Do you know much about home security systems? You should do more research on this topic if you want to find the ideal home security system. This is an expensive investment that means everything to the safety of your family, so continue reading to learn more.

Keep your jewelry, vital documents and other expensive items in a safe. You can’t have your valuable personal items and jewelry out in the open for anyone to see. Hide that safe in a difficult-to-reach place like in a closet inside your basement or an attic.

Make your home look occupied at all times. Invest in timers to automatically turn on and off any electronics at various times. This will make your home appear as if someone is there. This will help to deter burglars.

Social networking sites are great for keeping in touch, but post information sparingly. For example, you might avoid broadcasting when you are going out of town, especially if your friends list contains casual acquaintances. Although it’s fun to talk about, posting it online makes it more possible for criminals to find out when you’re gone.

You should always change the locks after purchasing a home. You have no clue how many people were given keys by the former owner. Call a locksmith to make sure you’re the only one with access to your home. Do the same thing if you happen to misplace a key.

When you’re picking out home security equipment and services, don’t forget to ask your friends and family for help. Most will be willing to share their likes, loves and loathes, especially as they realize how important it is to you. Therefore, ask everyone you can in order to obtain the most advice. With thorough advice, the best decision can be made.

If your home has a lot of valuable items inside, then you need to purchase a safe so that all of these items can be kept in a single location. A safe is the best way to protect your diamonds, gold and important documents. Hide that safe in a difficult-to-reach place like in a closet inside your basement or an attic.

Don’t let strangers enter your home. Remember that intruders have a lot of experience with tricking people. Some people just want to know if there is a security system so they can plan on coming back later or not.

When in the process of purchasing a home-security system, be sure to comparison shop. Prices vary significantly, even for similar levels of protection. You really owe it to yourself to solicit firm quotes from three different providers before you sit down to pick one.

Eliminate dead vegetation and rotting wood from the yard each summer. These could catch on fire during the summer, especially if you live in a dry area. Clearing your yard keeps your home, belongings and family much safer.

Hiding Places

Talk to your local police department about what they offer. They often offer home inspections, seminars and even the ability to purchase items. Ask your police department to see if these types of programs are available.

Hiding places for spare keys must be chosen with extreme care and caution. Avoid cliched hiding places like over the door frame or beneath the doormat. Experienced criminals will check these places immediately. For a better solution, try tucking your spare key into your dog’s collar, provided you have an outside dog.

Be more proactive when you are determining the safety of your neighborhood. Get to know other people who live next door and others in your neighborhood. Watch their homes for suspicious activity and get their word that they will do the same thing for you. It does not necessarily pay to steer clear of gossip. You might hear helpful information, for instance if strangers have been hanging around.

Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. A ringing phone that goes unanswered may signal to a burglar that nobody is home.

Believe it or not, the wires on your house are worth stealing. A lot of people do not know this until a thief steals them from the house. Copper wiring is quite valuable, and it’s quick and easy for criminals to strip it right off the outside of your house! To protect this expensive asset, hide your wires or make them hard to get to.

If your garage is attached to your house, make it secure. Many people are concerned about people entering their garages to gain access to their homes. If the garage door lifts via a track, you can use a C-clamp to stop your door from opening at the hands of intruders.

Be sure to replace rotten wood in the frame of your front door. Rotting wood is easy to remove and take apart if someone is trying to get in. Replace any wood that has begun to rot with new wood so that your house stays safe.

Changing the locks is a fundamental part of adding security to the home. If you have boarders, former live-in partners, or others who once had access to your home, this is especially important. This is a very easy process that you can complete within a day.

Unless you’re moving into a brand-new apartment or home, changing the locks should be one of your top priorities. Though the prior occupant may have relinquished their keys, there may be copies out there. You might even install new locks yourself so that you know you have the only keys.

Don’t ever place your spare key under your mat or next you a plant box. A key that is easily found is a convenience for a burglar, not just for you. Thieves know about all these hiding spots. A better option is to entrust an honest neighbor with a spare key.

Keep your outdoor areas well lit. Nothing is as attractive to a burglar as a dark, deeply-shadowed house. Light up the dark spots around your home. This includes doorways, windows, and your garage.

When you hire a security firm, be certain to review all contracts carefully. You may find fees appear unexpectedly, including excessive costs for ending your contract early. You are going to want to avoid these kinds of hidden fees, so know about them up front.

Shred any documents and junk mail that contains identifying information. You will be astonished at how burglars find important information from loose paper that they could use to break into your house. If a paper shredder is not in your budget, consider tearing your documents into tiny pieces or even burning them.

Having light on in your home at night will scare crooks away. They prefer not to be seen. If your house is well-lit, criminals will be hard pressed to be able to go undetected. If you want to stay secure, keep your house brightly lit.

When you purchase an expensive item such as a computer or TV, be sure to take the cardboard box to the recycling center rather than leaving it on your curb for all the world to see. If the burglars see the empty boxes, then they will realize you have the items in your home. As a result, they’ll be more likely to break in so they can steal it. When you empty the boxes, cut them up and throw them away so that burglars do not see them.

Take advantage of the Internet while comparing your home security options. Research the possibilities, check out package options and pricing and analyze customer feedback. With that information, you can make your appointments with the top three companies you’ve chosen so that you can compare pricing and look at specific monitoring and plans.

From the road, are your house numbers visible? In the event of an emergency, police officers may have trouble finding your house if they cannot read your address numbers. Fortunately, this is something that can be corrected quickly and cheaply.

Inquire with your home security service as to how long they’ve been in business. Companies with a long history can give you the best service for many years. Whenever you know you aren’t doing business with a fly-by-night company, you will be more assured your home is protected.

Ask the security company about various contract lengths. Compare the pros and cons of different options. Longer contracts may offer more affordable monthly payments; however, it may be hard to cancel that contract should you decide to change services or sell your house. With a shorter contract, you will have a greater level of flexibility. The downside is you will also have larger monthly bills.

Stand out in your street, and look toward your home. Are you able to see the numbers of your home? In the event of an emergency, police officers may have trouble finding your house if they cannot read your address numbers. There is a cheap and quick fix if you see an issue.

Do not use spring latch locks on your doors. These type of lock is the easiest lock to pick, it could even be opened by a credit card. The card is slid into the crevice between the latch and the door, pushing the latch back and springing the lock open. If this is the kind of lock on your doors, strongly consider adding a deadbolt for safety.

If there are certain rooms you want to keep unoccupied, then you don’t want to keep track of all the keys and locks. There are key-less locks that open with a push-button security code. Either you can install them or home security companies can.

Don’t keep your car registration in the glove box of your car. If someone finds them, they’ll know your address. Hide them somewhere else in the car, or carry them with you. They must still be easily accessible should you be stopped by police.

Ask about different contract lengths that your home security company may offer. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. You may pay less if you sign up for longer, but you might also get left with a contract if you have to sell your house. Short contracts leave you with freedom, but also a larger bill.

Make sure you select captive keylock deadbolts. This makes it impossible to open the lock from the outside because of the thumb latch. Put the key into the lock when home so you can get away if there is a fire.

Don’t keep your car registration inside the glove compartment. These valuable documents provide criminals with information about your home location. Hide them somewhere else in the car, or carry them with you. Make sure you can easily and quickly access them in the event that a police officer pulls you over.

While locks which are sealed up on the inside are dandy, if you can’t lock it from the outside, it won’t be of much use. Deadbolts are the best locks. The ones that are key operated on the interior and the exterior are burglar proof.

Program your lights to turn on and off at random intervals with a timer. This is simpler for you to avoid flipping the switch and can make the lights turn off and on even if you’re gone a long time.

Get security systems directly through the company. Why should you provide a middle man with a profit when you can purchase the item straight from the source? Dealing with the company means there will be no extra fees, and they will service your equipment whenever you need.

Do you feel better now that you’re more knowledgeable about home security? When you know more, the more likely you are to make a smart choice when deciding security issues. Start today to put this knowledge to use and provide your home with security.

The wiring outside may be easily targeted by burglars and thieves. Copper wiring is worth a lot today. Hiding wiring is a good way to prevent copper thieves from hitting your property.