You might know someone that has been a victim of a home invasion. Home invasions continue to go up, which means that diligence is the key for home security. Break-ins can happen anywhere. The following article will give you advice to help make your home more secure.

Be sure your home always looks occupied. Keep your radio, TV and lights on timers. This will give your home the appearance of someone being there. This is a simple way to improve your home’s safety and make it less attractive to criminals.

Always make your house appear to be occupied. You can buy timers to have radios, TVs, lights and other electronics go off and on at different times. This makes it appear that someone is home. This is an excellent technique that helps avoid robberies while keeping the property safe.

Do you let your dog outside when you leave the house? They can help you with your spare key. Fasten the key to your dog’s collar to hide it from view. If your dog doesn’t like strangers, it’s even better.

Place the spare key that you make on your dog. However, this method is only effective if your dog is large, scary, and stays outdoors. Just hide a spare house key on the inside of your dog’s collar. Then when you need an extra key, you will be able to access this one.

Home security systems offer other triggering features besides having an alarm sound. The majority of systems are able to be set to put out an alert when any individual enters the home. For families with young children, this is excellent for alerting when a child has entered or left the house.

You should always change the locks after purchasing a home. You don’t know the exact number of copies of that key the previous owners have or have handed out. Find a good locksmith who can replace the lock and make a few copies of your key. You should also have your locks changed if you lose your keys.

Do not tell anyone that you are going on vacation out of your friend circle. While you may want to shout it from the rooftops, you’re letting everyone know that your home will be vacant and easy to rob.

Only allow maids and cleaning services to have a key to the house if they are known to be trustworthy. You should not let cleaners have your keys if you feel like you cannot trust them, or if they will be working in your home while you are away. One way to do this is to check their references. If this professional is from a company, it’s best to check with the Better Business Bureau to see what kind of reputation they have.

Make sure your attached garage is secure. Intruders can enter your home through an unlocked garage door. Try putting a C-clamp on your garage door track. This will stop the door from rising if you want to keep it closed.

Invest in a safe in order to secure very valuable items. If an intruder breaks into your home, at least these valuables will be secure. Hide the safe in a very hard to reach place like the attic or a closet in the basement.

You should clean your yard of vegetation and dead wood. This can be a fire hazard, especially if you live in an area with high heat. Clear up your yard so it looks good and is safe.

Carefully consider where you hide your outside spare key. You don’t want to put them in common spots, such as above the frame of the door or under the doormat. Try hiding your key somewhere more unique, like your outside dog’s collar.

Always go with your gut when it comes to choosing a security firm. If the men who come to your home to do the installation seem untrustworthy, you can change your mind. It’s your home, and you are free to hire any company you like. The system and the company should put your mind at ease.

Seek recommendations from friends and family when choosing a security company or system. There are likely people you know that have had either good or bad experiences with these companies. Taking a little time to listen can make you a much better decision maker when it comes to home security.

It is important that you do not put expensive valuables in plain sight. While having huge windows may be good for letting in light and viewing what is outside, it also gives potential thieves a good look in your own home. Windows facing the street need to be covered to keep inside possessions safe.

Don’t let people into your home unless you know them. There are some people who are very convincing and good at getting you to let them into your house. Some people just want to know if there is a security system so they can plan on coming back later or not.

Don’t just consider alarming your doors when you’re considering an alarm system. It should protect the windows too. You want to be sure that the alarm is connected to all windows and entry points. You want the best security possible for your family.

Check out your garage to ensure that it is secure. People often worry about people getting in through attached garages, but you have a solution. Try putting a C-clamp on your garage door track. This will stop the door from rising if you want to keep it closed.

Replace rotted wood that surrounds your door frame. Home invaders interested are able to pry off any rotted wood to get inside. Replace wood that is starting to rot with fresh new wood to keep your home as safe as possible.

Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. Skylights are nice to bring extra light into your house, but they are also easy ways for burglars to enter your home. Fix your skylights so they cannot be accessed as an entry point by intruders.

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. In the dark hours, these lights will provide the illumination necessary to protect your home and also save money by staying off when they’re not needed. They also help to keep intruders away, because an intruder does not want to come close to your property if they know they might be spotted.

Place your valuables in cut-outs in your walls. You don’t need to cut out segments of your walls by the way. There are many spots in your home that already have areas that are pre-cut. You could removed the wiring from an electric socket that you aren’t using, and stash jewelry inside it.

As you work on your home’s landscape, don’t forget about safety. Doors and windows should not be obstructed by trees, plants or shrubs. If criminals know you can see them, they are less likely to break in. Landscaped features should be set further away for safety, yet keeping beauty in mind.

Anytime a security installer comes to the house, make sure they display proper identification. Thieves may say they are from a certain company to get into your home. This is dangerous for your family and your possessions. Caution is always advisable if dangers like this are to be avoided.

You need a home security system. Adding video cameras on the property can be a good idea. Visible cameras have a deterrent effect, and if they are disabled, hidden cameras can capture the events that unfold. A lot of surveillance cameras could be accessed through your phone, giving you the chance to check it even when you’re away.

Before you let anyone into your house, thoroughly check their references. Don’t be afraid of conducting background checks to determine if they have a criminal history. There is no way of knowing whether or not service people are honest, so you should not give them keys to your home.

The best way to keep a burglar out of your garage is to ensure no one can see inside. Frost your windows with film bought at a hardware store. If you use your garage for working on projects, don’t forget to lock it when you’re through working for the day.

One relatively inexpensive way to add an extra layer of protection to your home is to install motion sensor lights for the exterior of your home. These lights not only give off light at night, but can also offer security around your home. They also help to keep intruders away, because an intruder does not want to come close to your property if they know they might be spotted.

Do not put electronic boxes in the front of your house. If thieves see these type of boxes outside your home, they may want to break in to steal the items. Break up the boxes into smaller pieces before you put them near the curb.

When you landscape your house, make it safe. You should have a clear view out of all your windows and an unobstructed path to any doors. If they are visible, people won’t be able to hide there while trying to break in. Put these features at a greater distance from your house; let beauty also complement safety.

Any priceless items need to be secured. Some of these items can include legal documents, jewelry, passports, and priceless family photos. Purchase a safe with a lock to store all of these items. For added safety, place them in a safety deposit box at your bank.

Your home’s exterior needs to be well lit. Burglars like committing crimes in the darkness. The most important parts of your home to light are all of its potential access points. This means by the garage, in the doorways, around windows and much more.

If the window of your living room faces the street, close your curtains at night. Don’t let anyone see inside. Someone who can peer into your home may decide that your valuables are ripe for the taking. Make sure your valuable items cannot be seen from the outside of your home.

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. Crafty burglars will leave fliers on homes, and check to see if they’re being removed as a means for determining whether or not the home is vacant. If the fliers isn’t removed, the criminal knows that no one is home.

Replace flimsy doors with doors made of solid wood or metal. Doors made of these materials are sturdy. It would be very hard for a burglar to kick it and go inside. The cost of replacing these doors is very minimal if they were to break.

Avoid thinking that home burglaries only happen at the most expensive houses. If your home looks vulnerable, it’s a target. If you use the tips here to improve your home security, your family will be much safer.

Establish some good relations with your neighbors. If there are unfamiliar people hanging around, the busybodies in your neighborhood will notice. Maintaining cordial relations can put you in the loop and give you access to potentially critical security info.