If you are woman who is single or mother who needs peace of mind in your home, you may be very concerned about home security. You don’t have to be afraid anymore, particularly because there are things you can do to feel safe. This article has great home security advice.

Change the locks after buying a new house. There is no telling how many key copies were made and given out by a previous owner. Find a good locksmith who can replace the lock and make a few copies of your key. Also, you can contact a locksmith if you ever misplace your keys.

There are more features to a home alarm system besides making sounds when people break in. Many systems sound an alert whenever people enter the house. This is a good way to keep track of where your young children are.

If you need to leave a key for a maid service, make sure that that whoever cleans your house is professional and trustworthy. Before you give a cleaner full access to your home for extended periods of time, you have to be certain that they’re trustworthy and reliable. Be sure to make sure their references check out. If the person is an employee of a firm, call your local BBB to check their reputation.

Your flooring and roofing should be fire resistant. This is a good way to protect your home against fires, for instance if you live near power lines or in a dry area. Stopping fire hazards is a key precaution to take since the damage it causes can be considerable.

When you set out to purchase home security equipment, remember to comparison shop. Prices can differ a lot among companies for the same type of protection. Get quotes from no less than three companies before choosing the best one.

The walls of your home make for great hiding spots. You can hide small valuables in your walls. You could use a phone jack, electrical outlet or a switch plate. Even if every single plate in your home is being used, you can purchase a fake one purpose-built for concealing valuables.

Don’t put spare keys inside plant boxes or beneath the welcome mat. You may believe you are making life easier for yourself, but you may just be giving thieves simple access to your house. Any thief knows all the typical hiding spots. A better option is to entrust an honest neighbor with a spare key.

If you have a lot of unfamiliar people on you social networking accounts, avoid letting everyone know you will be going on vacation. It’s great to see new places and take a lot of photos, but posting them while still overseas lets thieves know your home is empty.

The number one thing you must do if you’re moving into a new place is have the locks changed. While you may trust those who lived there before you, you have no idea who lived there before them. You can do your own installation to make sure that no one else has a key.

Prior to allowing access to anyone, make sure you are shown proper identification. For a relatively small fee, you can also run a background check for their criminal history. You can’t know for sure about the integrity of people you hire, and blindly giving them access to your home can be a huge mistake.

If you’ve got skylights, don’t forget about it when it comes to home security. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Check that skylights have heavy duty hardware that can stand up under unwanted tampering.

Motion Detectors

If you are searching for ways to make your home more secure, one inexpensive way to accomplish this is to purchase exterior lights that have motion detectors. In the dark hours, these lights will provide the illumination necessary to protect your home and also save money by staying off when they’re not needed. With good positioning and properly set motion detectors, intruders will not be able to sneak up on your home unnoticed.

It is important that you do not put expensive valuables in plain sight. Though it is nice to have big windows to get a great view of the outdoors, it is also easier for burglars to look into your home. Make sure you keep your blinds closed or arrange your possessions in such a way that they can’t be seen from outside.

Landscape around your home with an eye to safety. Do not obstruct doors and windows with plants or furniture. These types of places provide the perfect cover for prowlers. Put landscaping farther away from the house for greater safety.

Ask your home security company how long they have been in business before you sign up for service. Look for a security company that is well-established and has extensive experience in the industry. You get better peace of mind if you deal with someone you know you can trust for the long haul.

Always lock your house, even if you are only going to be away for a few minutes. It might shock you to learn that most break-ins occur due to unlocked doors. A thief can steal your most valuable possessions in a short amount of time.

If you see that the door is open, do not enter the house. A thief might still be in there, which could put you in danger. Call the authorities and let them take care of the situation.

Empty Boxes

If you have purchased any large and/or expensive items, do not throw the boxes away until the day before the trash man is scheduled to come. You are alerting thieves that there is something worth stealing inside your home.

If you buy something that is expensive, you need to make sure you don’t leave empty boxes curbside. If the burglars see the empty boxes, then they will realize you have the items in your home. As a result, they’ll be more likely to break in so they can steal it. Cut the boxes up when they are empty.

Can you read your house numbers clearly from the street? If there’s an emergency, it will take longer for the police to locate your home if the numbers are concealed in any way or too small. Thankfully, you can right this wrong cheaply and quickly.

If you’ve just gotten a home, replace every lock. You really don’t know much about the people who sold you the home, regardless of how competent they may seem. Keep in mind that there may have been residents prior to that person too.

Steer clear of locks with spring latches. These locks are very easy to pick with something as common as a credit card. All they have to do is wedge the card between the latch and door, then wiggle it. If you already have spring latch locks, install a deadbolt for added security.

Talk to your home-security company to see if they provide buy and lease options for your equipment. Buying will cost you more initially for the equipment, but will save you a monthly bill. Leasing is usually the cheaper option; however, it does mean higher monthly bills and a contract. Pick the option that suits your particular situation best.

Did you know that the wires on your home are valuable? Often homeowners are unaware of this fact until they find that their wiring has been stolen. The copper wiring can be stripped and be turned in for money. To keep the wiring safe, be sure that the wire is hidden from view.

Do not store your car registration in your glove box. If someone steals your car, this will tell them where you live too. You ought to keep them with you or store them in an alternate spot in the car. Remember that you have to have access to them in case you’re stopped by the police.

You can easily turn your home into a more secure place without spending your money on an expensive security system. Many affordable solutions are available to you. Keep this advice in mind as you strive to increase security around the home.

If there is any rotted wood around your door frame, replace it. The rotten wood will be simple to remove, allowing a thief access to your home. Replace it as soon as possible.