Arming yourself with home security knowledge is something everyone should do. How can you figure out what you need to learn? The article that follows can provide you with essential concepts and help you create an effective home security system.

When you buy a new home, be sure to have the locks changed. The previous owners or tenants might have made several copies of the key. Hire a locksmith so that you can be sure you are the only person who can access your home. Give a key to someone you trust in case you get locked out.

Providing a key to the person cleaning your home can be acceptable, but you must be sure they are honest and worthy of your confidence. If you plan to give them a key so they can clean in your home while you are away, ensure they are reputable and honest. Make sure you check references. If you hire a cleaner from a company, then you should check the company with the BBB.

Do not give the key to your home to your cleaning person unless you are certain they are worthy of your trust. Only select service people who are totally trustworthy. Check their references fully. If they work for a firm, call the local Better Business Bureau to find out that firm’s reputation.

Buy fire resistant roofing, flooring and ceiling materials. This ensures your home won’t be a tinderbox. Investing in fire-resistant materials will help you save a lot since a fire can cause extensive damage.

Do you have an outside dog? If so, you can use your dog to hide your spare key. Put it on your dog’s collar, making sure it is hidden. This is especially useful if the dog does not take kindly to strangers.

Store your car in the garage if you have it. You will not have to worry about thieves taking your car if it is inside your garage. Keeping your car out of sight is also a good way to prevent intruders from determining whether or not you are home.

Make sure to use caution when deciding if and where to hide an extra key outside of your home. Above a door frame or under a mat are not smart ideas. A possible solution is to attach a key to your outdoor dog’s collar.

Use motion sensors on exterior lighting. These lights will come on if someone walks near your house. Then you will know someone is present, and if the person is a burglar, he or she will be very likely to turn around and leave. Just do not forget to replace the bulbs periodically to keep them functioning at all times.

If you have a lot of unfamiliar people on you social networking accounts, avoid letting everyone know you will be going on vacation. It can be exciting to tell everyone about your vacation, but you could potentially be letting a burglar in on your whereabouts.

Change your locks if someone you don’t trust moves out of your home. If you have boarders, former live-in partners, or others who once had access to your home, this is especially important. Changing the locks can typically be done very cheaply and quickly.

If you buy expensive electronics or appliances, throw the packages away the day that your trash pickup occurs. Having these boxes around will let thieves know the type of items that are inside your home.

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 does not take long for thieves to steal your expensive stuff.

Just moved in? Time for new locks! Even though the person who sold your home to you may seem honest, you simply can’t know for certain. And, other people could have lived in the home previously to them as well.

Rotted Wood

The wiring on your house is valuable to burglars. Many people do not realize this until a crook steals it off of their home. Wiring can be removed from the outside of a home in a heartbeat. To protect this expensive asset, hide your wires or make them hard to get to.

If there is any rotted wood around your door frame, replace it. If a person wants to enter your home, rotted wood can easily be pried away. Replace any wood that has begun to rot with new wood so that your house stays safe.

Before letting someone from a security company into a house, get some sort of official identification. Burglars are creative, and they often pose as a member of the security team to get inside. This means peril for what you own as well as your loved ones. Be careful if you want to avoid danger.

Get flashlights with good batteries, and have them in each room in case you lose power. Flashlights are essential since they let you move around in an emergency. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the flashlights are.

Make sure you have weighed the costs and risks when you are considering your security needs. They can really protect your family, but they’re not something that everybody needs. In some neighborhoods, you might be better off taking a self defense class or owning a dog, while in others, the latest innovations in home security will protect you best. Be sure to understand the sorts of risks you face before deciding what sort of security is best for you.

When allowing a representative from any security company to enter your home, look for someone in uniform and ask to see an identification. Having the name of the technician coming to your house ahead of time can help to ensure you are allowing someone who really works for the company into your home. Intruders could disguise themselves as home security representatives to inspect your current security system. Make sure you are as cautious as you can be.

You should not enter your home if you find the door ajar. The thief might still be inside, and you don’t have any idea whether or not they are armed. Call the authorities and let them take care of the situation.

If you have your home brightly lit, burglars are likely to avoid it. This will deter crooks from trying your home. If your home is well lit, thieves won’t have any place to hide, so they may not want to steal anything from you. So keep those lights on at night for a secure home.

Blinds, shades and curtains are best closed when no one is home. Intruders can see into your home if they are left up. They may break in if they spot something that they like. These should also be kept down while you’re sleeping.

Every homeowner should learn all they can to protect their home. However, pulling out the most helpful pieces of information from the irrelevant can be a challenge. Therefore, it pays to refer back to the information found above whenever you require guidance on the subject of keeping your home safe and sound.

Never hide keys in obvious locations. A very obvious location is underneath fake rocks. Under your doormat is also a common place burglars will look. A friend or neighbor can be a much better key holder than an inanimate object. This will reduce the chances of a burglary.