It goes without saying that, as a homeowner, you wish to keep your investment safe. Having your home destroyed is one of the worst feelings ever. Your home is more than your biggest investment, it is a place where you build memories. Read on to take better care of your home.

If someone comes to clean your home, only give them a key if they’re trustworthy. If you plan on giving them the key so that they can work in your home for over an hour, make sure that they’re reputable, hardworking, and honest. 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.

Only allow maids and cleaning services to have a key to the house if they are known to be trustworthy. If you plan to give them a key so they can clean in your home while you are away, ensure they are reputable and honest. Make sure you verify all references. If your cleaning person comes from a company, check with the BBB.

Solicit word of mouth recommendations from friends, colleagues and family members to find a great home security company or system. This will help you to reduce the stress that you have on your search for a good one. By asking around, you will gain information about the pros and cons of a variety of options.

It is always best to not let people in that just show up out of the blue. Be wary of those who come to your door selling products, asking for help, or telling sob stories. This person might just be casing the joint to see if there is home security equipment.

Home security systems offer other triggering features besides having an alarm sound. Most of them can be programmed to alert you to anyone entering your home. Parents riding herd on small children will be thankful for this feature which makes it harder for kids to sneak outside without supervision.

Don’t open your door when strangers are knocking. There are people who are going to be convincing, but they can just be professional thieves. Keep a hard, fast rule that says you only open the door for invited guests in order to keep your family safe.

Police Department

If you have an attached garage, don’t forget to secure it as well. You can prevent this from happening easily. Use a C-clamp to secure the door if it’s off track.

See what your local police department offers in terms of home protection programs. There are plenty of things that can be done, from a safety walk to cataloging expensive items to help protect your investment and your family. Contact the police department to see if they have something similar.

Don’t be shy. Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Look out for their property, and see if they will look out for yours. Don’t disregard gossip either. You might find out valuable information related to security, like if there have been any strangers hanging around.

The fist thing you’ll need to do for home security is to get new locks. Perhaps your roommate left town or you have gone through a messy divorce, and you need to feel that the home is safe. It’s generally cheap can can take less than a day to do.

Go with your instincts when choosing a security system company. If the men who come to your home to do the installation seem untrustworthy, you can change your mind. You can decide to use a different company, or ask for a different person to install it. Remember, the new security apparatus is meant to make you feel safe and secure.

Walls are the perfect place to hide. You can hide small valuables inside the walls. You can use phone jacks or electric outlets as hiding spots. If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.

If your home has skylights, don’t neglect to secure them. While they are an excellent source of natural light, they are also an easy way for thieves to enter your home. Make sure that you use safety hardware when the skylights are installed and maintained.

Hide valuables in spaces in your walls. Don’t make it obvious by cutting out big chunks of drywall. You can find areas in your walls that are pre-cut and use those. What about un-wiring an electrical socket which isn’t used to utilize as a cover to hide your jewelry?

Lock the house, even if just going away for a short time. Most burglars gain entry to a home through an unlocked door. It doesn’t take long for a thief to steal thousands of dollars worth of stuff.

Walls are great for hiding items. This is a great way to hide jewelry, for example. Just take advantage of the phone jack, electrical outlet or unused switch plate. You can also just put in a false plate to cover a hiding place.

When selecting a home alarm system, choose one that protects many areas of your home, not just the doors. All windows can be entry spots for thieves. Make sure you have a monitored alarm on every one of them. This is vital to keeping your family safe.

Even the wires inside your home are worth something. Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. It does not take much time to strip off the expensive copper wires from the exterior of your house. Hide your wiring for optimum security.

Make sure that none of your valuables can be seen from the outside. Though it is nice to have big windows to get a great view of the outdoors, it is also easier for burglars to look into your home. Keep your windows covered and your belongings private.

If you scheduled an appointment for a member of the security company to come to your house, ask them to show you some identification first. Intruders could disguise themselves to inspect your home. This puts your household and valuables at considerable risk. You want to use caution to prevent danger.

Prior to allowing access to anyone, make sure you are shown proper identification. It wouldn’t hurt to also perform a background check. Anyone you bring into your home to work could be your worst enemy.

Lock your home when you leave, even if you don’t think you will be away for long. Many burglaries happen because the intruders can just walk right inside. A thief could steal all your valuables in only a few minutes.

Ask about the history of any home security company you are considering. Many years of service bode well for the company’s performance. Realizing you at involved with a stable firm will give you a sense of calm that is important.

One effective home security trick you can use is by installing outdoor motion sensor lights. Thieves prefer to work in darkness. Install lights in areas where intruders might come. Consider all your doors, porches, patios, decks, garages and all ground-level windows.

Make sure all the wood around your doors is in great shape. Rotted wood causes a serious weakness in your home’s security because it makes it easy to pry open doors. When you see that wood is beginning to rot, replace it with new wood for better home safety.

Make sure that your house number are visible from the street. Make sure they are large in case emergency personnel need to find your house. Fortunately, it doesn’t require much to fix this problem.

Your pup is a great crime deterrent. Dogs become extremely protective of their families and bark when uneasy. You do not need a large, vicious guard dog. Any size dog will drive criminals away, as the barking will be too much noise for them to be stealthy.

Whenever you sign with a home-security company, it is important that you thoroughly read the contract. They sometimes have hidden costs if you let go of them prior to the contract expiring. You should avoid these fees as much as you can; therefore, you need to know of their existence.

Clearly, it is not prohibitively difficult to secure your home. There is some education that is required though. Use what you’ve just learned to secure your home. Don’t miss one, or you may leave your security with a hole.