Bad things usually occur whenever you aren’t expecting it. Don’t neglect to prepare for unfortunate events. Read the guidelines in this guide in order to make your house a safe place that will scare intruders from coming in.

Is your dog outside even if you are away? Use him or her to help hide your spare key! Put it on their collar. Especially if your dog is not very friendly, this will help keep your key safe.

Create the illusion that your home is constantly occupied. Buy timers so that lights, radios, TVs and all other electronics turn on and off at various times. This makes people think you’re home. This is just one of the many precautions you can take to secure your home.

Do not be shy. Speak to your neighbors. Watch their houses, and ask if they’d do the same. Listen to gossip also. While this is unorthodox, it may clue you into a possible home security threat.

The only time you should give out house keys to house cleaners is if you absolutely trust them. Make sure you know they are legitimate before giving out the key. Go over their references and do some background research on the company they work for. If you hire a cleaner from a company, then you should check the company with the BBB.

Any program to improve the security of your home should begin with complete replacement of your door locks. Maybe you’ve had a roommate leave or a bitter ex-lover, so changing the locks can keep you safer. It is generally cheap and may be done in a little under a day.

Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. This ensures during a break in that the most important things are not stolen. The safe should be kept hidden in a basement or attic.

Do you live out in the country? If so, you might not be as worried about burglars breaking in as those people in the city are. People who live in the country may even be more vulnerable because they do not have nearby neighbors. Others feel rural residents have a lower risk of being burglarized.

If you retain a space key for when you get locked out, consider the place you hide it carefully. Doormats and door frames are predictable places that burglars will always check. Try hiding your key somewhere more unique, like your outside dog’s collar.

A secure hiding place can be created in a wall. If you need to protect expensive items in your home, put them inside the walls. Place them in switch plates, phone jacks or an electric outlet. If you’re using all your outlets, you can install phony ones.

Never let a stranger inside. Even if they tell you a sob story about needing help, this warning remains true. Some people will simply knock on your door to see whether or not there is a security system installed, and if there isn’t, they may target you later when you’re away.

Don’t ever place your spare key under your mat or next you a plant box. Though you may think you are giving yourself a way into your home if you lose your key, you are actually inadvertently inviting intruders into your home. Thieves are aware of these hiding spots. A better solution is to give your key to a neighbor you trust.

In the summer, remove all the dead trees from your yard. These can quickly become fire hazards when hit by direct sunlight, placing your house at risk. You can prevent disasters by keeping your yard clean.

Regardless of how long you think you’ll be gone, make sure to lock your doors. It is more common than you would believe for a thief to find a home, try the door and walk right in when it’s unlocked. A thief can steal lots of stuff in a little amount of time.

Keep your car in your garage if you have one. This will keep thieves from stealing it or harming it. When your car is hidden, it will be hard for intruders to tell if you are home or not.

After making major (i.e. expensive) purchases, don’t dump the packaging out front if your next scheduled garbage pick-up is several days away. These boxes sitting outside your home serve as a flag for thieves to target your home.

Be bold. Build up a rapport with the people who own homes close to yours. Watch their houses, and ask if they’d do the same. Listen for gossip too. You may stumble across valuable security information, like if someone has noticed a stranger lurking around the neighborhood.

If your door is set in a rotted frame, you must replace the frame. The rotten wood will be simple to remove, allowing a thief access to your home. Replace it as soon as possible.

Before doing anything else, install new locks in your home. There are many different people who might have keys from your past, and removing the potential of them accessing your home can be a very good idea. This doesn’t usually cost much, and it can be accomplished in less than a day.

Keep the outside areas of your home well lit. Dark houses invite burglars who prefer to operate under cover of darkness. The most important parts of your home to light are all of its potential access points. Having these outdoor lights installed can really work as a deterrent to criminals who are considering your house.

Listen to your intuition as to whether your system is being installed by a trustworthy home security company. If the installers make you feel uncomfortable, heed your feelings. There is nothing wrong with asking for a different technician if you’re uneasy. The purpose of using the company is to calm your uneasiness, not worsen it.

Purchase a paper shredder to prevent your discarded papers from providing burglars with valuable information. You would be surprised at how often thieves look through trash to find personal information to find out when you will be away from home so they can break in. Rip important documents in small pieces before throwing them away if you do not have a paper shredder.

Those that live in rural area are not as concerned about having their home invaded as those who are located in the city. Some maintain that rural dwellers have greater risk since their neighbors live farther away. Others think that rural places have less of a chance of being targets for burglars.

There is no need to have keyed locks on interior doors. There are key-less locks that open with a push-button security code. They are fairly simple to install, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing so yourself, you can ask your home security company about it.

A wall is a great hiding place. Small valuables fit nicely inside walls. Any phone jack or electrical outlet that isn’t being used is a great place to hide valuables. If you do not have any unused plates, it is easy to install a false one.

Inquire about various contract lengths which your security company might offer. Each will have its own pros and some cons, too. With a longer contract, your monthly payment is likely to be lower. The downside is you might be stuck for a longer period of time if you decide you don’t like the service or want to move. There’s more freedom with a contract that’s shorter, but the monthly payments may be higher.

You can hide your valuable items inside your walls. You don’t have to cut out pieces of the wall to do this. There should be pre-cut spaces throughout your home that will suffice. How about unwiring an electricity socket and using it as cover for a place to stash valuable jewelry?

Avoid keeping auto registration in your glove compartment. If someone accesses these documents, they can determine your address. Keep them on you, or another place to hide them. You should have easy access to them if you should be pulled over.

Copper Wiring

You should think about a wired system if maintenance is a concern. Wireless set-ups need battery changes all the time. If the batteries are not changed, the system might not work at all. In addition, replacing multiple batteries can be expensive.

There is a lot of value in copper wiring. Lots of people fail to appreciate this until they are hit by thieves. 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. Be sure that your wiring is concealed or difficult to access in order to keep your wires safe.

Keep your drapes closed at night. You want to avoid having people peek through the window. A glimpse of tempting valuables may convince burglars that your home is worth a visit in the near future. Lock everything up and shade your windows to stay discreet.

If you are seeking home safety ideas that are simple and inexpensive, you should buy outdoor lights with motion sensors. This is a fairly inexpensive way to provide light and security to your property. With good positioning and properly set motion detectors, intruders will not be able to sneak up on your home unnoticed.

Women are more likely than men to be a target for burglary. This is especially true if they live on their own with children. Put muddy boots on the doorstep so that it appears there is a big man that lives in your home. This will drive away thieves.

Make sure your home’s exterior is well lit. Thieves prefer to work in darkness. Install lighting anywhere a possible intruder might break in. Consider all your doors, porches, patios, decks, garages and all ground-level windows.

Although locks sealed inside are okay, they are useless if they can’t be locked from the outside. A deadbolt is always the best choice, and those with keys inside and outside guarantee a burglar cannot open it.

Many people avoid the neighborhood busybody, but try getting on their good side. If someone who looks suspicious is hanging around your home, this busybody might notice it first. By befriending this person, you will always have updates on the latest neighborhood news and threats.

There are obviously benefits to owning a large dog with a scary bark. Burglars don’t want to get bitten or attacked. Consider getting a large dog that may protect your family, but is also great with your kids.

You should lock all your windows, even on the second floor. Burglars may not use the front entrance, so this is important for you to do. This is not the case. This is known as a common weak spot, and criminals know all about this.

Video security systems are a nightmare for a burglar. When you see a burglar with a mask in the movie, you are watching fiction. Eye witness testimony alone can be overwhelming for the victim, and cameras are an effective deterrent in crime prevention. If they notice a security system, they won’t bother.

Women have more chances of being the target of a home invasion if they live alone. Place large, muddy boots at your doorstep so it looks like a big, burly fellow lives there. This will definitely deter criminals from entering your home.

Did you know that even your garbage can affect your home security? For instance, if you have bought pricy electronics and you place the empty boxes outdoors, thieves will see that and end up breaking into your home to snatch them. The smallest of purchases may indicate you have something valuable in your home, making thieves believe you have things worth taking.

Criminals are tough to predict, and you never know when you may be targeted. Don’t leave things up to fate; be proactive. Keep these tips in mind, and start looking for a quality home security system.

Do not keep the code on a electronic garage door opener. The code that is included with a garage door opener is standard and will work with any other garage door of that make and model. Intruders will try the most common codes as well as the default codes to get into garages.