Not many people fully understand the concept of home security. Doing some homework on possible security strategies can be very helpful. This article is filled with useful tips that will help you keep your home safe.

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. 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. Check the housekeeper’s references very carefully. If they work for a firm, call the local Better Business Bureau to find out that firm’s reputation.

Be sure your home always looks occupied. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. This gives off the appearance that someone is home. This is great for keeping a home safer from burglaries.

Is your dog outside even if you are away? He or she is actually a great place to store your spare key. Put the key on the dog’s collar. This is quite effective if your pet does not respond well to strangers.

Buy a safe and use it to hold all of the valuables in your home. If a burglar enters your home, he or she will have a hard time making off with your possessions. Keep the safe hidden in a hard-to-find location like an attic or a basement closet.

A good security system has many more features than sounding the alarm during a break-in. Many systems can alert you whenever anyone has entered your home. This is a valuable safety feature for parents of small children since they know if their child has exited the home.

Shut off phone ringers inside the home if you’re going to be gone for quite a while. If the phone rings without you there, burglars will suspect that you’re not home, and that can make your home a target for an attack while you’re gone.

If you have an extensive online presence that includes a lot of people you don’t know too well, avoid announcing upcoming vacations. There may be a thief within this list and you would have been inviting him straight through your front door!

Check with your local law enforcement agency about home protection plans. Some police departments offer things like code numbers to help find your valuables should they get stolen. Talk with local police to see if they offer these programs.

Try not to have a shy attitude. Be friendly with people that live in the neighborhood. Ask them to keep an eye on your home, and do the same thing for them. Don’t discount what sounds like idle gossip. It is often a good way to find out about security issues, such as strangers in the neighborhood.

Regardless of the type of home security system you choose, be sure to have regular inspections and maintenance performed. This should be performed by a technician from your security company. A number of things may cause your alarm system to have problems, including mother nature and wild animals. There are always ways your home is vulnerable, even if you don’t know it.

Have lights that sense motion. The lights will be triggered when someone gets too close to the 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.

Your risks of being the target of home intruders really doesn’t depend on the area in which you live. Others think that living in the country is more risky than other areas because houses are so far apart. Still there are those that think that burglars are not as likely to target rural areas.

Use your walls as hiding spaces. It is unnecessary cut space into your wall. There are many spots in your home that already have areas that are pre-cut. Unused electrical sockets can be great for hiding expensive jewelry.

If you bought any big or expensive things, wait until trash day to throw away the boxes. Having these boxes around will let thieves know the type of items that are inside your home.

Keep valuables out of sight of windows. Open curtains allow people to see inside your home and see exactly what you have. If your windows are facing the street, make sure you cover them and protect your valuables.

Keeping your home very bright during the night hours is an excellent way to prevent thieves. They don’t want visibility. If you have your home lit up, then you have made it hard for burglars to hide and rob your home. Thus, you should always keep lights on at nighttime.

Lock your home when you leave, even if you don’t think you will be away for long. It may be shocking, but many home invasions and burglaries occur by intruders walking through the front door that was left open. It won’t take long for thieves to steal lots of expensive valuables.

Checking out security firms online is a great idea. The sites of the companies themselves will provide you with details about their services, testimonials from their customers, and pricing information. Put together a list of the different home security companies you want to know more about and give them a call.

If you’ve bought large or pricy items, avoid throwing out boxes until the day the trash is scheduled for pick-up. They show the world you have money and lots of valuables inside.

Before looking at home security systems, consider your personal security risks and safety needs. While these systems are great and can help protect your family, they are not necessary for everyone. In certain areas, it may be just as useful to learn self defense or buy a dog, whereas other places may require added measures. Know the risks so that you can make a better decision.

Be on the lookout for rotten wood anywhere near your doors or windows. Anybody wanting to break into your house can just pry off rotted wood and get inside. Be sure and replace rotted wood with fresh wood in order to ensure home safety.

Home security is vital to protect you and your family from robbery. Many feel lost when it comes to choosing a home security system. With any luck, the piece found above has served as a terrific resource on the key topic of keeping your home secure day and night.

Keep safety in mind when doing landscaping. Make sure that the doors and windows to your home are not covered by trees, fences, shrubs or any other type of thing. If windows and doors can be easily seen from all areas, then burglars cannot hide as well, which will hinder their plans. Utilize shrubs and trees farther away in order to add beauty to your home while keeping it safe.