The home security industry is huge. Burglaries occur in every neighborhood. If your home appears like it’s not well secured, you can bet that a burglar has their eye on it. Read on for ideas and insights into protecting your home, your family, and your valuables.

Home security systems offer additional features besides loud alarms during a break-in. Most systems can be set to sound an alert when anyone enters the home. Parents of children can track their kids this way.

You should always make sure your home looks like its occupied. You can purchase inexpensive timers that will control different electronics and lights in your home. This will give the appearance that someone is at your house at all times. This should help you make your home safer and not attract the attention of potential intruders.

Shut off the ringer for all of the telephones in your home if you are planning to go on vacation for a long time. When burglars hear phones ringing for an extended period of time in a home, they know that there is no one there to answer.

Do you keep your dog outdoors when you go out? Use him or her to help hide your spare key! The key can be attached to the collar of your dog. This will ensure that burglars cannot see it. If your dog doesn’t like strangers, it’s even better.

Don’t make a habit of giving strangers access to your home. While their story may seem legit, that doesn’t mean it is true. Even home security representatives could be intruders who want to check the kind of protection you have.

It’s important to comparison shop for alarm systems. The prices can vary a great deal for the same level of protection from company to company. 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.

Remove all of the vegetation outside in the hotter months. Due to the heat, these items in your yard are more likely to catch on fire. As a result, your home could be caught on fire. Clear up your yard so it looks good and is safe.

Don’t allow a complete stranger to come in your home. You have no way of knowing if the stranger on the other side of the door wishes to do you harm. Enforce a rule within your house that no one opens the door to unexpected people.

Keep valuables hidden within the walls. This does not mean that you should make alterations to your walls. There are many locales that are already around your home. What about un-wiring an electrical socket which isn’t used to utilize as a cover to hide your jewelry?

Annual check-ups are important for alarm systems. Get a security comapny tech to check it. 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.

No one should be able to see your valuables from outside. Open curtains allow people to see inside your home and see exactly what you have. If your house has street-facing windows, make sure they are always covered and your make sure your valuables are hidden away.

Install lights that use a motion-sensor. The lights will be triggered when someone gets too close to the house. They will signal movement to you but will also serve as deterrents to the thieves. Just remember that you must change the bulbs often in order to keep the lights working in order.

Lock up your house every time you leave. Many burglaries happen because the intruders can just walk right inside. It doesn’t take long for a thief to steal thousands of dollars worth of stuff.

An extremely important tactic for keeping your home safe is changing out the locks. This could be an ex-spouse or roommate you got into a fight with. It is generally cheap and may be done in a little under a day.

Replace rotten wood near door frames. The rotten wood will be simple to remove, allowing a thief access to your home. Therefore, replace rotted wood with fresh wood to ensure your home’s safety.

You could hide some valuables within your walls. You don’t have to cut pieces out of the walls. There are lots of places around the home that have pre-cut areas that you can use. What about un-wiring an electrical socket which isn’t used to utilize as a cover to hide your jewelry?

Alter the locks and the keys when you change homes. The previous tenant or owner may not have the keys, but you don’t know if they made copies for themselves or others. You can also put the locks on yourself so you can be sure no one else has a key.

Possible Entry

Always get references from anyone you are considering hiring to do work inside your home. A background check is also a good idea, so that you know what their criminal history looks like. You need to be very careful with the contractors, repairmen or maids you trust with being alone in your home.

When you pick an alarm system, it’s a good idea to get one that provides protection for both doors and windows. Each window represents a possible entry for your thief. Make sure the alarm is attached to all of them, and that monitoring is offered for all possible entry points. They are the most effective.

If you hire a security company, read any fine print. There might be hidden costs or other things you should know about. Try avoiding these fees when you can so that you know about them.

After installing a security system in your home, make sure any wires are hidden. An intruder can cut the wires or disconnect them and avoid the system. Do not make entry into your home easy. Make sure the wires are not exposed either inside or outside your home. You will be much more safe.

Have home-security companies come to your home so they can design the best possible system for it. Every person has specific needs and wants when dealing with securing your family, home, and items. When you choose a company that pays close attention to detail in creating your home security plan, you will feel very secure.

Make sure all the wood around your doors is in great shape. Rotten wood can be removed in order to get inside your home. Replace rotted wood with fresh wood to make your home safer.

There are wireless systems available for home security, as another option. While systems with wires are cheaper, you have to rewire your home and worry about power outages. Wireless systems are much easier to install, and they can work independently of your home’s power.

Before allowing anyone into your home, check their references carefully. Be sure to perform a background check and look for any criminal history that might be in evidence. You never know if the maid, repairman or contractor you hire is on the up and up, and letting them in or giving them a key could be a fatal mistake.

Do not purchase spring latch locks. These type of locks can actually be opened by using a credit card. Intruders simply use a credit card inside the latch, making the lock open. If your doors sport spring latch locks, add deadbolts to beef up security.

If you’re hiring a company for home security, be sure to read any fine print before you sign that contract. Look out for hidden charges and surprises, especially if you need to cancel the contract early. You’ll definitely want to avoid these types of fees if you can, so read carefully.

Keep your curtains pulled tight when you are away from home. When they’re open, it would be easy to see no one is there. If they see something they like, they will then break in. Keep them down when you’re asleep, too.

Don’t allow your landscaping make it easier for burglars to break into your home. Don’t provide burglars with cover by planting big shrubs in front of your doors and windows. Intruders should have nowhere to hide near your home. For a beautiful yard that’s also safe, keep the landscaping separated from the house.

Your auto registration is best kept somewhere other than your glove compartment. This isn’t smart since anybody who gets them is going to know your address. Ideally, you should carry your registration in your wallet or bag. If you must leave them in the car, pick a less obvious hiding place. Remember, you do need to be able to access them quickly if you get pulled over by a policeman.

Always keep your shades, curtains and blinds closed when you are not at home. Potential intruders will see what you are doing and get an idea of how many valuables you own if you keep your blinds open. If they notice this, they may break in. Curtains and blinds should be drawn shut while you are asleep.

Put some extra thought into concealing your spare keys. If you place it under a rock, a good robber will find it. Someone is going to look under your doormat. The best idea is just to ask a friend or neighbor to hang on to a key for you. If you can’t, be creative where you put the key.

Your family and your home will be safer with good home security in place. You never know when someone can break into your home. Keep this advice handy, and work to make your home more secure. Don’t procrastinate in doing this. Act on matters of home security while you still can.

If you’re worried about how you’re going to be able to maintain a wireless system, you may want to opt for a wired one instead. A wireless system is handy, but the frequent battery changes can really amount to a large expense. If you don’t replace the batteries, you’ll find that your system stops working correctly. Batteries can be very expensive to change.