You probably know someone personally who has had his home burglarized at one point in the past. Home invasions are not uncommon, and it’s important to take certain precautions. Regardless of who you are, break-ins can happen to you. Read this article to get ideas on securing your home.

Do you keep your dog outdoors when you go out? He or she is actually a great place to store your spare key. Secure the key on the inside of the dog’s collar. If your dog doesn’t like strangers, it’s even better.

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 it look as though people are home no matter what. This is an excellent method for avoiding burglary and keeping your home secure.

Buy a safe to keep all of your valuables in one place at home. Doing so can protect your valuables in the event of a robbery. Keep your safe in your basement or attic to make it hard to find.

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. Really this works only if you have a pet door or if your dog is an outdoor dog. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

Solicit word of mouth recommendations from friends, colleagues and family members to find a great home security company or system. They may have had experiences with certain companies and can lead you in the right direction. By asking around, you will gain information about the pros and cons of a variety of options.

It is a good idea to replace all the locks on the new home you buy. The person who previously owned the home may have made copies of keys. To make sure you are the sole person with access to the home, engage the services of a locksmith. This is also the thing to do if you lose the keys.

Be sure to secure your attached garage. Some people are concerned about burglars entering through an attached garage. Get a C-clamp to secure your garage door if it is mounted on a track.

Only give your house key to a professional house cleaner if you trust them. Be sure any home cleaner you give your key to is trustworthy and reputable. All references should be checked. If the cleaner is from a firm, try calling the local BBB to find out about the firm’s reputation.

Keep your car in the garage. If your car is in your garage there is less of a chance to vandalize or steal it. When it is in hiding, people won’t know if you’re home.

A spare key must be carefully hidden and not in the obvious spots that a person might think. Under the doormat or above the door frame are all too common spaces that will be checked first by potential intruders. Try hiding your key on a lawn statue or in a potted plant.

Do not be shy. Be friendly with people that live in the neighborhood. Keep on eye on their home and ask neighbors to return the favor. You shouldn’t neglect gossip. You never know what sort of security issues you might become privy to.

If you’re going on a trip for an extended period of time, switch the ringer off on all home phones. A constantly ringing phone lets thieves know that you are not home and could increase the chances of you getting robbed.

Listen to your intuition as to whether your system is being installed by a trustworthy home security company. If the installers give you the heebie-jeebies, it’s not a good sign. There is nothing wrong with asking for a different technician if you’re uneasy. After all, the point of the system itself is to help you feel more at ease.

Your garage needs to be secure. A common concern expressed among homeowners is that someone might enter their garage and use that as an entrance to their home. There is a solution, however. Use a C-clamp to secure the door if it’s off track.

If you’re in a rural place, you might not be as worried about break-ins as those that are in the city. The risk is still there, so a home security system is vital. Some think rural areas see less burglary.

You should not be shy. It is important to communicate with others who also live in your area. Ask them to watch your home if you are on vacation. Don’t ignore the gossip. This might provide you with some valuable information, at times related to security, including information about potential strangers who you might not want near your home.

Be certain the wires to your home security system are neither visible nor accessible. An intruder can cut the wires if he can find them. Never make things easy for them. Ask the person installing it to bury the wires or hide them inside the walls. This will make you much safer.

Skylights need to be secure, too. Skylights are nice to bring extra light into your house, but they are also easy ways for burglars to enter your home. Be sure that the skylights for your home are durable and reliable.

If you move into a home or apartment that has been previously lived in, the first thing you should do is change the locks. Although the tenant before might have turned their key in, they might still have a duplicate key. For maximum security, buy your own locks and install them yourself. This way you can be certain nobody else has a key.

Place your valuables in cut-outs in your walls. You don’t have to damage the walls to do so. Instead, you can use the small spaces that are already there. Unused electrical sockets can be great for hiding expensive jewelry.

If you need to make the outside of your home secure, you can achieve this relatively inexpensively by installing lights with motion detectors. This is a fairly inexpensive way to provide light and security to your property. If you position motion detectors properly, it is very hard for someone to sneak onto the property.

Entry Points

Keep burglars on the outside of your garage by making sure nobody can actually see inside the garage. Have your windows frosted so they aren’t as easy to see through. Don’t leave the door unlocked for a long time, either.

A good home security system monitors all entry points to your home. Windows are all potential entry points for burglars. The alarm and monitoring system should be set for all windows and doors. Doing this will help ensure the safety of your home and loved ones.

Don’t fit your exterior doors with locks of the spring latch variety. These locks are easy to pick, and it can be done with an ordinary credit card. An intruder has only to press the card into the doorjamb between latch and the door and the lock will pop open. If you’ve already got spring latch locks, you can put in a deadbolt for additional security.

If you have any boxes to discard from large, expensive items, wait until the evening before the trash is scheduled for collection. They show the world you have money and lots of valuables inside.

Hard-wired security systems can be a sound choice. Wireless systems are of course convenient, but unfortunately you have to change numerous sets of batteries regularly. Not replacing the batteries keeps your system from working properly. Additionally, it can cost a pretty penny to buy batteries again and again.

Be sure to replace all of the old locks as soon as you move into a new domicile. Although you may trust the previous homeowner, you cannot be 100% sure of their character. Keep in mind that there may have been residents prior to that person too.

If you turn lights off and on at the same hours each day, you should use a timer. The automatic timer will keep the lights going on and off on schedule, so a thief will not be able to tell when you are away. Even when you are at home, the timer is convenient because it saves you from having to remember to turn on the lights.

Equipping each room in your house with a reliable flashlight (charged with good batteries, of course!) is an excellent safety investment. Flashlights are very important, as they will give you the ability to move around in the event of an emergency. Train kids how to use the flashlights so that everyone may contribute.

Always lock all your windows, even the ones on the second floor. People think no burglar will get up to that floor. This could not be further from the truth. Intruders will check these windows if the first floor is secured.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that your home is not a target for burglars because it’s not the fanciest house in the neighborhood. Easy access to the home is what most criminals look for. Follow the advice below to make sure your house and family are safe and secure.

Deadbolts are your best locks since they have what is called captive keylocks. A thumb latch prevents outsiders from accessing your door locks through an adjacent window. When at home you should keep the key securely in the lock. In this way you will be able to exit quickly in case of emergency.