Every homeowner needs to take active steps to maintain home safe. Sadly, burglaries in people’s homes are becoming increasingly common, and other things like fire or floods can harm your home.Read on to learn some useful advice to keep your family and home safe from outside threats.

Home security plans have other triggering features besides having an alarm that goes off during a break-in. Most systems could sound an alert when someone enters the home. This is a good way to know if you have small kids.

After you buy your new house, get new locks. You have no clue how many people were given keys by the former owner. To make sure you are the sole person with access to the home, engage the services of a locksmith. Do the same thing if you happen to misplace a key.

Comparison shopping is essential when you are ready to buy a security system for the home. Make sure to obtain quotes from a minimum of three companies prior to deciding on which one you think is the best option.

This helps protect your home won’t be a more dry climate.

Be very cautious about entrusting a maid service with a key to your home. If you do give your housekeeper a key or plan on doing so, it is imperative that they are honest and upstanding. Check out their references thoroughly. If applicable, call the BBB to inquire about their reputation.

Ask friends for some advice before you choose a home security companies and systems. Your friends have dealt with this situation before. Ask around so that you can have the advice for making a better choice.

Turn the ringers off on your phones if you will be away for a prolonged period of time. A constantly ringing phone which rings forever is a sign to burglars that you’re not there.

Does your dog remain outside while you’re gone? Your pet might just be the perfect place to stash a spare key to your home. Stash the key on the pup’s collar to keep it out of sight. This is an especially good idea if your dog doesn’t like strangers, and gives you easy access to get in your home.

Talk to the people who live in your neighbors.

Put motion-sensor lights around your home. These are lights will turn on whenever any living thing gets too closely to your home. Just do not forget to replace the bulbs every so often so the lights remain in working order.

You should always park your car inside your garage instead of using your garage to store some belongings. Protect your car from vandals by keeping it in the garage. Storing your car in the garage will also make it difficult for anyone casing your home to figure out when no one is going to be there.

This is doubly true if you feel unease about the installers. Ask the company to send a different installer or switch companies.The point of that system is to make yourself feel at ease.

Some maintain that rural residents lead riskier lives because they are far away from neighbors.Some think burglaries are less prevalent in rural areas.

If you reside in the country, you may be less worried about break-ins than urban dwellers are. There are differences between large cities and homes located in the countryside. Not everyone believes this, though.

Don’t forget skylights when securing your home. Skylights have a good function, but they also tend to be weak spots that intruders take advantage of. Be certain that the skylights in your home are durable and reliable.

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

A skylight is another area that needs to be protected for home security. Skylights are excellent for beauty and light, but it’s easy for burglars to gain access to your home through them. Your skylights should have strong components that can withstand tampering.

Having these boxes around will give people an idea of what is inside your house.

Door Frame

If you have a home security system installed, make sure the wires are hidden. An intruder can cut the wires if he can find them. Make it hard for a burglar to avoid your detection. This will make you much safer.

Replace any wood surrounding your door frame. An intruder could pry the rotten wood and enter your home. Replace the rotting door frame with fresh new one and keep your home much safer.

Flashlights are key because they allow you to move around in an emergency should arise. Make sure everyone in your whole family knows where the flashlights are.

If you are moving into a home that had a previous owner, then you should immediately change the locks. The previous tenant or owner may not have the keys, but you don’t know if they made copies for themselves or others. Find a reliable locksmith who can replace the locks or do it yourself.

Thieves may look through garbage for information. Rip your important documents in small pieces before throwing them away if you can’t get a shredder.

You may have key-less locks without keys that need a code. You can even install these locks yourself or have them professionally installed.

When allowing a representative from any security company to enter your home, look for someone in uniform and ask to see an identification. Burglars are creative, and they often pose as a member of the security team to get inside. This is dangerous to your valuables and your family. Caution is always advisable if dangers like this are to be avoided.

Ask about the different contract lengths that your home security company may offer. Each has its own set of positives and negatives. Longer agreements may cost less per month, it may be hard to cancel that contract should you decide to change services or sell your house. Shorter contracts mean more freedom at a higher costs.

Hard-wired security systems can help you to cut down on costs. It can also be very costly to replace a ton of batteries.

To increase your home’s security, buy some outdoor lights that are motion activated. Cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing, these lights really add value to your home. By carefully placing them around the outside of your property, you create a perimeter that cannot be breached.

You want to always make sure your second story windows locked. Many people overlook this since they don’t think about burglars checking these windows. This is not always the truth. This is the weak area that criminals know this.

Locks inside are great, but it’s not real useful if you are unable to lock your door from the outside. A deadbolt meets this requirement and outside of the door is best.

Look online for a reputable home security business. Check out different websites, and read through package details and customer testimonials. From there, you can make appointments with your top three selections to compare final package pricing and specific details about plans and monitoring.

Don’t leave toys lying around your yard children are not in use. This makes thieves think women live in the home. Homes with female inhabitants are more attractive targets because they probably have pricy jewelry inside.

Video is a crooks nightmare. Burglars with masks like you see in movies. Many people who burglarize homes don’t cover their face because they have no intention of ever being seen.

When you landscape your house, make it safe. All doors and windows must be unobstructed by shrubs, trees, fences, or plants. If windows and doors can be easily seen from all areas, then burglars cannot hide as well, which will hinder their plans. Have your landscape several feet away from your house for better safety.

Some intruders will knock on your door and convince you to let them into your home, then forcing their way in. If a person ever knocks on your door screaming for help, keep the door closed and offer to call the police or an ambulance for them.

Do not place valuable items in the window. If they are not immediately visible, it is less likely to be taken.

Research how long a security company has been in the business before contracting with them. You can be sure that an established company has a good track record of providing solid and reliable service. Being in the hands of a good company helps you have peace about your decision.

There are lots of things that can go wrong with home security, so homeowners should be very vigilant. This very article will contain several different ideas and suggestions that will help protect your family and your home from these threats. Implement all these ideas in order to get the most out of your home security efforts.