The saying goes that your home is your sanctuary. It is where your most prized possessions, including your family, are contained. But what security do you currently have in place to protect those things that are dear to your heart? And if your answer is “nothing”, how do you go about finding the right security for your home? Read on to answer these questions and more.

If you’ve got lots of people you don’t know on your social networks, don’t let them know that you’re going to be on vacation. It’s great to see new places and take a lot of photos, but posting them while still overseas lets thieves know your home is empty.

Before leaving for vacation, turn off the ringers in your house. A constantly ringing phone lets thieves know that you are not home and could increase the chances of you getting robbed.

Make sure all exterior wiring is well protected or covered. Copper wiring is a favorite object for theft as it is often accessible from outside the home and can be sold for a great deal of money. Air conditioners are a prime target for copper thieves. Also make sure exterior power and phone lines are protected and not easily cut.

Make sure to hire a home security company with a good reputation in your community. Check references with your friends and neighbors, as well as institutions like the Better Business Bureau. Finding a company with a good reputation is important because you want to make sure your company will stand behind their security plan and promises.

Make sure you always do your research before hiring a company to install your home security system. Find company reviews on the Internet and make sure they are in good standing with the Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau. You are hiring this company to furnish your home with a security system, and you want to make sure that you can trust the company your dealing with.

Install motion sensing lights. Darkness is a potential thief’s best friend. Make sure all potential entrances to your home are covered by a motion sensing light. These lights will turn on automatically when movement triggers them, making it difficult for anyone to sneak around your property. Thieves will quickly move on to an easier target.

Replace all locks in a new house. Though you may not suspect that the seller is up to something, you still need to be careful. And, other people could have lived in the home previously to them as well.

Ask about your home security company’s familiarity with the latest products and innovations in the area of security. This is an industry that is always changing, and you want to make sure your company is up to date on the most-recent innovations, so they can provide you with the highest level of security.

The security of your home depends on your activities outside the home as well. Do not leave your garage door opener in plain view inside your car. Password protect your cell phone and computers that you use outside the home as well. Never keep important documents inside your car where a thief can find out where you live and determine when you are at home and when you are away.

Once you’ve installed your window lock, melt solder over the screws used. If you leave the screws open. they can easily be unscrewed by a burglar. Instead, filling the holes in will ensure the lock can’t be removed. The point of a lock is to keep the window secure, right?

Make sure the price quotes you get from home security companies are very detailed. They should include all costs for installation, monitoring, regular maintenance, breaking a contract and any other special fees. Doing this will help you to gain a true understanding of what your system will cost to obtain, as well as the ongoing costs of keeping it.

Your window coverings are a great way to keep your home secure. Not only does this keep prying eyes from seeing the contents of your home, but it also does not allow a criminal to determine if you are home. Crooks want to avoid coming into contact with people as much as possible, so if they do not know if you are at home and cannot figure it out, they will probably move to the next house.

If your lights are generally turned off at roughly the same time, consider using a timer. This will ensure that they turn on and off when you can’t be at home.

You should now be a lot wiser on what steps you should take to protect the people and items that you love the most. Do not delay any longer putting security measures into place. Using the advice in this article, peace of mind is a lot closer than you may think.

Good Home Security Tips That Will Actually Work was originally published on Spring