Home maintenance includes home security. Sadly, who knows where to start? This article provides some valuable advice that can help lead you down a path to a more secure home.

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. If your dog lives outside or is able to come and go through a dog door, this is a viable idea. Attach the key to your dog’s collar, and it will be handy if you ever need a spare.

Does your dog stay outside while you are gone? They may provide you with a useful place to hide your key. Attach the key inside their collar and make sure it can’t be seen. This is the perfect place to store a spare key, especially if your dog doesn’t care for strangers.

Does your dog remain outside while you’re gone? Your dog is an excellent place to hide your spare key. Simply put the key onto your dog’s collar so that robbers cannot locate it. This is very effective if your pet is afraid of strangers; therefore, burglars are not very likely to notice the key.

Setting off an alarm during a burglary is just one of the valuable functions a good security system can perform. Most security systems can facilitate alarm sounds anyone enters. This can be valuable to parents with small children as they are made aware their child has opened or closed a door.

It’s important to comparison shop for alarm systems. You’ll find a wide range of prices from different companies. Obtain quotes from a minimum of three home security companies before making a final decision.

If you’ve got lots of people you don’t know on your social networks, don’t let them know that you’re going to be on vacation. While these platforms are there for sharing, this is announcing to the world that your home is an open target.

You should always park your car inside your garage instead of using your garage to store some belongings. Protect your car from vandals by keeping it in the garage. Keeping your car out of sight is also good for thwarting burglars’ attempts to determine when you are likely to be away from home.

Do not open your door for people you do not know. People are coming up with all sorts of ways to convince people to open their door to them, with the intent of committing burglary or worse. You should only open the door to people you were expecting.

The first thing to do is get your locks changed out. Whether you just bought your home or someone just moved out that you were living with, this is an important step to any new situation. This is something that you can do yourself and does not cost much money at all.

You should clean your yard of vegetation and dead wood. As it gets hotter, the chances of these igniting and putting your house at risk increase. Be sure all sorts of flammable items are kept under control around your home.

Hide the wires of your home security system. You don’t want a burglar to get access to them and disable your system. Don’t make it easy for an intruder, have the wires buried or hidden within the home’s walls. That will make you safer.

Be sure to keep your car in your garage rather than filling your garage with stored belongings. In this way, your car will be safer. A car kept locked in a garage is much less likely to be stolen or damaged. Hiding it will help to deter people from tracking the times you aren’t there.

Just moved in? Time for new locks! It may seem as if the former owners of the home are honest, but really you don’t know much about them. If the previous owners have never changed the locks, there could be people out there who owned the house before them and still have keys to your house.

Don’t be shy. Meet your neighbors. Keep an eye out for their houses, and request that they return the favor. Pay attention to gossip as well. It is often a good way to find out about security issues, such as strangers in the neighborhood.

If you hire a security company, read any fine print. Sometimes, hidden costs can be incurred if you get rid of the service before a certain date. You’ll want to avoid any surprises so be sure and read your contract carefully.

Whenever you are selecting a home security company, make sure you go with your gut feelings. This is especially true if you are uneasy with those who are installing the actual system. You should not hesitate to ask if you can work with a different representative or find a different company if you are not comfortable. Ultimately, the whole point is for you to have peace of mind.

Be sure to make good use of the Internet when you’re trying to select your home security company. Many websites offer reviews, recommendations, and detailed pricing information. Put together a list of the different home security companies you want to know more about and give them a call.

Walls are great for hiding things. This is a great way to hide jewelry, for example. Simply take advantage of an unused switch plate, electrical outlet, or phone jack. If you do not have any unused plates, it is easy to install a false one.

For maximum safety, your home needs bright exterior lighting. Thieves like to commit crimes when no one can see. The most important parts of your home to light are all of its potential access points. Over doors, near windows and especially your back yard need to be lit.

If you are moving into a home that had a previous owner, then you should immediately change the locks. The previous tenants may have returned the keys, but they could have a copy. Find a reliable locksmith who can replace the locks or do it yourself.

If you don’t own a paper shredder already, you might want to get one. Thieves often find the trash cans to be a gold mine of pertinent information about potential victims. If you can not afford to purchase a paper shredder, just rip the paper into smaller pieces.

You have to keep your home secure to have an enjoyable life. That’s just a fact. Hopefully you now have a better understanding about how to really secure your home.

Install a home surveillance system. Video cameras are an excellent way to keep your home safe. Also, you can capture the intruder in the act. Some security systems are accessible via mobile phone, which lets you look in on your house when away.