Are you doing everything possible to ensure the safety of your family and your house? If you think an alarm system is the only option for securing your home, you are wrong; there are many other choices. Read the following article for more detailed information about making your home secure.

It is a good idea to replace all the locks on the new home you buy. You don’t know who might have a key. Get a locksmith in right away. If you lose your keys, you should do the same thing.

Protect your spare key by using your dog. This is only true if yours in an outdoor dog, or your house is equipped with a doggie door. You can purchase a special collar that will hold your spare key, so when you forget your keys your dog can let you in.

Let a house cleaner have your keys only if they can provide you with references so you can verify their trustworthiness. Before you give a cleaner full access to your home for extended periods of time, you have to be certain that they’re trustworthy and reliable. Make sure you verify all references. If the cleaner has been sent by a company, call the Better Business Bureau to check on the company’s reputation.

Some home security systems have additional security features besides sounding an alarm to deter a burglar. Many systems can be used to go off whenever anyone enters your home. This is important to parents who have small children, because they will want to know if the children have opened a door.

A home security system has other features in addition to sounding an alarm when there is a break-in. The majority of systems will give an audible alert when someone enters the house. This is great for parents that have small children so that they know when their kids open or close doors.

Check around for prices, reputation, and reliability when choosing a home security provider. Wild variations in pricing can exist for similar security products. Get quotes from several companies so that you can get the best price for your home security system.

Always take time to compare and research before investing in an expensive security system for your home. Each company has different rates for their security system. Look at a number of different companies and get at least three quotes before selecting what you feel is the ideal plan for your home.

Social networking sites are great for keeping in touch, but post information sparingly. For example, you might avoid broadcasting when you are going out of town, especially if your friends list contains casual acquaintances. There may be a thief within this list and you would have been inviting him straight through your front door!

Don’t open up your door for someone who is a stranger. Folks are always thinking up new schemes to get people to open the door so that they can commit their crimes. Keep a hard, fast rule that says you only open the door for invited guests in order to keep your family safe.

Whenever you are selecting a home security company, make sure you go with your gut feelings. If the men who come to your home to do the installation seem untrustworthy, you can change your mind. If you don’t feel comfortable, go with someone else. You want your new system to protect you, not be the way the thief gets into your home.

In the summertime, you should rid your yard of dead bushes and vegetation. As it gets hotter, the chances of these igniting and putting your house at risk increase. Keep these cleared away regularly to maintain your home’s safety and to keep it in good shape.

Be sure your valuables are not visible from the outside of your house. 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. If you’ve got street facing windows, be sure and keep them covered.

Be sure to secure the skylights to your home. Skylights are commonly used by thieves to enter a home. Your skylights need durable and reliable hardware for true protection.

Even if you only plan to be gone for a very short time, lock your house. 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.

You should not hide your spare key under your mat or inside a plant box. While you may feel that you are keeping yourself safe by allowing a way in for yourself, you are also allowing everyone else to visit whenever they want. Thieves are aware of the best hiding spots. Rather, give the key to a neighbor to hold.

If you install a security system, make certain to hide the wires well. Exposed wires make it easy for an intruder to cut them and disable the alarm. Make it hard for intruders and bury the wires or hide them inside your walls, if possible. This will help to deter intruders that are looking to quickly disable your alarm system.

Make sure that none of your valuables can be seen from the outside. Large windows let in a lot of light, but they also allow outsiders to see inside your living space. You should cover any windows that are facing the street so your valuables will be safe.

When you landscape your house, make it safe. All of your windows and doors should be unobstructed by plants, shrubs, trees or fences. Do not give robbers a chance to hide in any area. Have your landscape several feet away from your house for better safety.

If you’ve just gotten a home, replace every lock. While the person you bought the home from may seem on the up and up, you have no idea who they really are. Remember that different families might have dwelt there before this person.

Ask the home security companies to visit your home and design a system tailored to your needs. Every person has specific needs and wants when dealing with securing your family, home, and items. A good company will tailor your security plan to the needs of you and your family.

Did you know that the wires on your home are valuable? The majority of people aren’t aware of this fact until a burglar steals these wires. It does not take much time to strip off the expensive copper wires from the exterior of your house. Hide your wiring to secure it.

You should not enter your home if you find the door ajar. This can be quite dangerous because the burglar may still be on your property. Go to a neighbor’s or another safe area and call the police.

The number one thing you must do if you’re moving into a new place is have the locks changed. The person who used to live there may still have a key. It is possible to purchase and put in locks on your own so you can be assured you have the only keys.

If you live with children or others whom who don’t want entering some parts of the house, keys and lock sets aren’t the only option. Each entrance can be fitted with a keyless lock that requires a code to enter. You could install these locks yourself. Or, you may have a security company to do it for you.

Check references before giving anyone access to your home. Run a criminal background check on them, as well. It is impossible to know if the newly hired maid or one time repairman might be a crook unless you check them out. Providing them with your key might be the biggest mistake you’ve ever made.

Birth Date

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 illuminate your home during the night. As an added bonus, they are affordable and quite efficient. Properly-situated motion detectors will give your home a complete field of protection and make it impossible for a miscreant to approach undetected.

Don’t use your birth date as the password for your security alarm. People can easily access your birth date in order to gain entry to your home. Rather, try and make your combination the answer to an equation so that you only need to remember an equation instead of an actual series of numbers.

Consider a surveillance system for your home and property. Video cameras are a great deterrent. Visible cameras are a deterrent to most intruders, and should they decide to disable them, a hidden camera will continue to capture footage. You can often view these feeds over the Internet, too.

If you turn lights on and off around the same time, try using a timer. This will ensure that they turn on and off when you can’t be at home.

Are your house numbers visible from the street? In an emergency situation, first responders won’t be able to locate your house quickly if the numbers are hidden or are too small to see clearly. This is a project any homeowner can tackle.

If the living room window in your home is facing the street, you must keep the curtains closed. It’s best to discourage peeping toms. Burglars may see something valuable, which will tempt them to steal. Minimize your chances of burglary by minimizing what in your home is visible to the public.

Dogs are an excellent way to protect your home. Canines are notoriously protective of their family and domicile. A common misconception, though, is that you have to have a large animal to be safe. A terrier will make enough of a fuss to stop someone from breaking in.

Most people try to avoid the neighborhood gossip, but you should try to get them in your good graces. They will let you know if they see someone suspicious near your home. Being friendly will bring you great security.

Ask your home-security company about what contract lengths they provide to their customers. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. A longer contract might give you a lower monthly bill, but you could be stuck with those monthly costs if you sell your home or decide to discontinue services. A shorter term allows for flexibility, but it might be expensive.

Although locks are good to use, you could not use them outside. Therefore this will not be of use to you. Deadbolts are the best choice, because you need a key for the inside and outside.

You do not want to use spring latch locks. They give intruders and easy time breaking in, since they can be unlocked with a credit card. They can put the credit card in between the latch and door to open the lock. A deadbolt should be added for security purposes if you have locks that are spring latch.

Big, scary dogs are great security. Burglars don’t want risk being attacked or bitten. Owning a dog not only offers a great companion, but a built in alarm system, too.

Homes that have sliding glass doors can be more of a security risk. They are easy to unlock, all they require is a bit of lifting and shaking. If there is no security system on it, you should place a pipe inside the door channel. This can keep your door tightly closed and make it tougher to force wide open.

Having read the information presented here, you are ready to make your home safe and secure. You must realize that these precautions are necessary in order to protect your family. The tips in this article should help you accomplish just that.

Few security measures are more powerful deterrents to thieves than video cameras. The burglars that have masks in movies are generally fictional. Quite a few home burglars won’t wear a face covering because their plan is to avoid contact with others. Just seeing surveillance will often cause them to leave.