Keep reading this article for home security choices. This can be a costly decision without the right knowledge. You need all the information you can get if you want to make the right decision.

Be sure your home always looks occupied. Buy timers so that lights, radios, TVs and all other electronics turn on and off at various times. Potential intruders will stay away from your home if they believe someone is inside. This is a simple way to improve your home’s safety and make it less attractive to criminals.

Use a safe to protect your valuables. This ensures during a break in that the most important things are not stolen. Hide your safe in a hard to find place like the basement or attic.

A home security system has other features in addition to sounding an alarm when there is a break-in. Modern systems are often capable of detecting any open door or window and announcing that fact. This is useful for parents who have small kids, as it helps keep them from leaving the house.

Check around for prices, reputation, and reliability when choosing a home security provider. Each company has different rates for their security system. Ensure you talk to a minimum of three companies to obtain quotes before deciding the one that you believe is best for you.

Hide your spare key in a place where no one would think to look for it. Doormats and door frames are predictable places that burglars will always check. Try to find somewhere less obvious.

Buy housing materials that are fire resistant. Your home will get added protection, especially if your environment is dry and has power lines. Preventing a fire hazard is one of the safest precautions that you can take due to the level of destruction that it can cause.

Before agreeing to work with a security company, check with your friends and family for recommendations. Others have likely had both good and bad experiences that they can share with you that can then save you a lot of stress and time. Sometimes, you may get great advice from the people you know.

Solicit word of mouth recommendations from friends, colleagues and family members to find a great home security company or system. It is probable that you will hear some great stories about some companies as well as some not so great stories about others. This can save you the hassle of having to research everything on your own. Ask around so that you can have the advice that you need to make a good choice.

Never allow a stranger to enter your home. Even if this stranger has a believable story or is trying to sell you something, do not let them in. Even home security representatives could be intruders who want to check the kind of protection you have.

You should never open your door to someone you do not know. You have no way of knowing if the stranger on the other side of the door wishes to do you harm. Make it mandatory that doors in your home are only opened for expected visitors.

See what the local police offer when it comes to home protection programs. They may offer things such as home inspections, engraving tool loans, and other guidance about securing your house. These programs can make a big difference to the security of your home, and they may just be a phone call away.

Speak with the police in your town regarding the home security programs they have. Many have quite a few helpful programs that you take, like on self-defense or other things related to your home. Call them up to find out more.

Before doing anything else, install new locks in your home. Changing the locks will ensure that you are the only one who knows the combination. It’s generally cheap can can take less than a day to do.

Even if you have a great security system, it must be checked annually. Ask someone who works at the security company to do a maintenance check. There are quite a few things that can negatively impact the effectiveness of home security equipment. For example, adverse weather conditions or pests such as raccoons can cause problems. The problem might not be obvious to you, though.

Trust your instincts when it comes to hiring a home security company. This is very true when you feel uneasy about the person installing the system. You should not hesitate to ask if you can work with a different representative or find a different company if you are not comfortable. You want your new system to protect you, not be the way the thief gets into your home.

Don’t be shy. Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Watch out for their homes, and ask them to do the same for you. You never want to ignore gossip. You never know what sort of security issues you might become privy to.

Do you live out in the country? If so, you might not be as worried about burglars breaking in as those people in the city are. Some people think that the people out in the country without neighbors are actually at a much greater risk. Some people think burglaries are less prevalent in rural parts.

Changing the locks is a fundamental part of adding security to the home. Whether you just bought your home or someone just moved out that you were living with, this is an important step to any new situation. It does not cost much, and can be handled very quickly.

Avoid placing spare keys under door mats or in plant boxes. While it may seem like a convenient way to give you access to your home, intruders are aware of this practice. Potential burglars know the usual hiding places. The wisest course of action is to leave a spare key with a trusted friend or a reliable neighbor.

Use the spaces in your home’s walls to store valuables. Don’t make it obvious by cutting out big chunks of drywall. Many spots are already cut that can be used for this purpose. Consider unwiring an electrical socket that isn’t used and storing your valuable jewelry.

When installing your home security system, make sure to hide the wires. Exposed wires make it easy for an intruder to cut them and disable the alarm. Do not make entry into your home easy. Make sure the wires are not exposed either inside or outside your home. This makes it much less likely that your system will be compromised.

You should always lock up your house, even if you’re only planning to be gone for a short time. It may be shocking, but many home invasions and burglaries occur by intruders walking through the front door that was left open. It doesn’t take long for a thief to steal thousands of dollars worth of stuff.

Be sure to replace all of the old locks as soon as you move into a new domicile. While the person you bought the home from may seem on the up and up, you have no idea who they really are. You should also keep in mind that other people may have lived in the home before the previous homeowner.

Are you aware of the value contained in your home’s wiring? People often don’t think about this until they have it stolen from their home. Experienced criminals can make a decent amount of money quickly by stripping copper wiring off of houses in order to sell it at a scrapyard. Be sure that you keep all your wiring hidden and make it hard to access.

Having a well-lit home that’s bight in the evening can really deter crooks. They don’t wish to be seen. It makes it look like you are home and makes it difficult for thieves to hide. Keep lights on in the evening for a safer home.

Determine how much experience a home security company has before you decide to do business with them. Companies that have been around for awhile show that they can provide reliable support. Knowing you are not dealing with a fly by night company gives you extra peace of mind when making this important decision.

When your door is found ajar when you get home, call the police. The burglar may be on the premises. Just contact the police and sit tight until they arrive.

Put in a surveillance system. Having visible or hidden cameras can help immensely. Visible cameras can scare intruders, and hidden ones can catch them in the act. Many surveillance systems may be easily accessed through a cell phone so that you can check on your house while you’re away.

If you are going to be out of town for more than a day or so, have someone check your mailbox and door for mail and fliers. Canny burglars will often produce and distribute their own fliers so that they can see whether or not anyone takes them down. If the flier isn’t removed, the burglar knows the homeowner isn’t there.

Keep your garage shut and locked so burglars can’t peek inside. Be sure and shade your windows with window frosting, something that you can purchase at any hardware store, so as to keep people from looking in your house. Don’t leave the door unlocked for a long time, either.

Make sure the inside of your garage isn’t visible. Add some frosted glass panes to your windows to keep strangers from looking inside. Do not keep your door open long enough for people to get an idea of what you own.

If you live alone or with other responsible adults, there is no need to lock off areas of your home to prevent access. Use a code-access lock for any door you don’t want others opening. You could install these locks yourself. Or, you may have a security company to do it for you.

Can you see the number of your house from the street? If your numbers cannot be plainly seen, then the police will struggle to locate your home very quickly in case of emergency. Luckily, this is an issue that can be fixed quickly.

Ask if your company offers options to both buy and lease your security equipment. Buying the equipment might cost more up front, but it means a one time cost that does not continue every month. Although leasing is usually cheaper, you may have to fill out contracts and you will have higher monthly costs. Check out both options and determine which is best for you.

Don’t put your key in an obvious hiding place. Fake rocks are easy to spot. The thief will check under the mat before anything else. A safer option is entrusting a neighbor or one of your most trusted friends to keep your spare key. Otherwise, you should be more creative when it comes to hiding your key.

Put in a door that is solid wood or metal. Doors such as these stand their ground. If a burglar were to try and kick his way inside, he would have a lot of difficulty doing so. It shouldn’t be too costly to replace your exterior doors, so go do it.

If the living room window in your home has direct line of sight to the street, you’ll want to draw those curtains at night. You never want to make it easy for folks to peer into your home. If potential thieves notice any expensive valuables within your home, they might target you. Be careful about what you expose to the public so that your likelihood of a burglary will decrease.

If you have studied the above material, you should be prepared to begin. You need to understand how important this is, because it will keep your family safe. Use the things you’ve learned here in order to make this a reality.

Your alarm will only work if the police are notified. Purchase a centrally monitored alarm to reap all the security benefits possible. You cannot depend on your neighbors to call them.