Those are the doors that last. If a burglar were to try and kick his way inside, he would have a lot of difficulty doing so. Make sure to replace exterior doors for the cheapest amount possible.

Try to purchase your security system direct from the company, rather than from a re-seller. A re-seller simply wants to make money, and they generally don’t have your best interests at heart. The manufacturer will give you a good deal and ensure your device works as it should.

Rather than living in blissful ignorance, assume that you may be targeted by criminals. Avoid becoming paralyzed by fear, but don’t hesitate to make the prudent preparations. These tips can put your family in the safest position possible.

Even if the former homeowners seem pleasant, you should still replace all of the locks when you move in. This is equally important if you’re renting. If your landlord won’t change the locks, do it yourself.