If you’re a female who is living alone, home security is likely very important to you. Rather than living in fear, there are many things you can do to improve things. Read all of these home security tips.

When you buy a new home, be sure to have the locks changed. You don’t know the exact number of copies of that key the previous owners have or have 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.

Place your spare key securely on your dog’s collar. This only makes sense if your dog is outdoors a lot or you have a pet door. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

Purchase a safe to lock all of the extremely valuable items in your home in one place. You would hate for your expensive jewelry, personal family belongings, etc. to be stolen in case a burglar breaks into your home. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.

Aim to purchase fire-resistant ceilings, roofs and floors. This can help your home be safer. Fire prevention is paramount.

Does your dog remain outside while you’re gone? Use him or her to help hide your spare key! Hook your key to the dog’s collar in a place that is shielded from view. Especially if pets don’t like strangers, this can be a useful way for having easy access to your house.

Ask friend for any advice they have prior to purchasing a security system or service. Most will be willing to share their likes, loves and loathes, especially as they realize how important it is to you. Keep asking to get the advice that will help you make the right choice.

Check with the police department in your town for home security tips and advice. 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. Discuss the possibility of this sort of program with your police department.

Before leaving for vacation, turn off the ringers in your house. If the phone rings without you there, burglars will suspect that you’re not home, and that can make your home a target for an attack while you’re gone.

Alter the combination of the locks in your home. Has a roommate or ex-lover moved out recently? If so, then you need to change out the locks in order to keep you and your home safe. It is generally cheap and may be done in a little under a day.

When choosing a home security firm, trust your instincts. You should be very picky when it comes to letting people inspect your home. Ask for someone else to come out or switch companies. At the end of the day, your efforts are so that you feel more comfortable.

Never allow a stranger to enter your home. Stay true to your safety, even if it appears the person has legitimate reasons for wanting entry. Some folks will enter to scout for security systems, and upon seeing you lack one, will resolve to return at a later time.

If you’ve bought large or pricy items, avoid throwing out boxes until the day the trash is scheduled for pick-up. Doing so is like giving a burglar an invitation to target your home; he or she will know there is something good inside.

Were you aware of how valuable your house wires are? Most people are unaware of this fact until a burglar takes it from their house. Experienced criminals can make a decent amount of money quickly by stripping copper wiring off of houses in order to sell it at a scrapyard. Make sure the wiring is concealed or difficult to access in order to keep this valuable item safe.

Do not open your door for people you do not know. Criminals find ways to get people to open doors so they can commit crimes. Make it a rule in your home that you only open your door to people who you were expecting.

Check someone’s references carefully before letting them come into your home. Try doing a background check to look at their criminal history. You might not know that the maid or contractor entering your home is a crook, and this could be a very bad mistake.

Having your home lit up and bright at night is a great deterrent to crooks. They prefer not to be seen. When your house is well lit, intruders have no place to hide. This makes it hard for them to get things from you. This makes it a good idea to keep the lights on.

Eliminate dead vegetation and rotting wood from the yard each summer. These can quickly become fire hazards when hit by direct sunlight, placing your house at risk. Keep your family and your house protected by regularly clearing out your yard waste.

Invite a security company to come to your house and figure out a system that will work for you. Every house and every family will produce a unique set of security concerns that are best addressed with tailor-made security arrangements. When you don’t want to compromise in any way on the safety and security of your home, a custom-built system is usually the way to go.

Make sure that whoever is getting your mail while you are on vacation also retrieves any fliers left on the door. Thieves have put them up in order to see if people are home to take them down. A flier that hangs around for days on end lets burglars know that there’s no one in the home.

Even the wires inside your home are worth something. People don’t realize this until it is stolen. The copper wiring can be stripped and be turned in for money. That’s why it’s important to hide your wiring, or make it hard for criminals to have access to it.

Put up video surveillance. Video cameras are a great deterrent. Visible cameras deter the majority of intruders, and if they try to disarm them, a camera that is hidden will keep capturing footage. Many surveillance systems will allow you to access them through your cell phone; therefore, you can ensure your home is safe even when you’re gone.

If there are areas of your home you want to keep locked off, you do not need keys. Each entrance can be fitted with a keyless lock that requires a code to enter. Either you or a security company can install them.

Before letting someone from a security company into a house, get some sort of official identification. It is easy for potential thieves to present themselves as representatives of a company in order to gain access to your home. This is dangerous for your family and your possessions. Act cautiously in order to stay away from potential dangers.

Find out more about the different contracts your security company offers. There are benefits and drawbacks to each. Longer contracts may offer more affordable monthly payments; however, it may be hard to cancel that contract should you decide to change services or sell your house. A shorter term allows for flexibility, but it might be expensive.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to safeguard your home. There are many things you can do on the cheap that will scare criminals off. Keep these tips in mind to be secure in your home.

As you work on your home’s landscape, don’t forget about safety. You should have a clear view out of all your windows and an unobstructed path to any doors. If criminals know you can see them, they are less likely to break in. Landscaped features should be set further away for safety, yet keeping beauty in mind.