As a homeowner, you must do everything possible to keep your family safe. Burglaries are a common occurrence in homes. In addition, there are other issues that homeowners must deal with, including fire, flood, carbon monoxide, etc. This article will show you how to keep your home safe.

Change the locks after buying a new house. There is no telling how many key copies were made and given out by a previous owner. To make sure no one else can get into your home, call a locksmith. You should also do this if your keys ever get lost.

You should always make sure your home looks like its occupied. Buy timers so that lights, radios, TVs and all other electronics turn on and off at various times. This way, your house will always look occupied. This is a great way to keep your home safe and avoid burglaries.

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. One idea is to hide your key inside the collar of your outdoor dog.

Do you keep your dog outdoors when you go out? You might consider leaving your spare key with your dog. You can attach your key to your dog’s collar in order to keep the key hidden. This is a good way to ensure easy home access, especially if your pet does not associate well with strangers.

Fire-resistant building materials are the way to go, both inside and outside the home. This will give your home added security. It’s best to prevent a fire before it starts.

Make sure you have a safe to keep valuable items 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. Keep the safe hidden somewhere remote.

Turn off ringers on land line phones while you are on vacation. 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.

Get advice from loved ones about home security systems. Others have likely had both good and bad experiences that they can share with you that can then save you a lot of stress and time. Keep asking to get the advice that will help you make the right choice.

Don’t let strangers into your home. There are people who are going to be convincing, but they can just be professional thieves. Make sure everyone in your house knows not to open the door unless they know the person standing outside.

Don’t let strangers into your home. Criminals can be endlessly inventive when it comes to generating a convincing story to force their way into your home. No matter how sympathetic the story, remember that it could all be a put-on. Make a house rule forbidding anyone to open the door for an unexpected visitor.

If you have an attached garage, don’t forget to secure it as well. There is a way to prevent burglars from entering your home through the garage. Try putting a C-clamp on your garage door track. This will stop the door from rising if you want to keep it closed.

Always go with your gut when it comes to choosing a security firm. If the installers make you feel uncomfortable, heed your feelings. Make sure that the installer has experience installing your type of security system. You want your new system to protect you, not be the way the thief gets into your home.

Always have your security system checked each year. Get a security comapny tech to check it. There are many things that can be problematic with regards to home security systems, like wayward wild animals and the environment. It’s quite possible for there to be a fault in your system even if you can’t see it.

The wiring outside of your home can be valuable. Many people never realize this value until wires are stolen right out of their home. 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. This is why the wiring should be hidden or difficult to get to.

Don’t be shy. Meet your neighbors. Ask them to look after your home, and in return, look out for theirs. Pay attention to gossip. You never know what sort of security issues you might become privy to.

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 locks and install them yourself to ascertain that only you have a key.

Don’t allow the wires of your home security system to be visible to others. Exposed wires make it easy for an intruder to cut them and disable the alarm. Do not make entry into your home easy. Make sure the wires are not exposed either inside or outside your home. This will help to deter intruders that are looking to quickly disable your alarm system.

Don’t leave the boxes of any high priced electronics on the curb of your house. Burglars will instantly take notices of these boxes and what used to be in them, making you an easy burglary target. Break up the boxes into smaller pieces before you put them near the curb.

If you’ve bought large or pricy items, avoid throwing out boxes until the day the trash is scheduled for pick-up. Letting such packaging sit out will signal to criminals that there are good things to be found in your house.

Are the numbers of your home visible from the street? The police will find it difficult to locate your home quickly if your address numbers are difficult to see. This is a very easy issue to have rectified.

You should change all the locks if you just bought or rented a new home. It may seem as if the former owners of the home are honest, but really you don’t know much about them. Keep in mind that there may have been residents prior to that person too.

Your dog is a great tool for protecting your home from intruders. They generally bark when someone comes close to their property. It is not necessary to have an aggressive dog. Any dog who barks, small or large, can scare off a burglar.

Make sure you have several flashlights that are charged and ready to go in the event of a power outage. If the power goes out, you will be able to see everything. If you have kids, teach them how to properly use the flashlights so everyone in the family can help out during a power outage.

There is no need to have keyed locks on interior doors. Use a code-access lock for any door you don’t want others opening. You can either install these locks by yourself, or have them professionally installed if you are not that handy yourself.

Check references before giving anyone access to your home. Conduct background checks if necessary. You never know if the maid, repairman or contractor you hire is on the up and up, and letting them in or giving them a key could be a fatal mistake.

Spring Latch Locks

Consider your personal needs for safety and your security risks prior to looking for security systems. You might find that an alarm isn’t necessary at all. Some neighborhoods may do better with self-defense classes or having a dog, while others may require the best home security technology you can get. Understanding your needs will help you make a good purchase decision.

Try to stay away from spring latch locks. Spring latch locks are the easiest locks to gain entry with, as they can be opened with a simple credit card. Intruders simply wedge a credit card between the door and latch, triggering the lock to open. IF spring latch locks are already in place, add a deadbolt for that extra layer of security.

Wireless home security systems are becoming more popular. Wired systems could cost less, but they can also require intrusive electrical work inside your house and can fail when the power goes out. Wireless systems are much more simple to install and upkeep, and the power inside your home will not affect them.

If your living room window faces the street, keep your curtains drawn at night. You wouldn’t want strangers leering into your home. If valuable items can be seen from outside your home, it is an open invitation to burglars. Lock everything up and shade your windows to stay discreet.

A smart way to prevent burglars from entering the garage is to keep them from seeing what is inside. Add some frosted glass panes to your windows to keep strangers from looking inside. Do not leave doors open for lengthy periods while you are doing work.

Due to all of the threats your home is vulnerable to, every homeowner needs to work to ensure the safety of it. The article below has some great ideas with regards to home security. Implement all these ideas in order to get the most out of your home security efforts.

Ask whether companies offer options to lease or buy your security equipment. Buying your equipment may cost more initially, however it can actually save you money over time. While leasing might be less expensive, it also comes with high monthly fees and contracts. Look at both of these to see what works for you.