While we hear about the need to protect our homes from attack or intrusion, few people actually know what precautions are most effective. It’s possible to protect your home if you know what information to study. Read on for some helpful tips that you can use to secure your home.

The only time you should give out house keys to house cleaners is if you absolutely trust them. When giving your house cleaner the key to your home, you need to be sure that they are reputable and honest. One way to do this is to check their references. Call the Better Business Bureau to see if their firm is well-reviewed.

Protect your spare key by using your dog. This works with a dog that stays outside or a dog with a pet door. Just place your key on your dog’s collar.

Comparison shopping is essential when seeking a security system for the home. Different companies can provide equivalent levels of service and security, but their prices can vary wildly. Get a quote from several companies before making a final decision.

Do you keep your dog outside when you aren’t home? Your furry friend is also a great storage place for your extra key. Put it on your dog’s collar, making sure it is hidden. This is very effective if your pet is afraid of strangers; therefore, burglars are not very likely to notice the key.

Think very carefully about where to hide your spare key. Avoid cliched hiding places like over the door frame or beneath the doormat. Experienced criminals will check these places immediately. Try hiding your key on a lawn statue or in a potted plant.

Valuable Items

Do not let people you don’t know in your house. Be wary of those who come to your door selling products, asking for help, or telling sob stories. Some criminals will come in, case your house and then come back when you are away.

Get a safe to protect your valuable items. This will keep your stash of diamonds, gold and other valuable items out of view and inaccessible to burglars. Conceal the safe in an out-of-the-way and not easily accessible spot, such as an attic or a basement area.

Don’t let strangers into your home. 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. Only open the door for people you are expecting.

When in the process of purchasing a home-security system, be sure to comparison shop. Some companies offer comparable levels of protection that can be priced very differently. Ensure you talk to a minimum of three companies to obtain quotes before deciding the one that you believe is best for you.

Avoid coming across as overly shy. Get to know other people who live next door and others in your neighborhood. Keep your eye on their houses, and ask for help to keep yours safe too. Don’t ignore the gossip. You may stumble across valuable security information, like if someone has noticed a stranger lurking around the neighborhood.

Do not allow anyone you do not know into your home. It is essential you do not do this, even if the stranger gives you a convincing story or states they need your assistance. There are some people who will just come in to see if you have a home security system, and if you do not, they could come back later when you are not home.

It is not a good idea to hide a spare key on your property. Remember that you are not the only one who is aware of these sorts of hiding places. Thieves are aware of these hiding spots. Give it to a neighbor you trust instead.

Don’t forget skylights when doing a security sweep for your home. They look great and provide light, but also are another access point. Keep them secure with heavy duty hardware that closes them off to potential thieves.

You want an alarm system that protects more than your doors. All of your windows are possible entry points for a thief too. Have alarms installed for each window and any other entry point. This is a way to make sure your family will be safe.

Walls are a good place to hide things. If you have small valuables you want to protect, consider hiding them inside your walls. Just use an unwired electric plug, light switch or phone box. If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.

Keep the wires of your home security system hidden. Easily-accessible security wiring is a definite weak point in your home’s protection; the best alarm system in the world is useless if it’s easily disabled. This is why it is so important to make sure all your wires are well hidden. This will help to deter intruders that are looking to quickly disable your alarm system.

If you sign a contract for a security company, read all the fine print first. Sometimes there are hidden costs involved if you decide to let your service go before the contract expires or add additional equipment at a later point. It is best to know all you can about a service you sign up for.

Replace all the locks in your newly purchased home. While the person that previously had the home may seem okay, you don’t know who they actually are. Bear in mind that other people may have lived in the home before the previous owner.

Having your house lit up during the night is a good way to scare intruders. They don’t want anyone to see them. When your home is lit well, the crooks have nowhere to hide, making it difficult for them to steal from you undetected. Have lights that come on when they detect movement for best results.

Be sure to read all of the fine print to any contracts you plan on signing for a security company. There may be hidden costs involved that you were not aware of. You are going to want to avoid these kinds of hidden fees, so know about them up front.

You need to make sure you’re making use of the Internet when looking at different home security companies. The sites of the companies themselves will provide you with details about their services, testimonials from their customers, and pricing information. You’ll find it easy to narrow your choice down to three top contenders; your next step is to arrange to meet each of them to discuss your specific security needs.

Whenever seeking out home-security companies, the Internet can be a valuable resource, so utilize it. You should look at testimonials from customers and different information you can find. Then, you can set appointments to make price and service comparisons before you choose.

Perform landscaping for your home which enhances your home’s safety. There should be no plants or greenery in front of doors or windows. If they can be seen, potential burglars will not be able to use them as hiding places before breaking in. Keeping the areas around your windows free of plants can help to deter criminals from lurking too close to your home, without you noticing.

Find out how long a company has been in operation before signing a home security contract. Companies who have been around for years will show that they have what it takes to succeed. In addition, it proves that they provide people with reliable services they can depend on. Realizing you at involved with a stable firm will give you a sense of calm that is important.

As the company that is doing your home security how long they’ve been providing this service. Companies in business for many years engender great confidence and trust. You may not feel as safe if you opt to go with a company that has not been in business for long or that does not have a stable history.

Before you think about home security, consider personal security and safety. They can really protect your family, but they’re not something that everybody needs. 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. Be aware of your risks to make an intelligent purchasing decisions.

Ask the home security companies to visit your home and design a system tailored to your needs. Everyone has different needs, and your security system should be designed to protect your home and family. If you have found a company that could cater to your needs, then it is easy to get the security that will make you and your loved ones comfortable.

Purchase a paper shredder to prevent your discarded papers from providing burglars with valuable information. You will be astonished at how burglars find important information from loose paper that they could use to break into your house. You can tear your documents up by hand before disposing of them if a shredder is out of your price range.

Make sure your home’s exterior is well lit. Nothing is as attractive to a burglar as a dark, deeply-shadowed house. Be sure all vulnerable exterior areas of your home are equipped with good lighting. Consider all your doors, porches, patios, decks, garages and all ground-level windows.

Make sure the inside of your garage isn’t visible. Use a frosted film to cover the windows. This can be purchased at many hardware stores. Don’t let your door hang open for lengthy periods of time.

When you are away on vacation have a house sitter bring in your mail and any flyers and newspapers that accumulate in front of your house. Some intruders will place a flyer at your home to see if the flyer is removed immediately or not. If their fliers are not moved, the crook knows the home is unattended.

There’s an easy way to secure interior doors (if there are areas you want to keep housemates and children out of) without obliging you to carry a key-ring around at all times. You can instead get key-less locks that work using a code. You can either install these locks by yourself, or have them professionally installed if you are not that handy yourself.

Most people understand the critical role home security plays in our everyday lives. Still, there is a lack of understanding regarding how to achieve personal security for homes and loved ones. Hopefully, the above article has provided you with excellent advice on how to keep your home secure during all times of the day.

Ask about different contract lengths that your home security company may offer. There are usually pros and cons in each contract. A long contract may lock you in even if you choose to sell the house or want to stop the services, but it can result in a lower bill every month. A short contract may seem more expensive each month, but you have more freedom.