Your home is where your family deserves to be safest, no matter what. When you are not home, it is important to keep your house secure. You can begin home protection with the advice in this article.

You can hide your spare key on your dog. Of course, your dog has to be an outdoor dog (or you at least need to have a doggy door) for this to work. You can purchase a special collar that will hold your spare key, so when you forget your keys your dog can let you in.

Don’t ever let it be apparent that there is no one at home. Use timers to make electronic devices and lights turn on and off at intervals. This will give the appearance that someone is at your house at all times. This is a simple way to give people up to no good think that you are home.

Be smart about where you decide to hide spare keys. It is very common for homeowners to hide them under a mat or above the framing of their door, and intruders know this. Try hiding your key somewhere more unique, like your outside dog’s collar.

Have your dog protect the spare key. This can be done if your dog can come outside. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

Buy fire-resistant building materials. This will add an extra protection layer for your house, particularly if you live near power lines or in a dry location. Fire prevention should be taken seriously because it can stop a major disaster from happening.

Always have the locks changed when you buy a new home. You simply do not know how many keys to the old locks are floating around. To ensure that you are the only one who has access to your house, call a locksmith. If you lose your keys, you should do the same thing.

Don’t open your door when strangers are knocking. You never know who they might be, despite their story. Make it a habit to only open your home’s door to people you were expecting.

If you keep a spare key outside to prevent yourself from being locked-out, think carefully about where you hide it. Under the doormat or above the door frame are all too common spaces that will be checked first by potential intruders. A better place to keep your key is inside your outside dog’s collar.

If you have an attached garage, make sure it is secure. People often worry about people getting in through attached garages, but you have a solution. Simply attach a C-clamp near the roller on the door track.

Ask your friends for advice before you choose a home security system or company. Others may have had bad and good experiences that they share with you so that you may be able to save time and stress. Do your research; it will help you make a good decision in the end.

Clear away all the dead and dried out vegetation around your home in the summer. This can be a fire hazard, especially if you live in an area with high heat. To make sure your home is safer, clear your yard periodically.

Avoid opening the door if you don’t know who is standing on the other side. Criminals can be endlessly inventive when it comes to generating a convincing story to force their way into your home. No matter how sympathetic the story, remember that it could all be a put-on. Be sure that everyone in your home knows not to open the door to strangers and unexpected visitors.

Install lights that have motion sensors. They turn on only if someone is nearby. The lights will notify you of motion and also deter would be burglars. Be sure to keep these lights working, though.

During the summer, remove all vegetation and dead wood from your yard. This sort of thing is a fire hazard in the heat of summer. Clear up your yard so it looks good and is safe.

When dealing with a company installing your home security system, it is important that you trust your gut. If you are hesitant about the company, your gut feeling is especially important. You don’t want to refrain from choosing a different company or technician. Remember, the new security apparatus is meant to make you feel safe and secure.

Avoid being shy. Engage your neighbors in conversation. Keep on eye on their home and ask neighbors to return the favor. Don’t ignore the gossip. You may end up hearing about things such as odd folks roaming about the neighborhood.

Regardless of how long you plan on being away from your home, always lock all the doors and windows whenever you leave. It may be a little surprising, but most burglaries and break-ins happen because the intruder just walks right through an open door. A thief could steal all your valuables in only a few minutes.

Meet with representatives from the security company you are considering to determine if they are trustworthy. If the men who come to your home to do the installation seem untrustworthy, you can change your mind. Ask for someone else to come out or switch companies. The system and the company should put your mind at ease.

Are you aware of the value present in the wiring in your home? Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. Experienced criminals can make a decent amount of money quickly by stripping copper wiring off of houses in order to sell it at a scrapyard. Be sure to keep your wiring hidden or difficult to reach.

Skylights could be a problem for the safety of your home. Skylights are a great addition to any home, but they are also tempting entryways for crooks. Any skylights in your home should be secured with strong hardware.

When allowing a representative from any security company to enter your home, look for someone in uniform and ask to see an identification. Thieves may say they are from a certain company to get into your home. This puts your household and valuables at considerable risk. Proceed with caution.

A secure hiding place can be created in a wall. Small valuables fit nicely inside walls. You could use a phone jack, electrical outlet or a switch plate. A security store will sell fake plates you can install anywhere.

Before you let any strangers enter your home, be sure you look over their references. Run a criminal background check on them, as well. Avoid giving keys out to contractors, maids and repairmen.

No one should be able to see your valuables from outside. You might enjoy large windows so you can see out, but just remember that makes it easier for those burglars to see inside your home as well. Cover all street-facing windows.

One relatively inexpensive way to add an extra layer of protection to your home is to install motion sensor lights for the exterior of your home. In the evening hours, this lighting can provide extra security and an economical way to light your front entrance way when you arrive. They also help to keep intruders away, because an intruder does not want to come close to your property if they know they might be spotted.

Always lock your home, regardless of how short your trip out is. Most break-ins and burglaries occur because a door is left open and an intruder just walks in. A thief could steal all your valuables in only a few minutes.

Get your neighbors to not only pick up your mail, but also any flyers left at your door. Burglars sometimes place fliers as a means to see if anyone is home to remove them. By your neighbor taking the flyer, it appears as if you got it yourself.

Ask your security provider about their history in the business. Any business with multiple years of history has a proven record in being reliable. When you know that you’re dealing with a company of some repute, you can feel more at ease making that decision.

You don’t have to have a giant key ring full of keys just because you want your home to be secure. There are key-less locks that open with a push-button security code. You can have keyless locks installed by a security company or you can do it yourself.

If you think something looks odd when you get back home, don’t go inside. This is a delicate situation as the burglar might still be in your home. Get on the phone to the authorities immediately.

Inquire about various contract lengths which your security company might offer. There are benefits and drawbacks to each. Long contracts may cost less each month, but it could leave you with a larger bill if you decide to end your service. Shorter contracts mean more freedom along with higher costs.

If you’re planning to be out of your home for a period of time, have a neighbor remove any fliers placed on your door. Thieves will drop off flyers to see if home owners are away. If the flier is not removed, it’s easy for a burglar to suspect that the owner is away.

Avoid spring latch locks. These locks are the simplest ones to breach, since they are able to be opened by using just a credit card. Intruders can pick these locks by wedging a credit card in between the latch and the door. If you have already installed spring latch locks, consider adding a deadbolt for even more security.

Equip your home with a system designed for home surveillance. You can make a huge difference in your home’s security by putting in cameras whether they’re concealed or out in the open. Visible cameras are a deterrent to most intruders, and should they decide to disable them, a hidden camera will continue to capture footage. Nowadays, you can track your surveillance on your own cell phone.

Talk to your home-security company to see if they provide buy and lease options for your equipment. Buying equipment can be pricey upfront, but it’s a single cost versus a monthly cost. Leasing is cheaper, but it can involve contracts and pricier monthly fees. Check out both options and determine which is best for you.

Can you locate your house number if you are standing on the street? The police will find it difficult to locate your home quickly if your address numbers are difficult to see. This is easy and inexpensive to fix if you believe there could be a problem.

Think about hard-wired security systems if you’re worried about long term maintenance costs. A wireless system required the regular replacement of many batteries. Your home security system will not function properly if you do not change the batteries. It’s also very costly to replace a lot of batteries at once.

Spring Latch Locks

Always keep your irreplaceable valuables secure. Some examples include legal documents, expensive jewelry, financial records, passports and family pictures. One option is a floor safe inside your home. If you want to be very secure, you can put it in safety deposit boxes at your bank.

Don’t utilize spring latch locks. These locks can easily be picked within a couple of minutes. This isn’t a difficult maneuver either. If your doors sport spring latch locks, add deadbolts to beef up security.

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 that use keys on both sides are the most secure locks.

Now that you’ve come to the end of this article, you know quite a bit about home security. How will you use it? Read everything you can find on this topic, so that you can swiftly and easily protect your house.

Avoid purchasing a security system from a third party. Instead, buy directly from the manufacturer. Re-sellers are after making a profit; therefore, they don’t have your best interests in mind. When talking to the company, make sure you don’t have to pay hidden fees and that someone will fix the equipment if needed.