You may think that securing your home involves major installations and expensive specialists. But, it doesn’t have to be difficult. Read the following article for some great tips on how to properly secure your home.

Consider using your dog as a place to store your spare key. But, this is only effective if your home has a pet door or your dog stays outdoors when you are not home. You can purchase a special collar that will hold your spare key, so when you forget your keys your dog can let you in.

Man’s best friend can also be trusted to secure a spare key. Outdoor dogs or pet doors make this possible. Place the alternative key on your dog’s collar in case of an emergency.

Provide the house key to your professional house cleaner, but only if you fully trust them. Make sure you know they are legitimate before giving out the key. Ask for references and check them thoroughly. If applicable, call the BBB to inquire about their reputation.

After getting a new home, make sure to change its locks. You have no clue how many people were given keys by the former owner. Find a good locksmith who can replace the lock and make a few copies of your key. Do the same thing if you happen to misplace a key.

Do not invite strangers 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 people that just want to go into your home to see if you’ve got a type of home security system, and if they see that you don’t, they’ll return when you’re not home.

If you need to leave a key for a maid service, make sure that that whoever cleans your house is professional and trustworthy. If you plan on giving them the key so that they can work in your home for over an hour, make sure that they’re reputable, hardworking, and honest. Make sure you verify all references. If you hire a cleaner who works for a company, speak with your local BBB about the company’s reliability.

If you have an attached garage, make sure it is secure. Many people are concerned about people entering their garages to gain access to their homes. However, you can use a C-clamp to help keep the door secure.

Do you have an outside dog? Use him or her to help hide your spare key! You can attach your key to your dog’s collar in order to keep the key hidden. Your dog is an especially good key hiding spot if he doesn’t react well to strangers, since they won’t approach him, but the key will be there if you need it.

Make sure to have your home inspection system maintained on at least an annual basis. Ask a qualified worker who specializes in security systems to take a look. Wild animals, domestic pets, and weather are all factors that can affect the reliability of your home security system. If the problem isn’t visible, you may be unaware of it.

Security Systems

Try installing motion-sensor lights. They’ll flip on when people walk within a certain distance of your house. This will discourage would be thieves and alert you to any movement on your property. Remember that the bulbs need to be changed so that the lights keep working.

Home security systems aren’t just about sounding alarms. Most security systems can facilitate alarm sounds anyone enters. This is useful for parents who have small kids, as it helps keep them from leaving the house.

You need to change our locks as your first step to ensuring your safety. Perhaps you aren’t sure who owned the home before you or maybe an old roommate has a key and never returned it. Regardless, changing the locks will ensure your security. It is generally cheap and may be done in a little under a day.

Don’t let everyone in your social network know that you are leaving the home unprotected for your vacation trip; especially the people who you aren’t familiar with. If you do, burglars will know you’re not home and strike.

When dealing with companies that install home security systems, it’s important to trust your gut. This is especially important when it comes to the company employees who will be installing your system. Make sure that the installer has experience installing your type of security system. After all, you’re investing in a system that helps you to feel safe, so make sure the process involved in obtaining that system does the same.

You need to have your security system checked once a year. Ask a home security employee to give it a look. There are many reason why a home security system can have problems, and it might be the weather or wild animals that cause it to malfunction. You might be unaware of problems that arise in some cases.

Walls make the perfect hiding spot. If you own smaller things that need protection, think about keeping them hidden in the walls. You can use the opening provided by an electrical switch plate or other device that is not being used. If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.

Don’t be shy. Speak with your neighbors. Ask them to watch your home if you are on vacation. Don’t ignore any gossip either. You may hear valuable information regarding security, such as if any strangers have been hanging around.

No matter how soon you plan to return home, you should lock your doors. Most real-world burglars aren’t master lock-breakers; they simply stroll in through a door left carelessly unlocked. Thieves can make off with large amounts of valuable merchandise very quickly.

If you install a security system, make certain to hide the wires well. You don’t want a burglar to get access to them and disable your system. Make it hard for a burglar to avoid your detection. You will be much safer.

Be certain your wires are hidden, if you have installed a security system in your home. You don’t want a burglar to get access to them and disable your system. Never make things easy for them. Ask the person installing it to bury the wires or hide them inside the walls. This will make you much safer.

When searching for methods of improving your home’s security, a great, inexpensive method of doing this is purchasing exterior lights with installed motion detectors. At night, not only will these lights be handy to light up areas around your home,they are also a cost-effective and efficient security addition. When placed appropriately, no one will be able to break in unannounced.

Do you know how valuable the wires within your home are? Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. Copper wiring can easily be removed. Hide your wiring to secure it.

When you hire a type of home security company, read the contract’s fine print before signing. There may be hidden costs in the event you wish to cancel before the end of the contract. This may also be true if you need more or different equipment in the future. Try avoiding these fees when you can so that you know about them.

Keep flashlights in your rooms. If the lights go out, they will ensure everyone stays safe. If you have kids, teach them how to properly use the flashlights so everyone in the family can help out during a power outage.

When seeking out home security firms, the Internet is an indispensable tool. Read through official websites for different companies and look for reviews written by customers. After reading about these services, you can narrow down the results and use appointments for price comparisons.

Unless you’re moving into a brand-new apartment or home, changing the locks should be one of your top priorities. The previous tenant or owner may not have the keys, but you don’t know if they made copies for themselves or others. For maximum security, buy your own locks and install them yourself. This way you can be certain nobody else has a key.

Keep your outdoor areas well lit. A burglar prefers to sneak around in the dark, and a well lit house is always a deterrent. You should put a light on any area where a person could break in. This extends to doorways, porches, garages and lower windows.

Use the Internet to find a reliable home security company. Many websites offer reviews, recommendations, and detailed pricing information. Then, you can choose a top three to contact and compare details and pricing.

If you get home and notice an open door, do not go in to see what has happened. The thief may remain inside. Call the cops and let them do the initial walk through.

Keep your home’s exterior areas illuminated well. Nothing is as attractive to a burglar as a dark, deeply-shadowed house. The most important parts of your home to light are all of its potential access points. This can include garages, doorways, porches, and even near any windows on the ground floor.

Buy a paper shredder. Your trash contains so much personal information a thief would love to have. Rip your important papers up before throwing them away if you can’t get a shredder.

Can someone standing in the middle of the street see clearly your house numbers? If your numbers cannot be plainly seen, then the police will struggle to locate your home very quickly in case of emergency. Just replace them if you need to.

Do not store your car registration documents in your glove compartment. This is not wise since anyone who has access to them will know where you live. Hide them somewhere else in the car, or carry them with you. Remember that you have to have access to them in case you’re stopped by the police.

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. Code or fingerprint enabled keyless entry locks are a great solution. Either you or a security company can install them.

If you keep a spare key outside, make sure it is not kept in an obvious location. It is easy to find fake rocks. Many people will look under your doormat. The most secure thing you can do is to entrust your key to a reliable neighbor or a friend you can count on. If you cannot do that, try to be creative when it comes to hiding places.

Do not use spring latch locks. Spring latch locks are the easiest locks to gain entry with, as they can be opened with a simple credit card. They can put the credit card in between the latch and door to open the lock. IF spring latch locks are already in place, add a deadbolt for that extra layer of security.

There are a number of steps that can be taken for home security without installing a formal system. There are quite a few options available to you that will help your home be more secure. Continue using these tips until your home is secure.

If you use a door lock with a numeric keypad, do not use your birthday as the pass code. Anyone can easily get your birthday from a Facebook profile or your driver’s licence. You should choose a number no one else will be able to guess and change it regularly.