You and your family ought to feel safe all the time while in your home. The home should be secure when they leave and come back. You should keep reading for some useful tips that will help you keep your home and your family safe.

Create the illusion that your home is constantly occupied. You can buy timers to have radios, TVs, lights and other electronics go off and on at different times. This way it will always look as if someone is home, even when you are away. This will keep people from breaking in.

Don’t just hide your spare key anywhere. Intruders will more than likely check under your doormat or above your door frame. Try hiding your key on a lawn statue or in a potted plant.

Be very cautious about entrusting a maid service with a key to your home. You should not let cleaners have your keys if you feel like you cannot trust them, or if they will be working in your home while you are away. Make sure you verify all references. If your cleaning person comes from a company, check with the BBB.

Never let a stranger inside. Stay true to your safety, even if it appears the person has legitimate reasons for wanting entry. Some criminals will use any reason to gain access to look for security systems and easy entryways into your house.

You should never give details about your vacations and other plans on social networks. You may be very excited about your impending vacation, but there is no need to let potential burglars know when you will be gone.

Determine what sort of home protection services or programs the local police department has to offer. Home inspections or engraving identifiers can help protect you. These programs can make a big difference to the security of your home, and they may just be a phone call away.

Do not open your door for people you do not know. 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. Keep a hard, fast rule that says you only open the door for invited guests in order to keep your family safe.

Security System

See what the local police offer when it comes to home protection programs. Many police departments offer programs that can include home inspections, home security training and more. Discuss these programs with a local police officer to see if they’re available in your area.

Remember to have an annual inspection of your home security system. Have a worker from the security company take a look at it. The weather and animals are two things that may cause havoc on your home’s security system. If it’s not visible, you might not even know there’s a problem.

Keep your car in your garage if you have one. A car kept locked in a garage is much less likely to be stolen or damaged. This can also keep people from knowing your schedule.

Don’t be afraid to know the people who live near you. Speak with your neighbors. Watch their homes and ask them if they’ll watch yours as well. Never neglect gossip. You may find out helpful information about strangers lurking around.

Your home security system ought to be checked each year. Get someone from the security firm to inspect it. The weather and animals are two things that may cause havoc on your home’s security system. There are always ways your home is vulnerable, even if you don’t know it.

The first thing to do is get your locks changed out. Maybe you had a roommate move out or have a disgruntled ex-lover, changing the locks is the best way to keep yourself safe. It is usually inexpensive and can be done in less than 24 hours.

Always change the locks if you have someone move out of your home. This could be an ex-spouse or roommate you got into a fight with. You can change the locks in a single day, and the hardware is not very costly.

Skylights need to be secure, too. While they are nice and help with lighting, they also provide the burglars help with access to your home. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.

Do you have skylights? If so, you should keep them in mind when protecting your home. Skylights have a good function, but unfortunately they also often provide a way for a burglar to enter. You should have them equipped with strong, sturdy hardware.

You never want people to be able to see your valuables from outside of your home. While it may be nice to look out, burglars will see your valuables inside. You should cover any windows that are facing the street so your valuables will be safe.

Use your wall spaces to hide your valuables. This doesn’t necessarily involve chopping up your walls, either. Your home should have a few pre-cut areas that can be used. For example, you could take the wiring out of an electric socket that is not in use and put your valuable jewelry in there.

Rotten wood on door and window frames needs to be repaired. An intruder can simply pry away that rotted wood and enter your home. Replace rotting wood with new wood to stay safe.

You should always lock up your house, even if you’re only planning to be gone for a short time. Most burglars gain entry to a home through an unlocked door. It can be a quick job for a burglar to steal items of great value.

Be sure your home is well lit on the outside. Criminals love darkness to help mask their crimes. Light up the dark spots around your home. Don’t forget that this includes ground-level windows as well as doors, garages, and porches.

A great way to achieve extra security is to install exterior lighting equipped with motion detectors. They lights will light up your property at night and they are cost-effective and efficient. With good positioning and properly set motion detectors, intruders will not be able to sneak up on your home unnoticed.

What do you need to personally feel safe? They aren’t the right fit for everyone. Some individuals are more comfortable with a canine alarm, while other people enjoy the feeling of security that a sophisticated alarm system can bring. Before you sink a lot of money into your home’s security, make sure that you’re properly addressing your particular risks.

Research how long a security company has been in the business before contracting with them. Companies that have been around for awhile show that they can provide reliable support. It also ensures they’re not a fly-by-night firm.

Put a surveillance system in your home. Placing hidden and visible video cameras is a good way to keep your home secure. Cameras that can be clearly seen have a powerful deterrent effect, while concealed cameras are difficult or impossible for intruders to disable. A lot of surveillance systems may be accessed through a cell phone, letting you check on your house when you’re away.

Have a home security company come to your house and come up with a system that best suits your needs. Different people require different plans. Doing this helps you get the best security you can get from the company, helping you to relax.

Don’t give anyone an opportunity to see inside your garage in order to ward off robbers. Frost your windows with film bought at a hardware store. Also, don’t leave your door open for long periods of time when you work there.

If you arrive home and you see that your door is ajar, never enter to investigate on your own. Keep in mind that intruders could still be inside. Call the authorities and let them take care of the situation.

When it comes to expert advice, you now have a plethora of choices at your disposal. How will you use the information you’ve just read to help secure your home? Continue to read all you can on the topic and you’ll find that you can quickly and easily secure your home and protect all that you love.

If you will be away from your home, arrange to have whoever is collecting your mail to also pick up fliers placed inside your door. Burglars have been known to put these up, waiting to see if they are removed or not. If the flier isn’t removed, the burglar knows the homeowner isn’t there.