Who really focuses on home security? A good way to guarantee a safe home is to review the topic in a thorough manner. Keep reading for some invaluable home security tips.

Your dog could carry a spare key for you. This approach is useful if your dog is a large breed that lives outdoor, or if your house has a doggy door. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

Use your garage for your car and not for storage. Keeping the car in the garage can keep thieves from vandalizing or stealing it. Keeping your car in your garage also keeps a thief from knowing whether you are at home or not.

The best home security systems do much more than sound the alarm (literally). Many systems can alert you whenever anyone has entered your home. This can be valuable to parents with small children as they are made aware their child has opened or closed a door.

Understand certain safety precautions when it comes to having skylights for your home. Skylights are excellent for beauty and light, but it’s easy for burglars to gain access to your home through them. You should have them equipped with strong, sturdy hardware.

Buy a small home safe that you can use to keep your valuables in. This is very important, as you do not want your gold, diamonds and personal items exposed if someone were to break into your house. The safe should be kept hidden in a basement or attic.

Get creative and hide valuables inside your walls. 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.

Use exterior lights that have motion sensors. The motion sensors turn on the lights whenever anyone approaches your home. They help notify you of any movement around your house and deter burglars too. Just remember to change out the bulbs every so often so the lights remain in working order.

Never place a spare key in a plant box or under your welcome mat. While you may feel that you are keeping yourself safe by allowing a way in for yourself, you are also allowing everyone else to visit whenever they want. Thieves are aware of the best hiding spots. Rather, give the key to a neighbor to hold.

The walls are a perfect hiding place. If you own smaller things that need protection, think about keeping them hidden in the walls. Just access unused switch plates, outlets or phone jacks. If you haven’t got any plates that are unused, simply install a false switch plate.

It is important that your valuables are not visible from anywhere outside your house. Although large windows in your home can provide your home with a lot of light, they can also provide burglars with an excellent view of the inside of your home. Keep your windows covered and your belongings private.

If you have just bought any pricey new goods, never toss the boxes onto the curb prior to the garbage man’s arrival. These boxes sitting outside your home serve as a flag for thieves to target your home.

Lock the house, even if just going away for a short time. It is more common than you would believe for a thief to find a home, try the door and walk right in when it’s unlocked. A thief could steal all your valuables in only a few minutes.

You should change all the locks if you just bought or rented a new home. Regardless of how you feel about the sellers, you never know someone’s true intentions. Don’t forget that there were likely other owners and residents in the house before the last set.

When choosing an alarm system, consider one that offers protection for more than just your doors. Burglars can gain entry through your windows as well. Be sure your home alarm covers all entry points into your home. You want the best security possible for your family.

Rotten wood on door and window frames needs to be repaired. 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.

If you are throwing away the box an expensive item came in, wait until trash day to put the box out. They show the world you have money and lots of valuables inside.

You should have several flashlights and batteries in all your rooms. Power outages are common to all sorts of emergency situations, so having flashlights handy will enable you to maneuver in the dark. Keep in mind that your family might be separated during a power outage, and make sure you children know where to find and how to use your flashlights.

Equipping each room in your house with a reliable flashlight (charged with good batteries, of course!) is an excellent safety investment. This is important for you to be able to see should your power go out or you suffer an emergency. Teach everyone in your home to use the flashlights so all family members can see and help each other.

After moving into a pre-owned apartment or home, change the locks. Although it’s normal for owners / tenants to surrender their keys when they leave, there’s no way of knowing who else might have copies. You can purchase the locks and install them yourself to ensure you’re the only person that has a key.

Your landscaping should be designed based on what will be safest for your home. Do not obstruct doors and windows with plants or furniture. If these things can be seen by the naked eye, they won’t offer hiding places to potential criminals. For a beautiful yard that’s also safe, keep the landscaping separated from the house.

Perform landscaping for your home which enhances your home’s safety. Don’t provide burglars with cover by planting big shrubs in front of your doors and windows. If they are visible, people won’t be able to hide there while trying to break in. Utilize shrubs and trees farther away in order to add beauty to your home while keeping it safe.

Always request that your house or pet sitter remove fliers from your door. Some burglars place fliers to see if they’ll be quickly removed. If the flier stays in place, the burglar knows that the homeowner is out on vacation.

For maximum safety, your home needs bright exterior lighting. Burglars prefer the cover that night provides their criminal activities. Light up the dark spots around your home. This includes porches and doorways, the garage, as well as ground floor windows, which can invite an intruder.

Keep burglars on the outside of your garage by making sure nobody can actually see inside the garage. Cover your windows with frosting; this could be purchased at hardware stores. They prevent people from peeking inside. It’s also a good idea to avoid leaving your garage door open for any longer than absolutely necessary, even if you’re at home.

If you will be going out of time, have someone you trust get your mail. Also, have them look for fliers stuck in your door. This is a way people who are casing out your house can tell whether you are home or not. If the flier is not taken down, the burglar assumes the homeowner is not in town.

If you buy a new, expensive electronic, such as a television or computer, do not leave the empty boxes on your curb. Don’t advertise that you have expensive new equipment! You should cut up the boxes once you empty them.

Consider installing a surveillance system. You can make a huge difference in your home’s security by putting in cameras whether they’re concealed or out in the open. Visible cameras deter the majority of intruders, and if they try to disarm them, a camera that is hidden will keep capturing footage. Find a security system that gives you the option to view the video feed from your phone so you can check on your home at anytime.

Can you see the number of your house from the street? The police will find it difficult to locate your home quickly if your address numbers are difficult to see. There is a cheap and quick fix if you see an issue.

When you purchase an expensive item such as a computer or TV, be sure to take the cardboard box to the recycling center rather than leaving it on your curb for all the world to see. When burglars see these boxes, they will know you have them inside your home, making it more likely for them to break in. Cut up the boxes completely instead.

Your precious pooch is one of your best home security weapons. They generally bark when someone comes close to their property. You will get good results even if you do not have a large or vicious dog. Even tinier canines can ward off intruders with enough noise.

Do not use spring latch locks on your doors. Defeating a spring latch lock is a trivial endeavor; experienced burglars can get through one using nothing more than a credit card. Wedging the card into the door crack can cause the lock to release. If this is the kind of lock on your doors, strongly consider adding a deadbolt for safety.

Avoid common hiding places for your spare key. An easily moved object close to the door is the first place a burglar will look. Doormats, too. A better idea is to have a friend or neighbor keep your emergency key. If you can’t do that, you must think creatively to find a good place to keep a spare key.

Inquire into both purchase and lease options for your security system. Buying equipment may be initially more expensive, but cheaper in the longer term. Although leasing is usually cheaper, you may have to fill out contracts and you will have higher monthly costs. You need to think about each option to think about what is right for your home.

It goes without saying that home security is a very important topic for everyone. However, not many people know how to really protect their house and belongings. Hopefully, the article you’ve just read has given you some ideas with regards to home security.

Don’t hide keys in obvious areas. Fake rocks are particularly simple to spot. Under your doormat is also a common place burglars will look. The best idea is just to ask a friend or neighbor to hang on to a key for you. If none of these options are possible, try to think of an unusual hiding place.