If you are worried about home security, you have good reason. You never know when someone is going to attempt to do you harm. Go through the following tips and take them to heart to live a safer life.

Look for ways to make your home seem occupied. Invest in timers to automatically turn on and off any electronics at various times. This way it will always look as if someone is home, even when you are away. This is great for keeping a home safer from burglaries.

Think very carefully about where to hide your spare key. Avoid cliched hiding places like over the door frame or beneath the doormat. Experienced criminals will check these places immediately. You could hide the key with your dog on the collar.

Your dog could carry a spare key for you. Really this works only if you have a pet door or if your dog is an outdoor dog. Hide a key inside the collar of your dog in case you need a spare.

If you will be away from your house for an extended period of time, turn the ringers off for all your phones. A burglar might hear your phone ring and ring and ring, then realize that you are not home to answer it.

It is a good idea to replace all the locks on the new home you buy. You never know how many copies of the keys the previous owners made and handed out. Speak with a locksmith to get a unique lock for your home. This is also a good idea in the event that you misplace your keys.

You should not be shy. Talk to your neighbors. Watch out for their homes, and ask them to do the same for you. Pay attention to gossip. You might find out valuable information related to security, like if there have been any strangers hanging around.

Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? Use him or her to help hide your spare key! Attach the key inside their collar and make sure it can’t be seen. This works especially well as storage if your pet isn’t too fond of strangers.

If you have skylights, do not neglect them when making sure your home is secure. Skylights are nice to bring extra light into your house, but they are also easy ways for burglars to enter your home. Be certain that skylights in your home can be locked securely.

Keep your jewelry, vital documents and other expensive items in a safe. This will keep your stash of diamonds, gold and other valuable items out of view and inaccessible to burglars. Put the safe somewhere difficult to get to, like the attic.

The walls of your home make for great hiding spots. If you need to protect expensive items in your home, put them inside the walls. All you need is a wall opening you’re not using (something like a phone jack, electrical box, or switch plate). Installing a false unused plate is very easy to do if your home doesn’t have one.

Shop around when looking for a good home security system. Most companies have different price schemes for the the same general level of protection. Try to get two or three quotes before making a decision.

Consider hiding valuables within your walls. You do not have to damage your walls to keep your valuables safe. Take a closer look at your walls and note just how many access points there are already. An unused outlet can be taken apart, and the space used to create a tiny hidden safe.

If you retain a space key for when you get locked out, consider the place you hide it carefully. Under the doormat or above the door frame are all too common spaces that will be checked first by potential intruders. One good place to hide a spare key is in the collar of a dog that does not take kindly to strangers.

Entry Points

Before agreeing to work with a security company, check with your friends and family for recommendations. 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.

When you pick an alarm system, it’s a good idea to get one that provides protection for both doors and windows. Your windows are easy entry points for crooks too. Be sure your home alarm covers all entry points into your home. This is just one more thing you can do to protect your home.

Regardless of the type of home security system you choose, be sure to have regular inspections and maintenance performed. This should be performed by a technician from your security company. There are quite a few things that can negatively impact the effectiveness of home security equipment. For example, adverse weather conditions or pests such as raccoons can cause problems. It’s quite possible for there to be a fault in your system even if you can’t see it.

If you are throwing away the box an expensive item came in, wait until trash day to put the box out. Having these boxes around for a while will give people an idea of what is inside your house.

Follow your instincts when choosing a home security company. If the installers give you the heebie-jeebies, it’s not a good sign. Do not hesitate to ask for a different person to install the system or even consider hiring a different company. You need to feel secure with the entire process.

If you’ve recently moved into a house, get any locks changed out. Even if the previous owner or tenant seems trustworthy, you have no way of knowing how many copies of the key they made and distributed. Bear in mind that other people may have lived in the home before the previous owner.

Don’t think you’re not at risk just because you don’t live in a big city. Nonetheless, people in the country may be at greater risk due to being far away from neighbors. Still, there are those who are of the opinion that rural properties are less of a temptation to burglars.

Replace rotten wood on your door frame. Rotten wood is easily removed and can give an intruder a way into your home. Replace rotting wood with fresh wood to improve your home’s security.

A skylight is another area that needs to be protected for home security. They look great and provide light, but also are another access point. Having heavy duty, reliable hardware is best when it comes to skylights.

Before you let any strangers enter your home, be sure you look over their references. Check if they have any history of criminal activity. Someone can seem nice and professional on the outside, but they may not be so nice on the inside.

Walls are a great hiding spot for your valuables. You can hide small valuables in your walls. You could utilize an electrical outlet, phone jack, or unused switch plate. You can also install a fake one.

Having light on in your home at night will scare crooks away. They don’t want anyone to see them. Making your home’s exterior nice and bright will make it impossible for crooks to go undetected. Make sure the lights stay on to keep your home safe.

You could hide some valuables within your walls. This doesn’t necessarily involve chopping up your walls, either. Take a closer look at your walls and note just how many access points there are already. How about unwiring your electric socket and using that as an area to stash your jewelry?

Consider all of your individual security needs before looking into any alarm systems. While these systems are great and can help protect your family, they are not necessary for everyone. In some neighborhoods, you might be better off taking a self defense class or owning a dog, while in others, the latest innovations in home security will protect you best. Understand completely the risks and rewards in order to make an informed purchase decision.

Add motion detector lighting to the exterior of your home for increased security. At night, not only will these lights be handy to light up areas around your home,they are also a cost-effective and efficient security addition. Whenever you properly position these lights, they will make it almost impossible for burglars to sneak in.

Consider a wireless home security system. These systems are much more efficient and can save you time and hassle. Wireless systems don’t need your home’s power in order to properly work. In addition, they can be usually be installed and maintained easier.

Always enlist the powers of online research to help you make a smart choice when it comes to home security companies. Many websites offer reviews, recommendations, and detailed pricing information. Once you do this, make appointments with the three best companies you find so that you can compare pricing and other important details.

Find out more about the different contracts your security company offers. There are usually pros and cons in each contract. Longer contracts may create a lower bill per month, but you you could maintain those monthly expenses if you discontinue service or sell the home. If you want more freedom, it is best to purchase a more expensive but shorter contract.

Before you go shopping for a home security system, take a moment to think about your specific situation and unique requirements. Although automated electronic systems are powerful, they’re not necessarily the cost-effective solution for every home. In some neighborhoods, you might be better off taking a self defense class or owning a dog, while in others, the latest innovations in home security will protect you best. Be sure to understand the sorts of risks you face before deciding what sort of security is best for you.

Credit Card

If you don’t own a paper shredder, it would be a good idea for you to buy one. A thief looking through your discarded papers can find a lot of information you do not want them to have. They may even learn your schedule, so they can burgle your home while you are away. If a shredder is too expensive, at least tear relevant paperwork into small bits.

Spring latch locks are not a good option. They are simple to open if you have a credit card. Intruders can just wedge the credit card in between the latch and the door, causing it to open. If you have spring latches already installed, consider adding deadbolts too.

Make sure the inside of your garage isn’t visible. Frost your windows so people cannot look inside your home. Avoid leaving the door open for extended periods of time.

Be realistic about what you need to do in order to protect your family. There really are people out there that do not have your best interests in mind. Keep these tips in mind in order to keep your home safe.

Common security problems in homes include sliding glass doors. Intruders can easily unlock these doors by simply lifting and shaking. If your doors are not equipped with a security system, grab a pipe and cut it so that it fits the channel of the door. This will help keep the door tightly closed and make it hard to open.