If your personal possessions include high-value items like jewelry, original art or a lot of cash, don’t assume that only you know about it. You must protect your home and your family by investing in a quality home security system. Read these tips for ideas on how to secure your home.

Your dog could carry a spare house key for you. This will only be ideal if you’ve got an outdoor dog or if you’ve got a pet door. You can purchase a special collar that will hold your spare key, so it is always handy.

Be sure your home appears to always be occupied. Timers can be used to turn lights and televisions on and off when required. This way, it will appear that you are at home. This will help to deter burglars.

This can help your home when you dwell in a more dry climate.

Do not let people you don’t know in your home. Even if someone has a good story, needs help or has something to sell, they should not be given access. This person might just be casing the first rule of keeping your home secure.

You can hide your spare key on your dog. This works with a dog that stays outside or a dog with a pet door. Simply affix a spare key to the collar of the animal. You’ll always have a backup plan if you lose your key!

Check with your town for home security tips and advice. They may offer neighborhood watch programs, engraving tool loans, and other guidance about securing your house. Contact the police department to see if they offer this type of program.

Talk to your neighborhood.

Don’t give the keys to your home to a professional cleaner unless you trust them completely. If you do give your housekeeper a key or plan on doing so, it is imperative that they are honest and upstanding. Check their references fully. If the house cleaner is employed by a company, check with the BBB of your area to determine their reputation.

Don’t forget skylights when securing your home. Skylights are excellent for beauty and light, but they are also tempting entryways for crooks. Be certain that skylights for your home can be locked securely.

Most burglars gain entry to a door is left open and an intruder just walks in. A thief could steal your valuables in only a few minutes.

Do you allow your dog to stay in your yard while you are away? Your dog is an excellent place to hide your spare key. Simply put the key onto your dog’s collar so that robbers cannot locate it. This is a good way to ensure easy home access, especially if your pet does not associate well with strangers.

When choosing an alarm system, pick one that offers protection that goes beyond the doors. All of your windows are possible entry spots for a thief too. You want to be sure that monitors all windows and doors. This is great for keeping your family secure.

Hide your security system. Intruders can easily disable a system by cutting or unplugging the wires. This can make you much safer.

Home security systems offer other triggering features besides having an alarm sound. Most systems can be set to sound an alert when anyone enters the home. For families with young children, this is excellent for alerting when a child has entered or left the house.

Replace rotten wood around any door frame that is rotting. An intruder can simply pry away that rotted wood easily to open the door. Replace any wood with fresh wood to make your home’s security.

If you move to a dwelling that has had prior occupants, you should first change your locks. 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 can be sure no one else has a key.

Invest in a safe in order to secure very valuable items. If an intruder breaks into your home, at least these valuables will be secure. Keep your safe in your basement or attic to make it hard to find.

A great way to increase your home security is to add motion lights around the house. If the lights are positioned correctly on your home, motion detectors ensure that it’s difficult for intruders to break into your home sight unseen.

Never assume that burglars won’t target your home. Be prepared. Of course, this does not mean living in fear. Simply take some wise precautions. Keep these tips in mind if you want to improve your home’s security in order to protect your family.

Don’t use social media to announce that you will be gone for an extended period of time. Although it’s fun to talk about, posting it online makes it more possible for criminals to find out when you’re gone.