Don’t make assumptions about who does or who doesn’t know about the expensive items in your home. You should protect your home and family from burglars by implementing home-security strategies. The following tips can help put you in the safest position possible.

Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. Only select service people who are totally trustworthy. Read through their references very carefully, and don’t hesitate to follow up on their references to ensure they actually exist. If you’re hiring from a company, call the BBB for more information.

Beware giving keys to your maid unless the service has your absolute trust. You need to ensure that they are honest and reputable according to references before you have handed over the key. Read through their references very carefully, and don’t hesitate to follow up on their references to ensure they actually exist. If they work through a larger firm, you can check up on the company with your local Better Business Bureau.

Does your canine stay in the yard while you go out? Store the spare key with them. Attach the key inside their collar and make sure it can’t be seen. This is especially useful if the dog does not take kindly to strangers.

Ask friends for some advice before choosing home security companies and systems. They have likely had interactions with home security providers that they can tell you about, saving you time and stress. Make broad inquiries so that you are able to make a well-informed decision.

Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. This is because a phone that is ringing and ringing can tip of a burglar that nobody is currently home.

You should mute your land line phone if you are going on a vacation. A constantly ringing phone lets thieves know that you are not home and could increase the chances of you getting robbed.

You never want to open up a door to a stranger without proper identification. You never know who they might be, despite their story. Create a rule where you only allow those you’ve invited to your home inside.

Do not let people you don’t know in your house. Remember that intruders have a lot of experience with tricking people. There are some people who will just come in to see if you have a home security system, and if you do not, they could come back later when you are not home.

If your garage is attached to your home, always keep it secure. Intruders could easily break into your garage and access your home. A C-clamp placed on the garage door track will stop it from opening when you don’t want it to.

Security System

If you own a garage, be sure to use it to place your car, as opposed to using it as a storage. This will keep it away from thieves and vandals. Besides, intruders will have a hard time determining whether or not you are home if you keep your car inside your garage.

Regardless of the quality of your home security system, you need to check it annually. Ask a home security employee to give it a look. A number of factors can cause problems with your security system, including wild animals and mother nature. You may not know there’s an issue if you can’t see it.

Do you have skylights? If so, you should keep them in mind when protecting your home. Although a skylight can bring light into one’s home and look good, it’s also a common entrance way for burglars. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.

Put motion-sensor lights into your home. The motion sensors turn on the lights whenever anyone approaches your home. These lights will make you aware of, and can also scare off, potential burglars. Remember that the bulbs need to be changed so that the lights keep working.

Walls are great for hiding items. If you own small valuables that require protection, try hiding them in the walls. Just take advantage of the phone jack, electrical outlet or unused switch plate. If you’re using all your outlets, you can install phony ones.

When dealing with a company installing your home security system, it is important that you trust your gut. If the installers give you the heebie-jeebies, it’s not a good sign. Never hesitate to has for a new technician or even go with a different company altogether. You want your new system to protect you, not be the way the thief gets into your home.

Once you’ve moved to a new house, make it a priority to replace all locks. Although you may trust the previous homeowner, you cannot be 100% sure of their character. People may have lived in the home before those owners, too.

If you move into a home or apartment that has been previously lived in, the first thing you should do is change the locks. You do not want anyone to have a copy of the key. You might even purchase and install your own locks so that you are assured of having the only keys.

If you need to make the outside of your home secure, you can achieve this relatively inexpensively by installing lights with motion detectors. They lights will light up your property at night and they are cost-effective and efficient. If you position motion detectors properly, it is very hard for someone to sneak onto the property.

Find out how long a company has been in operation before signing a home security contract. It doesn’t take long for a quality company to prove itself in the security business, and you should look for a track record of satisfied customers and successful work. Knowing you are not dealing with a fly by night company gives you extra peace of mind when making this important decision.

Light up your home’s exterior. Burglars love to operate in the dark. Install lights in areas where intruders might come. This includes porches and doorways, the garage, as well as ground floor windows, which can invite an intruder.

Make sure no one can look inside your garage. Add frosting to your window glass to keep folks from looking in the house. If you use your garage for working on projects, don’t forget to lock it when you’re through working for the day.

Consider a wireless home security system. Wired systems could cost less, but they can also require intrusive electrical work inside your house and can fail when the power goes out. A wireless security system is easy to install and take care of. Additionally, this type of system is not dependent upon the electrical system of the home.

Instead of thinking that your house will never be threatened by a criminal, always prepare for the worst. Never live in constant fear, but take precautionary steps. Keep these tips in mind if you want to improve your home’s security in order to protect your family.

See if your security company only sells equipment, or if they will lease it to you instead. While you will pay more to buy, you don’t have to keep paying for it month after month. Sometimes it’s more affordable to begin with a lease, even though a continued lease may be costly in terms of ongoing higher monthly fees. Think about both options before making a decision.