Keeping your family and your home sage is a common concern. But, home invasions are very common these days, just as much other damage is, like floods and fires. The article below has the home security information you need to keep your family safe.

Be sure your home always looks occupied. Have electronics and lights with timers and set them to go off at various times. This way, it will appear that you are at home. This is an excellent method for avoiding burglary and keeping your home secure.

Have your dog protect the spare key. If your dog lives outside or is able to come and go through a dog door, this is a viable idea. Keep a spare key around the dog’s collar.

After you purchase a new home, change the locks. You simply do not know how many keys to the old locks are floating around. Call a locksmith as soon as you can for maximum security. Also, if you lose your keys, change the locks.

If you have an extensive online presence that includes a lot of people you don’t know too well, avoid announcing upcoming vacations. While it is exciting to go to a new place and have a good time, you are letting thieves know that your house will be empty and they can come right in.

It can be a good idea to only leave one ringer on in your home when you are away. If a burglar keeps hearing your phone ring, they’ll know the home is not occupied, making it more likely for a break-in to occur.

You need to secure your garage if it is attached to your home. It is possible for an intruder to get in the garage and then gain access to the house; however, you can do something about it. Get a C-clamp to secure your garage door if it is mounted on a track.

Your garage needs to be secure. Intruders could easily break into your garage and access your home. You can use a C-clamp to stop the door from being opened.

Security starts with new locks. Changing the locks will ensure that you are the only one who knows the combination. This is a very easy process that you can complete within a day.

Eliminate dead vegetation and rotting wood from the yard each summer. These items have a higher chance of catching fire during the hot months. Clearing your yard keeps your home, belongings and family much safer.

If you have any boxes to discard from large, expensive items, wait until the evening before the trash is scheduled for collection. Having these boxes around will let thieves know the type of items that are inside your home.

Determine what sort of home protection services or programs the local police department has to offer. These programs may include engraving identification codes on your valuables, home inspections, and advice about home security. Contact the police department to see if they have something similar.

If the home you are moving into is not brand new, you should change the locks on all the doors. Although other tenants might not have a key anymore, they could have copied it. You might even install new locks yourself so that you know you have the only keys.

Always go with your gut when it comes to choosing a security firm. This is especially important when it comes to the company employees who will be installing your system. Ask the company to send a different installer or simply change companies. After all, the point of the system itself is to help you feel more at ease.

Having a well-lit home that’s bight in the evening can really deter crooks. Intruders will avoid being noticed. When your home is lit well, the crooks have nowhere to hide, making it difficult for them to steal from you undetected. Thus, you should always keep lights on at nighttime.

Those living in rural areas often don’t worry as much about intruders compared to city dwellers. Interestingly, many think those living in rural areas are actually more susceptible to break-ins since neighbors may not live close by. Others feel rural residents have a lower risk of being burglarized.

Ask your home security company how long they have been in business before you sign up for service. Companies in business for many years engender great confidence and trust. You’ll find it a lot easier to put your faith in the professionals if you take the time to verify their trustworthiness.

Walls make the perfect hiding spot. If you own small valuables that require protection, try hiding them in the walls. Just open up an electrical outlet or a phone jack that is not in use. If you do not have any unused plates, it is easy to install a false one.

For maximum safety, your home needs bright exterior lighting. Burglars love to operate in the dark. Make sure to have lights anywhere an intruder might enter. This will include doorways, porches, your garage, and ground floor windows that criminals can use.

Get creative and hide valuables inside your walls. This does not mean that you should make alterations to your walls. You can find pre-cut areas in your walls that can be used. Remove the wires from an electric socket you do not use so you can hide your valuable jewelry.

Security System

Regardless of how long you think you’ll be gone, make sure to lock your doors. Most break-ins and burglaries occur because a door is left open and an intruder just walks in. It does not take a long time for a robber to pilfer items worth thousands of dollars.

Think about your personal security needs before you purchase a home security system. A home security system is a good idea; however, it is not the perfect solution for every home. It may be better for you to take a self-defense class or buy a dog. The neighborhood you live in makes a difference. You need to assess risks and choose a system adapted to the kind of situations you are likely to run into.

You want an alarm system that protects more than your doors. Burglars often enter through windows as well. You want a security system that monitors all your windows and doors. With this method, your family will be safer.

If you get home and notice an open door, do not go in to see what has happened. This can be a dangerous scenario, as the criminal might still be present. The best thing to do is call the police and wait for them to arrive before doing anything else.

Get flashlights with good batteries, and have them in each room in case you lose power. Having these in an easy to find place will allow you to see in the dark much quicker. Train your kids how to use flashlights so that all members of the family can contribute.

Homeowners make every attempt to make their home safe. This piece is replete with useful tips on safeguarding any home. The first step towards safety is making use of them.

A great way to achieve extra security is to install exterior lighting equipped with motion detectors. These lights provide extra light for your home and are very cost efficient. If positioned correctly on the exterior of your home, the motion detectors make it virtually impossible for an intruder to sneak onto your property.