Every homeowner needs to take active steps to maintain home security. Home invasions can be quite common, as well as natural disasters that damage houses. The article below has the home security information you need to keep your family safe.

After you purchase a new home, change the locks. You never know how many copies of the keys the previous owners made and handed out. You want to be sure that you’re the only one with a key. Also, if you lose your keys, change the locks.

Your faithful dog makes a great hiding spot for a spare key. This really only works if you’ve got an outdoor dog or if you’ve got a pet door. Just hide a spare house key on the inside of your dog’s collar. Then when you need an extra key, you will be able to access this one.

Be very cautious about entrusting a maid service with a key to your home. Be sure any home cleaner you give your key to is trustworthy and reputable. One way to do this is to check their references. If it is a known company, check with your local BBB.

When placing your spare key outside for emergencies, give careful consideration to where you put it. Avoid cliched hiding places like over the door frame or beneath the doormat. Experienced criminals will check these places immediately. You should hide it in your dog’s collar.

When placing your spare key outside for emergencies, give careful consideration to where you put it. Hiding it beneath the doormat is very common and most intruders will look there. Try hiding the key in your outside dog’s collar.

Ask friends for some advice before choosing home security companies and systems. They may have had experiences with certain companies and can lead you in the right direction. Make sure to ask neighbors for advice too.

Don’t open your door when strangers are knocking. People often think of ways to trick others into letting them in so they can steal from them. Make a house rule forbidding anyone to open the door for an unexpected visitor.

Do not open your door for anyone you don’t know. People you do not know could have bad intentions or want to get an idea of how many valuable objects you own. Make sure everyone in your house knows not to open the door unless they know the person standing outside.

Speak with the police in your town regarding the home security programs they have. There are lots of different programs, like home inspections, that will help you take the proper steps to make sure your home adequately protected. Call the local police department and inquire as to what programs they offer.

Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Be certain to have skylights that incorporate strong, durable hardware.

If you’re in a rural place, you might not be as worried about break-ins as those that are in the city. The risk is still there, so a home security system is vital. Still, many believe that rural environments are less frequently targeted by burglars.

Use the spaces in your home’s walls to store valuables. You do not need to remove segments from your walls. There are many locales that are already around your home. Perhaps you can use an old electricity socket as a place to hide your valuables.

The wires that are on your house are very valuable. A lot of people don’t realize this fact until a robber steals it from their home. Copper wiring is quite valuable, and it’s quick and easy for criminals to strip it right off the outside of your house! Be sure to keep your wiring hidden or difficult to reach.

Spare Key

Be sure to replace rotten wood in the frame of your front door. An intruder can simply pry away that rotted wood and enter your home. When you see that wood is beginning to rot, replace it with new wood for better home safety.

It is not a good idea to hide a spare key on your property. While you may need to prepare if you have a spare key, it is wise to choose ways that do not increase the risk of a criminal gaining entrance to your home. Intruders know about the usual hiding spots. A better option is to entrust an honest neighbor with a spare key.

Your flashlights should always be equipped with good, working batteries. They will help you get around in case your entire home is dark. Make sure each member of your family knows where the flashlights are and how to operate them.

Be sure your expensive belongings are not visible from the home’s exterior. While it may be nice to look out, burglars will see your valuables inside. Blinds are a great way to allow the light in, without allowing people to see in at the same time.

Before you give a security company employee access to your home, make sure they’re in uniform and that they present acceptable identification. Posing as a security professional is an excellent way for an experienced thief to get inside your house and plan a less-friendly return visit. This leads to danger. Caution is always advisable if dangers like this are to be avoided.

Hide your security system’s wiring. You don’t want a burglar to get access to them and disable your system. Don’t let this happen; bury or hide the wires. This will add security.

Make sure you have weighed the costs and risks when you are considering your security needs. Security systems are a proven method of reducing your chance of break-ins, but it is not always the right choice. Some individuals are more comfortable with a canine alarm, while other people enjoy the feeling of security that a sophisticated alarm system can bring. Think about your risk factor when making a decision.

Are you aware that your home’s wires are worth something? Most people are unaware of this fact until a burglar takes it from their house. The reason they are valuable is because of their copper. A burglar can easily strip off your wires from the outside of your home very quickly. In order to protect yourself from this risk, make sure wires on your house are difficult to find and hard to access.

Think about getting a wireless security system for the home. A wired system might cost less, but they can require extensive rewiring work and may be rendered useless if the power fails. Wireless systems are much easier to maintain and also to install, and they are not reliant on your central power source.

You need flashlights and plenty of batteries in each room just in case your power ever goes out. Flashlights are very important, as they will give you the ability to move around in the event of an emergency. Train kids how to use the flashlights so that everyone may contribute.

If you don’t have a paper shredder, you might want to buy one. Your trash contains so much personal information a thief would love to have. You could also simply take care to tear up your discarded papers.

When searching for methods of improving your home’s security, a great, inexpensive method of doing this is purchasing exterior lights with installed motion detectors. Motion detection lights will turn on as soon as something or someone enters your yard. They also help to keep intruders away, because an intruder does not want to come close to your property if they know they might be spotted.

If you plan to be away and you have another person collecting your mail, have them double check your front door for fliers. Canny burglars will often produce and distribute their own fliers so that they can see whether or not anyone takes them down. The more flyers pile up or the longer they are there, the more likely it is that the house is empty.

Due to the threats that can harm a home, every homeowner can make sure their home is safe. You’ve just been giving some great home security tips. Use these ideas to boost your home’s safety.

Man’s best friend can be one of the most effective anti-burglary systems. They generally bark when someone comes close to their property. Keeping a huge and ferocious canine is not necessary. Small dogs also have the ability to scare away burglars who definitely don’t want lots of ruckus when they appear.