If you’re a single female or mother that lives alone and you don’t feel like you can defend yourself physically, the topic of home security may be a large issue for you. You don’t have to be afraid anymore, particularly because there are things you can do to feel safe. Read on to discover many tips to help on home security.

You should always make sure your home looks like its occupied. Invest in timers to automatically turn on and off any electronics at various times. This makes it appear that someone is home. This is just one of the many precautions you can take to secure your home.

After you purchase a new home, change the locks. Many people may have been given keys by the former 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 change the locks after purchasing a home. Many people may have been given keys by the former owner. Having a locksmith replace the locks will ensure that no strangers have a key. You should also do this if your keys ever get lost.

Beware giving keys to your maid unless the service has your absolute trust. If they need the keys and plan on being in there for more than an hour, try to ensure that they are honest, hardworking, and reputable. Check the housekeeper’s references very carefully. If the cleaner is from a firm, try calling the local BBB to find out about the firm’s reputation.

Don’t just hide your spare key anywhere. Placing a key above a door or under a doormat is quite obvious! For a better solution, try tucking your spare key into your dog’s collar, provided you have an outside dog.

Keep your jewelry, vital documents and other expensive items in a safe. This ensures during a break in that the most important things are not stolen. Keep your safe in a hard-to-get-to place, such as a basement closet or your attic.

Ask your friends for advice before you choose a home security system or company. You can learn a lot from people who have already dealt with these companies. By asking around, you will gain information about the pros and cons of a variety of options.

Talk to people you know for referrals when choosing home security systems. You can learn a lot from people who have already dealt with these companies. Ask around so that you can have the advice that you need to make a good choice.

If you will be vacationing for an extended period of time, turn off the ringer on all the phones in your house. Intruders might be attracted by a phone that rings constantly without anyone picking up.

When you’re going away, turn off your phone ringers. A loud ring that goes unanswered can alert people to the fact that you aren’t home. This makes you more likely to be the victim of a burglary.

Don’t be shy. Build up a rapport with the people who own homes close to yours. Watch their homes for suspicious activity and get their word that they will do the same thing for you. Also consider listening in on some of the neighborhood gossip. Important security details (like the presence of strangers in your neighborhood) can come out of the most innocent conversations.

Do not open your door for strangers. You never know who they might be, despite their story. Therefore, only allow people you know and are expecting to enter your home.

Rural areas are just as prone to break-ins as cities. People who live in the country may even be more vulnerable because they do not have nearby neighbors. Then again, others think rural areas are not as much of a target.

You should clean your yard of vegetation and dead wood. As things heat up in the summer, items may catch on fire and threaten your home. Therefore, you need to regularly clean your yard so that your home is protected.

Skylights could be a problem for the safety of your home. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Skylights need to be installed correctly and safely, with hardware that will keep intruders out.

When dealing with companies that install home security systems, it’s important to trust your gut. This is especially true if you are uneasy with those who are installing the actual system. If you don’t feel comfortable, go with someone else. The purpose of using the company is to calm your uneasiness, not worsen it.

When choosing an alarm system, consider one that offers protection for more than just your doors. Intruders can enter through your windows too. The alarm and monitoring system should be set for all windows and doors. They are the most effective.

Hide any valuables in wall spaces. No need to damage your walls. Most homes are pre-equipped with these handy spaces. For example, you could take the wiring out of an electric socket that is not in use and put your valuable jewelry in there.

If you buy expensive electronics or appliances, throw the packages away the day that your trash pickup occurs. You are alerting thieves that there is something worth stealing inside your home.

Believe it or not, the wires on your house are worth stealing. Many people have their wires stripped each year. Copper wiring can easily be removed. Hide your wiring for optimum security.

Your flashlights should always be equipped with good, working batteries. If the power goes out, you will be able to see everything. This can come in handy if someone has cut your power and is attempting to break in.

Motion-sensitive exterior lighting is a must. Cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing, these lights really add value to your home. If they are positioned correctly outside of your home, your motion detectors can make it impossible for strangers to sneak around.

For maximum safety, your home needs bright exterior lighting. Burglars like using darkness to hide. So it’s smart to put a light in typically darker corners around your home. Make sure your porch, garage, doorways and windows are well lit.

The outside of your house should be well lit. Darkness allows for all sorts of nefarious activities. The most important parts of your home to light are all of its potential access points. This can include garages, doorways, porches, and even near any windows on the ground floor.

Wireless home security systems are becoming more popular. Systems that are wired are cheaper, but they need unattractive wiring inside your home and may malfunction when you have a power outage. Wireless systems are much easier to maintain and also to install, and they are not reliant on your central power source.

Wireless security systems are the next generation in protection. While a wired system is more affordable, it also requires more extreme modifications of your home’s existing wiring. This could be a potential problem in the event that your power goes out. Wireless systems tend to be easier for installation and maintenance, and they will not go out if your power does.

A paper shredder can be a good security investment. You will be astonished at how burglars find important information from loose paper that they could use to break into your house. You can tear your documents up by hand before disposing of them if a shredder is out of your price range.

Get a paper shredder. Thieves often find the trash cans to be a gold mine of pertinent information about potential victims. If you don’t want a shredder, rip the papers up manually.

Don’t give anyone an opportunity to see inside your garage in order to ward off robbers. Cover your windows with frosting; this could be purchased at hardware stores. They prevent people from peeking inside. Also keep your garage door closed whenever possible, especially if you will be stepping away from it for an extended period of time.

Consider a surveillance system for your home and property. You can have great home security with both hidden and visible video cameras. Visible cameras deter the majority of intruders, and if they try to disarm them, a camera that is hidden will keep capturing footage. There are surveillance systems that you can access and check by cell phone.

One of the best home burglary systems is man’s best friend. Dogs can be extremely protective of their space and are great at barking when something is afoot. You don’t have to have a huge, violent guard dog, though. Small dogs are noisy and unpredictable and very good at deterring burglars.

Keep your garage shut and locked so burglars can’t peek inside. Cover windows using frosting, which you can buy at large hardware stores, to keep people from peeking in your window. Do not leave doors open for lengthy periods while you are doing work.

You do not want to use spring latch locks. These type of lock is the easiest lock to pick, it could even be opened by a credit card. A thief only needs to skip the credit card in between the lock to make it open. If you have spring latches already installed, consider adding deadbolts too.

Never hide keys in obvious locations. Fake rocks are easy to spot. Under your doormat is also a common place burglars will look. It’s best to ask a trusted friend or even a neighbor to hold the extra key. If you can’t, be creative where you put the key.

When you will be away from home, keep the curtains and blinds shut. When they are open, potential burglars get a free look in. If they spot an item they’re interested in, they will most likely try to enter. You should also have them down when you are sleeping.

Securing your home and making it into a safe haven does not have to include expensive installations or impatiently waiting for a stranger to install a system. 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.

Inquire with your company if they allow both leases and purchases of equipment. Buying equipment can be pricey upfront, but it’s a single cost versus a monthly cost. Leasing usually proves cheaper at first, but it comes with strings attached through contracts or continuing fees and charges. Look at what you can afford, as well as what is offered and make an informed choice.