Read the following article for great tips on how to properly secure your home.

Never allow any strangers into your house.Even if they tell you a sob story about needing help, they need assistance or want to sell you something. This person might just be casing the joint to see if there is home secure.

It is important for your home to always look lived in. You can buy timers to have radios, TVs, lights and other electronics go off and on at different times. This way it will always look as if someone is home, even when you are away. This will keep people from breaking in.

Put motion-sensor lights into your house. These kinds of lights will pop right on if someone walks near your home. Just remember to change out the light bulbs every so often so the lights remain in working order.

This is doubly true when it comes to the company employees who will be installing your system. Don’t hesitate to request a different technician or get another company. The point of having a security system and the company should put your mind at ease.

Use your dog as the protector of your spare key. This is only true if yours in an outdoor dog, or your house is equipped with a doggie door. Store a spare key within your dogs collar so you always have access to your home.

Replace rotted wood surrounding your door frames. An intruder can simply pry the rotten wood easily to open the door.Replace rotting wood with fresh new wood to stay safe.

Always check references before letting a contractor or a maid in your home. You should do background check as well to find out about their criminal history. You can’t know for sure about the integrity of people you hire, and giving access to the wrong one can prove disastrous.

Does your dog stay outside while you are gone? Your dog is an excellent place to hide your spare key. The key can be attached to the collar of your dog. This will ensure that burglars cannot see it. This is especially useful if the dog does not take kindly to strangers.

Be certain to read the fine print to any contracts you plan on signing for a security company. There could be fees if you break a contract early or acquiring additional equipment down the road. You are going to want to avoid these kinds of hidden fees, you need to know of their existence.

Use the Internet when you are seeking a reliable home security company. After narrowing down your top five choices, choose your top three for consultations.

Good home security systems sound a loud alarm when breached, and that’s not all. The majority of systems are able to be set to put out an alert when any individual enters the home. This is important to parents who have small children, because they will want to know if the children have opened a door.

Keep safety at the forefront when doing landscaping. If they can be seen, people can’t hide in those areas while they try to break in. This will give your safety.

Thieves often find the trash cans in search of pertinent information found on bills and credit card slips. Rip important papers up before throwing them away if you do not have a paper shredder.

Don’t let strangers into your home. Many people are devising many different schemes to get into homes and burglarize them. You should only open the door to people you were expecting.

The best method to maintain a burglar out of your garage is making sure nobody can see inside. Don’t leave doors open when you are working there.

Don’t leave empty boxes of any high priced electronics on your house. Burglars will see those boxes and recognize that there are new valubles in your house. Cut the boxes and wait until the writing when you put it out.

If you have an attached garage, don’t forget to secure it as well. A common concern expressed among homeowners is that someone might enter their garage and use that as an entrance to their home. There is a solution, however. Try putting a C-clamp on your garage door track. This will stop the door from rising if you want to keep it closed.

Your dog is a great crime deterrent. Dogs can be extremely protective of their space and are great at barking when something is wrong. It doesn’t even have an aggressive dog. Even small dogs can deter criminals just by making noise when committing crimes.

You can instead get key-less locks without keys that work using a code. You can install it yourself.

Don’t be afraid to know the people who live near you. Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Watch their homes and ask them if they’ll watch yours as well. Listen for gossip too. You can learn of important security information, including if strangers have been lurking.

Keep your curtains pulled tight when you aren’t at home. Intruders can see into your house if the blinds are up. You ought to turn the curtains down if you are sleeping.

Anyone could get your date of birth from a Facebook profile or your house.

Put motion sensor lights around your house. They turn on only if someone is nearby. These lights will not only let you know when someone gets too close, they will also stop potential burglars from breaking in. After all, burglars don’t want anyone to know they are there. Be sure to keep these lights working, though.

Think about hard-wired security systems if you’re worried about long term maintenance issues. It can also be very costly to replace batteries.

This will ensure that they turn on and continue to switch even when you can’t be at home.

Always lock your home, even if you plan on coming back within a few minutes. It may shock you to know this, but a lot of intruders get inside homes through open doors. They can get a ton of stuff quickly and be long gone before you return.

A home alarm might be a good investment if police are notified when it sounds.Purchase a centrally monitored alarm to reap all the police will come when it is activated. You can’t rely on just your neighbors.

Sliding glass doors are a security problem in many homes. They are easily be unlocked just by lifting and then shaking them. The door open a much less trivial matter.

Are you aware of the value of your home’s wires? This is something few homeowners realize until they become victims of wiring theft. The copper wiring can be stripped and be turned in for money. Be sure to keep your wiring hidden or difficult to reach.

Women who live alone or with only children are the most likely targets for burglary. Place something masculine in the front door so it looks like a male lives there.This will make criminals think twice about breaking in.

These tips should help you create a safe environment for your family. You have many options when it comes to protecting your home and family. You should use these tips to keep your home safe.

Change the locks on any new place you move into. They previous occupants may have made copies of the keys. You can purchase the locks and install them yourself to ensure you’re the only person that has a key.