Every homeowner needs to keep their family and home safe. Burglaries are common, and probably always will be. This article will show you a few ways to keep yourself safe.

Be smart about where you decide to hide spare keys. Placing a key above a door or under a doormat is quite obvious! Try to find somewhere less obvious.

Make your house look occupied all the time. Timers can be used to turn lights and televisions on and off when required. This will make it look like someone is home. This will help safeguard your house to the best of your ability.

Don’t make a habit of giving strangers access to your home. Even if this stranger has a believable story or is trying to sell you something, do not let them in. Some people will knock on your door simply to see whether you have a security system.

Even if you have a great security system, it must be checked annually. Have a worker from the security company take a look at it. There are many things that can be problematic with regards to home security systems, like wayward wild animals and the environment. Sometimes, you may need a professional to locate the problem.

You should only provide a house cleaner your key if you completely trust them. If you do give your housekeeper a key or plan on doing so, it is imperative that they are honest and upstanding. Check their references very carefully. Contact your local Better Business Bureau to find out more about the reputation of the cleaner you hired.

Be brave! Talk to the people who live in your neighborhood. Watch their homes and ask them if they’ll watch yours as well. Listen for gossip too. You could learn important security information, such as if strangers have been lurking around the neighborhood.

Hiding Spots

Some home security systems have additional security features besides sounding an alarm to deter a burglar. Many systems can be used to go off whenever anyone enters your home. This could be valuable for parents who have small children, making them aware when their kid has closed or opened a door.

The walls of your home make for great hiding spots. If you have valuables that are small in size, you may want to hide them within your walls. You can use phone jacks or electric outlets as hiding spots. If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.

Place your valuables in cut-outs in your walls. It is unnecessary cut space into your wall. There are lots of places around the home that have pre-cut areas that you can use. Consider unwiring an electrical socket that isn’t used and storing your valuable jewelry.

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 door happens to lift on a track, using a C-clamp can help. the C-clamp prevents the door from opening if it’s tightened on the track close to the roller.

Lock your home at all times to err on the side of caution. It may be shocking, but many home invasions and burglaries occur by intruders walking through the front door that was left open. A thief can steal lots of stuff in a little amount of time.

Homeowners make every attempt to make their home safe. This article has many quality ideas about protecting your home from threats. The first step towards safety is making use of them.

See what your local police department offers in terms of home protection programs. There are many that offer programs that include items, such as home inspection, how to use engraving tools to mark code numbers to identify valuables if yours are stolen, and protective measures advice. Your police department will be able to help you find out what is available in your town.