All homeowners need to educate themselves about home security precautions. It is necessary, however, to wade through reams of information on the topic. The information from this article can help you with essential concepts and help you create an effective home safer.

Always have the locks after moving into a new home.You never know how many copies of the keys by the old locks are floating around. Do the same thing if you happen to misplace your keys.

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. This can be done if your dog can come outside. Just hide a spare house key on the inside of your dog’s collar. Then when you need an extra key, you will be able to access this one.

Home security plans have other triggering features besides having an alarm that goes off during a break-in. The majority of systems will give an audible alert when any individual enters the house. This is great for burglars; parents that have small children so that they know when their child has come inside.

This can help you protect your home be safer.

If you do not know the person at your door, don’t open it. You never know who they might be, despite their story. Make it a habit to only open your home’s door to people you were expecting.

Don’t let any person you don’t completely know to look into your house. No matter what the excuse the person presents, you must not allow access. This person might just be casing the joint to see if there is home secure.

Keeping your car in your house will deter intruders from vandalizing it. This will also keep people from knowing your schedule.

In the summer, remove all the dead trees from your yard. As it gets hotter, the chances of these igniting and putting your house at risk increase. Clear up your yard so it looks good and is safe.

Some maintain that rural residents lead riskier lives because they are far away from neighbors.Others hold that rural places have less of a chance of being targets for burglars.

Walls are a handy hiding spot for your valuables. You should think about hiding certain small valuables in your walls. You can use the opening provided by an electrical switch plate or electric outlets as hiding spots. You put in a fake plate if there aren’t any unused plates.

The police department in your area may offer a home protection program. They may offer things such as home inspections, engraving tool loans, and other guidance about securing your house. Talk with local police to see if they offer these programs.

Use the space in walls to store your walls as hiding spaces. You needn’t tear down your walls to do so. Many spots are already accessible for this purpose.

Don’t ever put extra keys under doormats or in planters. These seem like great places criminals will look when you misplace your key. Thieves are familiar with these spots.

Don’t hide an extra key under a rock or in a planter. 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 familiar with these hiding spots. A better solution is to give your key to a neighbor you trust.

Replace all the locks in a new house.Regardless of how trustworthy you consider the last owners to be, you never know someone’s true intentions.

Rotten Wood

Research how long a security company has been in the business before contracting with them. Any business with multiple years of history has a proven record in being reliable. It will make you feel better knowing that the company you choose is not fly by night.

Replace rotten wood around any door frame that is rotting. An intruder could pry the rotten wood and enter your home. Replace any wood with fresh wood so that your house stays safe.

Be sure to read all of the entire contract when you plan on signing for a security company. There could be fees if you break a contract 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.

You should find a home security company that will inspect your home and put together a customized system. Each situation is different. When you don’t want to compromise in any way on the safety and security of your home, a custom-built system is usually the way to go.

Having your house lit up during the night is a good way to scare crooks away. They do not want to avoid being seen. Keep your lights on during the evening for a safer home.

Use the Internet when you are seeking a reliable home security company. Once you have selected a few potential home security providers, make appointments with the three best companies you find so that you can compare pricing and other important details.

Keep the outside areas of your home well lit. Thieves prefer to work in darkness. Make sure to have lights anywhere an intruder might enter. This extends to doorways, porches, garages and lower windows.

Never enter your house if the door open. This can be very dangerous since the thief may still be inside. Call the cops and let them take care of the situation.

The best way to keep a burglar out of your garage is making sure nobody can see inside. Don’t let your door unlocked or standing open for lengthy periods of time.

If you’re planning to be out of your home for a period of time, have a neighbor remove any fliers placed on your door. Crafty burglars will leave fliers on homes, and check to see if they’re being removed as a means for determining whether or not the home is vacant. Fliers that are left behind signal to the burglar that there is no one at home.

You can instead get key-less locks which require a code. You can even install these locks yourself or have them professionally installed.

Ask about what contract lengths they provide to their customers. There are usually pros and bad points about each contract. A longer contract might give you a lower monthly bill, but it can result in a lower bill every month. Shorter contracts may offer greater freedom along with higher cost.

If you buy a new, expensive electronic, such as a television or computer, do not leave the empty boxes on your curb. Don’t advertise that you have expensive new equipment! Cut the box up and hide the writing when you put it out.

This will ensure that they turn on and off when you’re away from your home.

Sliding glass doors present a security issues in homes. They are easily opened if someone lifts and shakes the door frame. This keeps the door a lot harder to force it open.

There’s an easy way to secure interior doors (if there are areas you want to keep housemates and children out of) without obliging you to carry a key-ring around at all times. Get key-less locks that need a code. Install them yourself or get a local home security company to do that.

Women living alone or with children are easy targets for home invasion. Place big muddy boots near the front of your home to give off a tough impression. This visual can deter criminals from entering your home.

Always change the keys and locks when you move in.This is true of rentals and homes you buy, so ask the landlord to change the locks, or you can just do it on your own.

Ask about the various contract lengths offered by a home security company. There are usually pros and cons in each contract. Longer contracts may offer more affordable monthly payments; however, it may be hard to cancel that contract should you decide to change services or sell your house. Shorter contracts mean more freedom along with higher costs.

Homeowners have a duty to learn all they can about keeping their homes secure. But, it can be hard to figure out what is true and what is false. When you do come across security info you find helpful, (hopefully, including the article you’ve just read) it’s a good idea to hang onto it for future reference.