When you keep valuable items, such as money, expensive jewelry or original objects of art in your home, you cannot make the assumption that no one is aware of this fact. Protect yourself and your valuables by educating yourself on home security. Keep reading for ideas on making your home safe and secure.

Your dog could carry a spare key for you. This will only be ideal if you have a dog door or an outdoor dog. Keep a spare key around the dog’s collar.

Make your home look occupied at all times. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. This will make it look like someone is home. This is a great way to keep your home safe and avoid burglaries.

Buy a safe to contain everything of great value. This is essential, because you would never want valuable jewelry and other items to be seen by intruders. Your safe should be placed somewhere it is not readily noticeable.

Don’t announce your vacation agenda on your social networks. This is especially true if you have lots of unfamiliar “friends”. While it is exciting to go to a new place and have a good time, you are letting thieves know that your house will be empty and they can come right in.

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 things that can be problematic with regards to home security systems, like wayward wild animals and the environment. If you don’t see the problem, you may remain unaware of it.

Turn off ringers on land line phones while you are on vacation. A phone which rings forever is a sign to burglars that you’re not there.

Meet with representatives from the security company you are considering to determine if they are trustworthy. You are giving someone unlimited access to your home, so be sure the installer doesn’t give you a bad vibe. If you are unsure, contact the security company to make sure that the installer was actually sent by them. The point of that system is to feel safer after all.

Make sure to have your home inspection system maintained on at least an annual basis. Ask someone from your security company to come over and have a look. Many things can impact the performance of a security system, such as animals and weather. If you cannot see a problem, you might not know one exists.

Rural areas are just as prone to break-ins as cities. Some maintain that rural dwellers have greater risk since their neighbors live farther away. Still there are those that think that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.

Put motion-sensor lights into your home. The motion sensors turn on the lights whenever anyone approaches your home. The lights will notify you of motion and also deter would be burglars. However, make sure to put in fresh bulbs every now and then.

If your home has skylights, don’t neglect to secure them. Though skylights bring light into your home and look nice, it is also a very common way for burglars to get into your home. Make sure that you use safety hardware when the skylights are installed and maintained.

When it comes to securing your home, start by changing your locks. Anyone from an old roommate to a former tenant could have access to your home if you leave the old locks in place. This is a very easy process that you can complete within a day.

Use the spaces in your home’s walls to store valuables. This doesn’t require tearing into your walls, of course. Instead, you can use the small spaces that are already there. How about unwiring an electricity socket and using it as cover for a place to stash valuable jewelry?

You need to go with your gut instinct when it comes to negotiating and dealing with a home security installation company. This is especially important when it comes to the company employees who will be installing your system. Ask the company to send a different installer or simply change companies. The purpose of using the company is to calm your uneasiness, not worsen it.

Don’t give outside people the ability to see into your home. You might enjoy large windows so you can see out, but just remember that makes it easier for those burglars to see inside your home as well. Blinds are a great way to allow the light in, without allowing people to see in at the same time.

Rural Areas

Always lock your home when you leave it, no matter how soon you plan to return. It might shock you to learn that most break-ins occur due to unlocked doors. They can get a ton of stuff quickly and be long gone before you return.

Compared to city dwellers, you might feel more safe in your rural home. Interestingly, many think those living in rural areas are actually more susceptible to break-ins since neighbors may not live close by. Other people believe rural areas are less likely to be targeted by burglars.

After making major (i.e. expensive) purchases, don’t dump the packaging out front if your next scheduled garbage pick-up is several days away. These boxes sitting outside your home serve as a flag for thieves to target your home.

Rather than hoping you won’t ever be the victim of burglary, take the steps to ensure it never happens. You do not need to live in fear, but you must be cautious. Keep these ideas in mind as you go about boosting the security of your home.

Be sure to replace all locks on a home you have bought. As nice as the previous person may seem, you don’t really know them. Bear in mind that other people may have lived in the home before the previous owner.