All homeowners want a safe and secure home, but it is often hard to know how to attain that goal. In order to learn all you can about protecting your home, it is important that you do some research on the matter. The following article will help you set up a solid security plan.

Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. Be sure to check out the background of any housekeeper you plan to provide with a key to your home. One way to do this is to check their references. If applicable, call the BBB to inquire about their reputation.

Always make your house appear to be occupied. You could purchase timers and have your TVs, lights, radios and other types of electronics to go on at various times. It’ll make it seem like someone is home. This is just one of the many precautions you can take to secure your home.

Is your dog kept outside when you are away? This is where you can put your spare key. Stash the key on the pup’s collar to keep it out of sight. If your dog is suspicious of strangers, you have found a good hiding place for your key.

The only time you should give out house keys to house cleaners is if you absolutely trust them. Only select service people who are totally trustworthy. Carefully check their references. If applicable, call the BBB to inquire about their reputation.

Don’t let everyone in your social network know that you are leaving the home unprotected for your vacation trip; especially the people who you aren’t familiar with. Potential intruders could get a good idea of when you will be gone by monitoring what you share on social networks.

When you decide to purchase a home alarm system, make sure you comparison shop. Several different firms may offer similar protection for wildly divergent prices. You really owe it to yourself to solicit firm quotes from three different providers before you sit down to pick one.

Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. A constantly ringing phone lets thieves know that you are not home and could increase the chances of you getting robbed.

Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. If the phone rings without you there, burglars will suspect that you’re not home, and that can make your home a target for an attack while you’re gone.

If you have a stranger at your door, do not open it. There are people who are going to be convincing, but they can just be professional thieves. Make it a habit to only open your home’s door to people you were expecting.

Attached Garage

When it comes to securing your home, start by changing your locks. Has a roommate or ex-lover moved out recently? If so, then you need to change out the locks in order to keep you and your home safe. This doesn’t usually cost much, and it can be accomplished in less than a day.

Make sure your attached garage is secure. There is a solution for people that are worried about burglars going into their home through an attached garage. Get a C-clamp to secure your garage door if it is mounted on a track.

Always lock your home, regardless of how short your trip out is. It may shock you to know this, but a lot of intruders get inside homes through open doors. A thief can steal lots of stuff in a little amount of time.

You should regularly check your home security system, regardless of how reliable you believe it is. Ask someone from your security company to come over and have a look. There are many reason why a home security system can have problems, and it might be the weather or wild animals that cause it to malfunction. You might not even discover these problems if they aren’t easily sighted.

Do not choose a home alarm system that monitors only your doors. Your windows should also be protected because burglars can also break into them. The alarm and monitoring system should be set for all windows and doors. This is just one more thing you can do to protect your home.

Get to know your neighbors. Talk to your neighbors. Look out for their property, and see if they will look out for yours. Don’t ignore any gossip either. Important security details (like the presence of strangers in your neighborhood) can come out of the most innocent conversations.

When you purchase big, expensive items be sure to break down the boxes and take them to the recycling center yourself. They show the world you have money and lots of valuables inside.

Use motion sensor lights. They’ll flip on when people walk within a certain distance of your house. They will notify you of any movement and can deter any possible burglars since they like remaining inconspicuous. Just do not forget to replace the bulbs periodically to keep them functioning at all times.

When allowing a representative from any security company to enter your home, look for someone in uniform and ask to see an identification. They might not be who you think they are. This proves rather dangerous for both your family and also your valuables. You want to use caution to prevent danger.

Listen to your intuition as to whether your system is being installed by a trustworthy home security company. If the men who come to your home to do the installation seem untrustworthy, you can change your mind. Make sure that the installer has experience installing your type of security system. The system and the company should put your mind at ease.

Keeping your home well lit at night can help keep the burglars away. They don’t want visibility. With a well-lit home, thieves cannot hide or break in unnoticed. Keep those lights shining brightly at night.

If you reside in the country, you may be less worried about break-ins than urban dwellers are. People who live in the country may even be more vulnerable because they do not have nearby neighbors. Still, there are those who are of the opinion that rural properties are less of a temptation to burglars.

Your landscaping should be designed based on what will be safest for your home. All doors and windows must be unobstructed by shrubs, trees, fences, or plants. If windows and doors can be easily seen from all areas, then burglars cannot hide as well, which will hinder their plans. Keeping the areas around your windows free of plants can help to deter criminals from lurking too close to your home, without you noticing.

Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. Although skylights provide your home with a lot of light, it is also very helpful for burglars to break in. Your skylights should have strong components that can withstand tampering.

Keep your home’s exterior well lit. Burglars like the cover of darkness to commit their crimes. Make sure to have lights anywhere an intruder might enter. This includes porches and doorways, the garage, as well as ground floor windows, which can invite an intruder.

Walls are a good place to hide things. You can hide small valuables inside the walls. Place them in switch plates, phone jacks or an electric outlet. Anything not used currently makes a good spot for hiding.

Think about what you need to feel safe before considering security systems. A home security system is a good idea; however, it is not the perfect solution for every home. Sometimes just taking a class in self defense or adopting a loud dog is enough, while at other times a full fledged security system might be the way to go. You need to assess risks and choose a system adapted to the kind of situations you are likely to run into.

Hide any valuables in wall spaces. It’s not necessary to cut out parts of your wall to do this. Instead, you can use the small spaces that are already there. For example, you could take the wiring out of an electric socket that is not in use and put your valuable jewelry in there.

Your pup is a great crime deterrent. Dogs will bark at the sign of trouble or intruders. Keeping a huge and ferocious canine is not necessary. Small dogs are noisy and unpredictable and very good at deterring burglars.

It is important to always have fresh batteries and flashlights handy around the house. It is extremely important that you have flashlights because they allow you to move around easier in the dark, which is especially useful in an emergency. Train kids how to use the flashlights so that everyone may contribute.

Ask about different contract lengths that your home security company may offer. There are likely pros and cons to each. With a longer contract, your monthly payment is likely to be lower. The downside is you might be stuck for a longer period of time if you decide you don’t like the service or want to move. A short contract will avoid this, but may be more costly.

Screen the references of anyone who would have access to your house. Be sure to perform a background check and look for any criminal history that might be in evidence. You don’t know whether the contractor, maid, or repairman that you’ve hired is trustworthy and handing them your keys could be a costly mistake.

When you don’t want to spend a lot on maintenance, go for a hard-wired system. Sure, wireless options are easier to use, but they consume battery power quickly. If you neglect battery changes, your system won’t work. In addition, replacing multiple batteries can be expensive.

You can add a great deal of security to your home by installing a system of motion activated exterior lighting. 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. Properly-situated motion detectors will give your home a complete field of protection and make it impossible for a miscreant to approach undetected.

Using a timer is a great way to make it seem as if you are home when you are on vacation. A timer will turn your lights on and off randomly and functions whether you are home or not.

Whenever you are landscaping your home, you should consider safety. You should not let plants and shrub block your doors and windows. If these things can be seen by the naked eye, they won’t offer hiding places to potential criminals. Put landscaping farther away from the house for greater safety.

Make sure that your valuables are kept in a secure location. Items like family photos, pricy jewelry, legal documents, financial records, and passports need to be kept in a safe location. A fireproof floor safe is ideal for this. A better choice is storing them outside your home in a deposit box at the bank.

Ask the home security company about how long they’ve been running prior to signing up. A company that has been in business for several years has shown that they can sustain in this industry and proven they provide reliable services that people recommend. You should not trust a company that does not have a good record with your local Better Business Bureau or few years of experience.

Put in a door that is solid wood or metal. Those are the doors that last. If a burglar were to try and kick his way inside, he would have a lot of difficulty doing so. It’s a good idea to replace all your exterior doors with more secure ones. It really doesn’t cost a lot.

The topic of home security is one that it is essential to your home, family and peace of mind. Understanding how to protect your valuables with better home security techniques can end up really paying off in the long run. The above article has hopefully given you a start to learning about home security.

Having a big, scary dog around does has its benefits. Burglars generally prefer to avoid confronting a dog. Consider getting a large dog that will be able to protect your family and also serve as a companion for the little ones.