If you’ve always wondered whether or not you should invest in home security, keep reading. You should not cut corners when selecting a home security system. You need to take the time to consider your options and make an informed decision. This article will help you learn more.

Change all of your locks when you move in. There is no way to ascertain how many keys the previous owner handed out. To make sure no one else can get into your home, call a locksmith. Do the same thing if you misplace your keys.

Make sure that you change the locks once you’ve taken possession of the house. The previous owners or tenants might have made several copies of the key. Contact a locksmith to make sure that only you have access to your home. You should also do this if your keys ever get lost.

Only allow maids and cleaning services to have a key to the house if they are known to be trustworthy. Before you give a cleaner full access to your home for extended periods of time, you have to be certain that they’re trustworthy and reliable. Read through their references very carefully, and don’t hesitate to follow up on their references to ensure they actually exist. If you are using a cleaning firm, make sure it has an excellent Better Business Bureau rating.

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 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.

There’s no security system so durable that it can go without regular maintenance and inspections. Have yours checked out once a year. Get someone from the security firm to inspect it. Many different things can make problems for your security system. If you cannot see a problem, you might not know one exists.

Talk to people you know about their security systems. You can benefit from the experience of others that have gone before you by paying attention to their recommendations and warnings. Keep asking to get the advice that will help you make the right choice.

Change your locks if someone you don’t trust moves out of your home. It might be that you have an angry ex-roommate or a bitter ex-partner, so changed locks will boost your security. It is pretty cheap and the job won’t take more than a few hours.

Be sure to secure your attached garage. There is a way to prevent burglars from entering your home through the garage. Simply attach a C-clamp near the roller on the door track.

When choosing a home security firm, trust your instincts. This goes for the installer, too. Make sure that the installer has experience installing your type of security system. After all, the point of the system itself is to help you feel more at ease.

During the summer, remove all vegetation and dead wood from your yard. These items have a higher chance of catching fire during the hot months. Therefore, you need to regularly clean your yard so that your home is protected.

Stashing your most precious possession right inside the walls of your home can be a great idea. It is unnecessary cut space into your wall. Many spots are already cut that can be used for this purpose. Unused electrical sockets can be great for hiding expensive jewelry.

Before doing anything else, install new locks in your home. Not everyone who leaves your house will leave happy, and a fresh set of locks will protect you from both former residents and acquaintances of your own looking to cause mischief. This doesn’t usually cost much, and it can be accomplished in less than a day.

If you are throwing away the box an expensive item came in, wait until trash day to put the box out. These boxes sitting outside your home serve as a flag for thieves to target your home.

Do you live outside the city? You might be less worried about home invasions than if you lived in an urban area. With neighbors so far away, it may seem like a tiny risk. That said, stranger things have happened.

Don’t let any service people into your home without checking their references completely. You need to do background checks in order to find out about their criminal history. You can never be too sure about anyone you hire to enter your home, and giving them access can work against you.

Stashing your most precious possession right inside the walls of your home can be a great idea. You do not have to damage your walls to keep your valuables safe. There should be pre-cut spaces throughout your home that will suffice. Remove the wires from an electric socket you do not use so you can hide your valuable jewelry.

Add motion detector lighting to the exterior of your home for increased security. During the night hours, these lights help light up the outside of your home, which makes them an excellent addition to your home security strategies. In addition, they are very affordable. When they are positioned correctly, they make it pretty much impossible for intruders to get to your house unnoticed.

Spare Key

Keep safety at the forefront as you landscape. Keep your doors and windows clear of any shrubbery. Intruders should have nowhere to hide near your home. Keep this in mind as you design.

You should not hide your spare key under your mat or inside a plant box. These seem like great places for you when you misplace your key. Any thief knows all the typical hiding spots. The wisest course of action is to leave a spare key with a trusted friend or a reliable neighbor.

If you do not already have a paper shredder, you may want to think about investing in one. Thieves can use this information to figure out your schedule and determine the best time to break in. Rip your important papers up before throwing them away if you can’t get a shredder.

Do not let people on the street see valuable items in your home. If you have big windows near your big entertainment system, it can seem like an invitation to thieves. Windows facing the street need to be covered to keep inside possessions safe.

Put the boxes of any expensive electronic items in your trash can so would-be burglars won’t know see them. Burglars pay attention to this, and it will make them want to break in and get the items. Break the boxes down, or take a scissors to them to help them fit in your trash can.

Make sure all the wood around your doors is in great shape. A burglar can easily strip away wood that has rotted. As a result, this will assist them in breaking into your home. Replace any wood that has begun to rot with new wood so that your house stays safe.

A dog is an excellent burglar alarm. Dogs will bark at the sign of trouble or intruders. A big, vicious guard dog isn’t necessary. Even a small dog will deter intruders, who do not want a lot of noise when they commit their crimes.

Security System

There’s an easy way to secure interior doors (if there are areas you want to keep housemates and children out of) without obliging you to carry a key-ring around at all times. You can have key-less locks which require a code. You can have keyless locks installed by a security company or you can do it yourself.

Before you think about home security, consider personal security and safety. A home security system is a good idea; however, it is not the perfect solution for every home. Sometimes just taking a class in self defense or adopting a loud dog is enough, while at other times a full fledged security system might be the way to go. Ensure that you have considered all your options before making a final decision.

Inquire as to the different lengths of contracts offered by your security company. There are benefits and drawbacks to each. A long term contract should have a lower monthly rate but it also requires you to commit for a long period of time. A shorter term allows for flexibility, but it might be expensive.

There are wireless systems available for home security, as another option. A wired system should be less expensive but you might have to spend your money on getting your home rewired. Wireless options are easy to install, need less maintenance and are not dependent on the home’s power source.

Don’t have spring latch locks installed. These locks are the simplest ones to breach, since they are able to be opened by using just a credit card. Burglars just slip a card between the latch and the door, causing the lock mechanism to open. A deadbolt should be added for security purposes if you have locks that are spring latch.

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. Burglars have been known to put these up, waiting to see if they are removed or not. If the flier isn’t removed, the burglar knows the homeowner isn’t there.

Never place a key in an obvious spot. Rocks that aren’t real are easy to notice. Doormats, too. It’s better to ask a trusted friend or neighbor to hold your extra key. If none of these options are possible, try to think of an unusual hiding place.

Equip your home with a system designed for home surveillance. Video cameras are an excellent way to keep your home safe. Visible cameras scare intruders while a hidden camera could capture footage. Nowadays, you can track your surveillance on your own cell phone.

It is always best to go with a solid heavy wooden door, or a metal door for extra security. Metal and solid wooden doors hold tight and fast. A burglar could not kick a solid wood or a metal door. It should be possible for you to find replacements for all of your doors for a good price, so do it right away.

You should be able to take the information you’ve read here to propel yourself forward into the home security realm. A reliable home security system will help you feel safer and could save your life. Use these tips and ideas to create a safer and more secure home environment.

Ask your security company if they offer motion sensitive lighting. Many companies offer this, and it causes the lights on the outside of your home to go on as soon as someone approaches an entry way. This can add extra security as you go into your house, and it can keep intruders away.