Anytime you’re looking to keep your home secure with a security system, you must gather up as much relevant information as you can. This isn’t something to be taken lightly. It is important to review your options and do what you can to protect your family.

You do not necessarily need an expensive home security system to protect your home. You can buy a dog. Dogs are great for home security. Not only will they protect your home while you are away, they are great additions to your family offering protection, companionship and additional security for your home.

Do not leave your garage doors open, even if you are currently home. Burglars will try to get in through the garage, and if it is open, they can easily break through the door to your home. Use a keypad that requires a combination to allow access into your house.

Consider hiding a spare key on your dog. If you have dogs who have free access to the outdoors, try taping a key securely to the inside of one of their collars. This will make your key accessible should you lock yourself out, while keeping your home safe. If you have multiple dogs, choose the dog who is least friendly with strangers.

Walk outside of your home at night and see what is visible through your windows. If you have a clear view of your valuables, especially easily stolen electronics, then so do potential thieves. If you don’t want to rearrange the interior of your home, simply make sure that blinds or drapes block the view.

Don’t open your door for strangers. You never know who they might be, despite their story. Make it a rule in your home that you only open your door to people who you were expecting.

You can often find coupons to save on your home security system. This is a great way to save some money on the installation in your home. Many times a security company will install for free if you have a coupon. They make their money on the monitoring service and will give away the system for free.

Where are your door’s hinges? If the hinges for your door are on the outside of your home, you should move them to the inside of your house. Having outside hinges is an easy way for burglars to grant access to your home. All they have to do is knock the pin out of the hinge.

Keep your patio doors locked. If you do not have a lock on the doors, you can still keep your home safe. Place a metal bar or piece of pipe in the bottom track of your door’s slide. It should be the same length as the track of the door.

If you know you are going to be away from home for a while, turn the volume on your phone down as low as possible. If a burglar is staking out your house, a ringing phone could be just the confirmation he or she needs to know you are not there.

If anyone knocks on your door and asks to use your phone, tell them you can make the call for them. In this day and age of cell phones and pay phones, there is little reason for anyone to appear on your doorstep asking for help. Take it as a red flag.

If you have installed a wireless DIY home security system, you can set it to call you or up to 10 other people in case of a break-in. However, you cannot set 911 as one of the numbers to call, and there is no police backup. The system is purchased more by apartment dwellers than home owners.

Do not purchase spring latch locks. Defeating a spring latch lock is a trivial endeavor; experienced burglars can get through one using nothing more than a credit card. Intruders can just wedge the credit card in between the latch and the door, causing it to open. If you have already installed spring latch locks, consider adding a deadbolt for even more security.

Doors with windows on them look attractive, but they can be inviting to an intruder. A burglar can simply break the window and open the door from the inside. That is too easy. Consider reinforcing those windows. Better still, install a deadbolt lock on the inside which cannot be reached by an intruder.

You should install a keypad lock on your door if you are worried about people having access to your home who shouldn’t. This means that you can change the code every time you feel you are vulnerable. This is much easier than worrying about who may have keys to your home, including exes and previous owners.

Given your exposure to the article above, you certainly have greater knowledge on the topic. It’s useless to enter into home security blindly. You want to make your family’s safety your priority. Remember these tips as you proceed with your plans.

Tips To Help You Get Started With Home Security was originally published on Spring