It is every homeowner’s responsibility to keep their homes safe. While you may believe it is only necessary to install an alarm system in your home, there are other steps that can be equally effective. The article below will give you some great ideas to help you secure your home and everything inside of it.

Buy a small home safe to contain everything of great value. Keep your safe in a hard to find.

Do you keep your dog outside if you leave the home? If so, you can use your dog to hide your spare key. Put it on their collar. If your dog does not like strangers, this can help ensure consistent access to the house.

Above doors or under a mat are much too common to hide them and potential criminals will check them first. You could hide it in your dog’s collar.

Motion sensor lights are a great idea.These lights will pop right on if anyone walks too closely to your home. Make sure you regularly change the light bulbs to ensure they continue to work correctly.

When in the process of purchasing a home-security system, be sure to comparison shop. Each company has different rates for their security system. Get quotes from no less than three companies before choosing the best one.

Don’t forget about the skylights when doing a security sweep for your home.Skylights are nice to bring extra light into your house, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of. Be sure that skylights in your home can be locked securely.

Use your home’s walls to store valuables. You don’t have to cut out of the wall to do this. Many spots are already accessible for this purpose.

Never open up your door to a stranger. People try many ways to convince others to open up their doors so that they can commit burglary or worse. You should only open the door to people you were expecting.

Make sure that your valuables can be seen from the outside.Large windows at the home’s front can be beautiful, but keep in mind that potential intruders will be tempted if they can see your valuables.

Most break-ins and burglaries occur because a door left carelessly unlocked. It won’t take long for thieves to steal your expensive stuff.

Trust your instincts when it comes to hiring a home security company. This goes for the installer, too. You don’t want to refrain from choosing a different company or technician. You need to feel secure with the entire process.

If you are entering a house that has already been occupied, you should change the locks on all the doors. The person who used to live there may still have made some copies of the key. You can even buy and install the locks yourself so you know that no one else has a key.

Landscape your home with an eye to safety. If you have them visible, people will not hide there and attempt a break-in. This will give your safety.

People in rural areas are not usually as worried about burglaries as people in cities. There are some who believe country folk are more at risk because neighbors are not nearby. Still, there are those who are of the opinion that rural properties are less of a temptation to burglars.

Ask your home security company how long they have been in business before you are considering. A company that’s been around for a long history has proved they can survive and provide great service is reliable. Knowing that you are not dealing with a fly by night company can keep you extra peace of mind when making this important decision.

Don’t leave the boxes for big-ticket purchases outside on the curb of your house. Burglars will see these boxes and realize that there are valuable things in your house. Cut the box up and wait until the writing when you put it out.

If you have skylights, do not neglect them when making sure your home is secure. Skylights have a good function, but unfortunately they also often provide a way for a burglar to enter. Be sure that the skylights for your home are durable and reliable.

Your dog is a great tool for protecting your home security weapons. Dogs become extremely protective of their turf and usually make noises when uneasy. It is not necessary to have to be a big tough dog. Even tiny dogs can keep intruders away since they don’t want lots of noise will deter a potential crime.

Ask the security company about various contract lengths they provide to their customers. Each likely has its own set of positives and disadvantages. Longer contracts can lower your monthly bill; however, it may be hard to cancel that contract should you decide to change services or sell your house. Shorter contracts may offer greater freedom along with higher costs.

Walls can be a great hiding spot. Small items of value can be hidden for safety in your home’s walls. All you have to do is place them behind any unused phone jack, electrical outlet or switch plate. If you’re using all your outlets, you can install phony ones.

Spring Latch Locks

Do not purchase spring latch locks on your doors. These type of locks can be opened easily with a credit card. Intruders can pick these locks by wedging a credit card in between the latch and the lock to pop open. Add a deadbolt if you do not want to replace your spring latch locks for maximum security.

Don’t put spare keys inside plant boxes or beneath the welcome mat. Remember that you are not the only one who is aware of these sorts of hiding places. Thieves are familiar with these hiding spots. Try having your trustworthy neighbors hold spare keys.

Sliding glass doors are a huge security problem in lots of homes. They are easily be unlocked by lifting them and then shaking them. This can keep your door tightly closed and make it hard to open.

Being friendly will bring you right away.

Make certain no one can see your valuable belongings through windows and doors. Open curtains allow people to see inside your home and see exactly what you have. Be sure to put curtains on your front-facing windows so people can’t see your valuable belongings.

Always change your locks on a new home. This is definitely true when it comes to rentals and new home purchase, so be sure you talk to any landlord about getting the locks switched, or do it on your own.

Don’t make it easy to see into your home.If you can easily view high-value items from outside the house, a thief may see it as well. Consider installing drapes so that people from seeing what is inside. If this isn’t possible, place your valuables in another room.

Are you aware of the fact that your home wiring is worth money? Many people are not aware of this until they are stolen from their home. The copper in the wiring is valuable and can be stripped off of the outside of the home in a relevantly short period of time. To keep the wiring safe, be sure that the wire is hidden from view.

Video surveillance systems do a crooks nightmare. Burglars don’t wear masks that are seen in movies. Many home burglars will not wear anything to cover their faces at all since they do not want to come into contact with people.

Many times, only to kick in the door aggressively when the homeowner answers. If anyone approaches your door in need of help, just make a call for them from inside.

If you’re hiring a company for home security, be sure to read any fine print before you sign that contract. There could be hidden costs if you were to quit your service prior to the expiration date of the contract, or you decide to add additional equipment later. You can easily avoid these fees if you do your research.

You can install some outdoor lights that includes infrared detection. These lights will turn on when someone is within a certain distance from your house. This is a burglar run for it. A smart burglar will instantly turn away if there is a chance they might be seen.

Now that you’ve read through this, you should be able to have a safer home. It’s worth the effort and expense to keep your home and family safe. The tips you’ve just read can help make this a reality.

The Internet is your friend when searching for a home security company, so you should use it wisely. Check out different websites, and read through package details and customer testimonials. With this information, you can contact the companies you feel comfortable with and compare the rates to each other.