What are you willing to pay to keep your home and family safe? Are the offerings of big security companies too expensive for you? Are you wondering what other options you have? They are right here. Read on for home security tips, both big and small.

If you need to leave a key for a maid service, make sure that that whoever cleans your house is professional and trustworthy. Be sure to check out the background of any housekeeper you plan to provide with a key to your home. Check references thoroughly. If it is a known company, check with your local BBB.

Beware giving keys to your maid unless the service has your absolute trust. Make sure you know they are legitimate before giving out the key. All references should be checked. If you are using a cleaning firm, make sure it has an excellent Better Business Bureau rating.

Comparison shop when you are ready to buy a home security system. Several different firms may offer similar protection for wildly divergent prices. Get at least 3 quotes from security system companies and compare features and services as well as monthly costs.

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. This is a valuable safety feature for parents of small children since they know if their child has exited the home.

If you have an attached garage, don’t forget to secure it as well. Often people are concerned that burglars can enter the home via the attached garage . Happily, there is a solution to this problem. If your garage lifts up on a track, try using a C-clamp. This will prevent your door from opening up if the clamp is close to its roller.

Keep your jewelry, vital documents and other expensive items in a safe. This is important, since you don’t want your valuables exposed to a potential intruder. Keep it hidden in a hard to find location.

Motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home is a great idea. This type of light will come on when they detect motion within a certain distance of your home. These lights will make you aware of, and can also scare off, potential burglars. Make sure you keep fresh light bulbs in your motion activated lights so that they will work correctly.

When you set out to purchase home security equipment, remember to comparison shop. You’ll find a wide range of prices from different companies. Make sure you get quotes from at least three companies before you decide on which one you think is the best option.

Be cognizant of what others can see when they look in your windows. A big front window gives you a good view; however, it also gives burglars a good view of the interior of your house. Make sure you keep your blinds closed or arrange your possessions in such a way that they can’t be seen from outside.

If you retain a space key for when you get locked out, consider the place you hide it carefully. The doormat is too obvious of a place to hide it, as robbers will look there first. Hide your alternative key on your dog’s collar.

Are you aware of the value present in the wiring in your home? A lot of people do not know this until a thief steals them from the house. It does not take much time to strip off the expensive copper wires from the exterior of your house. To protect this expensive asset, hide your wires or make them hard to get to.

Aim to purchase fire-resistant ceilings, roofs and floors. This can help your home be safer. Preventing fires is the best way to deal with them.

Keep flashlights in your rooms. They give you and your family the opportunity to move around should the electricity go out. Your whole family should be trained on the proper use and maintenance of flashlights.

If you have a lot of unfamiliar people on you social networking accounts, avoid letting everyone know you will be going on vacation. There may be a thief within this list and you would have been inviting him straight through your front door!

Before you let a security company representative enter your home, make sure they are in uniform, and don’t hesitate to ask them for identification. Criminals can easily pretend to be from a security firm as a means to gain entry to the house. This can put your family and possessions in danger. Be careful to avoid this sort of danger.

If you do not know the person at your door, don’t open it. There are people who are going to be convincing, but they can just be professional thieves. You should make sure you only open the door to your home for people that you know and are expecting.

Use the Internet when you are seeking a new home security company. Take a look at various websites and read over customer testimonials and details about various packages. After reading about these services, you can narrow down the results and use appointments for price comparisons.

It doesn’t matter how much money you spent, you should have an annual test. Get a professional in to check it out. Many factors cause issues with security systems like nature and wild animals. If you aren’t paying attention, you may not be aware of these problems.

As you work on your home’s landscape, don’t forget about safety. Doors and windows should not be obstructed by trees, plants or shrubs. If they can be seen, there will be no place to hide. Plan your greenery and shrubbery for areas away from the direct path to your home to add beauty while still keeping your house safe.

Walls are great for hiding items. If you have valuables that are small in size, you may want to hide them within your walls. Just access unused switch plates, outlets or phone jacks. If you use all of them, you can always have fake ones installed.

Before signing up for home security, find out how long they’ve been in business. A long-standing company has a track record in the industry that people can attest to. It’s good to know that the company won’t disappear overnight and leave your home unprotected.

Always lock your doors, even if you are just walking down the street. It is more common than you would believe for a thief to find a home, try the door and walk right in when it’s unlocked. It can be a quick job for a burglar to steal items of great value.

Light up your home’s exterior. Burglars like committing crimes in the darkness. Add lights to any areas you believe are potential entry points for burglars. This means by the garage, in the doorways, around windows and much more.

Security System

See if your firm gives you the choice of leasing and/or buying security equipment. Purchasing your equipment may cost more in the beginning, but this is a one-time cost which does not recur. Leasing usually proves cheaper at first, but it comes with strings attached through contracts or continuing fees and charges. Compare both avenues to see which one is better suited for your needs.

Hide your security system’s wiring. Many intruders bypass a security system by cutting the wires. Keep the wires hidden in the walls or underground to keep intruders from getting in. Your safety will increase.

Do not store your car registration in your glove box. This will prevent anyone from knowing where you reside. Instead, carry them with you or find a more secure location in your car. However, make sure you have them in case you were to get pulled over by the cops.

Don’t let any service people into your home without checking their references completely. Perform a background check to learn about their criminal history, too. There is no way of knowing whether or not service people are honest, so you should not give them keys to your home.

Second floor windows have to be locked tight, too. Many people think a criminal won’t check them. However, this isn’t always true. This represents a flaw in any home’s security scheme, and criminals know they can take advantage.

Have home-security companies come to your home so they can design the best possible system for it. Each situation is different. Working with a business that will look out for your specific interests will help you be much safer at home.

Women stand a much better chance of being the victims of home invasions, particularly if they live alone or with kids. Therefore, consider putting large boots on the front step of your home to make burglars believe a manly man lives in the room. This will give criminals second thoughts and make your home a less tempting target.

The areas outside your home should be kept well lit. Burglars like the cover of darkness to commit their crimes. Be sure and have a light next to any entry point in your home. Consider all your doors, porches, patios, decks, garages and all ground-level windows.

Indoor locks are nice, but outdoor locks are better. Use a deadbolt which has a key on the outside and inside for the best security.

Put the boxes of any expensive electronic items in your trash can so would-be burglars won’t know see them. This will just alert criminals to the fact that you have expensive items in your home. Remember to cut up the boxes when they’re emptied.

External wiring is an attractive prize for thieves. Electrical wires contain copper, which is extremely valuable. Conceal the wiring in your home so intruders cannot remove it or you will have to spend a lot on repairs.

Are you able to see the numbers on your house from the street? If the numbers aren’t legible, police may drive right by. Luckily, this is an issue that can be fixed quickly.

Avoid letting people outside see inside your home. If you’re able to see a computer or TV in a house, a thief may see it as well. Find some blinds or drapes you can use to protect your privacy. If you can’t do that, don’t keep your valuables in the peripheral rooms of your home.

You need to inquire about whether you can buy or lease the home security equipment. Buying equipment may be initially more expensive, but cheaper in the longer term. By leasing equipment, you can get the protection you want for less, but you may be paying for it over and over as time goes on. Evaluate both alternatives and choose the best option for yourself.

Clean your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors often. They tend to get dust on them which can prevent the sensors from going off when they should. Few things are more dangerous than a false sense of security. Ensure your detectors are working properly in order to stay as safe as possible.

The best defenses you can afford are what home security is all about. If the higher-end options are out of reach, at the very least deploy some economic options and tricks. The tips that you’ve read can be great alternatives for home security. This will help you set up a great fortification in and around your home.

Be aware of the types of things that you put out on the curb. If you bought something expensive, and you leave the boxes out for anyone to see, a burglar will probably target your home. Even if the boxes you leave on the curb are for something immobile, it could send a message to criminals that you likely have other valuables to steal.