If you had to find a way to keep your home secure and safe, what would you use? Some people would buy a gun or some other kind of weapon, but this doesn’t help if you are away from home. For times like these, you need home security, which you can learn about below.

If you are planning to be away for a while it is important to stop your paper delivery and put your mail on hold until you return. Newspapers piled up in your driveway or mail spilling out of your mailbox is a red flag that no one is home, and this leaves you vulnerable to thieves.

Your dog can safeguard an extra key. This approach is useful if your dog is a large breed that lives outdoor, or if your house has a doggy door. Store a spare key within your dogs collar so you always have access to your home.

If you are planning to have the cable guy or repair man come to your house, refrain from putting notes on the door. This shows burglars that you are not currently home, which will make them more prone to robbing your house. Use phone communication to indicate to your servicemen the details of your whereabouts.

Consider whether your glass door panels could allow burglars into your home. It’s easy for thieves to break the glass panels so that they can reach into the home and open the door. If you have doors with glass panels, they should be secured using deadbolts that require entry with a key, replaced, or fortified.

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.

Put security cameras in the entryway of your home to protect against any intruders. If someone were to break into your home, these cameras will show the face of the person who did it. This will not only give you more security in your house, but also peace of mind at all times.

Skylights need to be secure, too. Intruders could use skylights to enter your home. Check that skylights have heavy duty hardware that can stand up under unwanted tampering.

If your front door does not have a peephole, it is wise to have one installed. Peepholes allow you to see who’s at your front door before you open it. Some home owners choose to have two peepholes installed to allow for difference in height of those that live in the home.

Make sure to choose an alarm company that offers monitoring. An alarm that just buzzes if an intruder tries to enter is statistically shown to be mostly ineffective. When you add the additional monitoring however, you have a direct link to someone who can call the police and get you help. There may be an extra charge for a monitored alarm, but it is well worth the cost.

The wiring on your house is valuable to burglars. A lot of people do not know this until a thief steals them from the house. The copper inside the wire is very valuable and may be stripped off the exterior of the house in a short time span. Make sure the wiring is concealed or difficult to access in order to keep this valuable item safe.

If your alarm goes off frequently, get it fixed as soon as possible. If your neighbors think your alarm is always going off, they are unlikely to report it to the police. That means it could be a real break in, but no one will actually do anything about it.

Placing motion sensor lights around the outside of your house can be a great way to deter prowlers. These lights stay off unless something or someone enters your yard, and then they light up enabling you to see who’s out there. Criminals prefer to work in the shadows, so this can be an effective home security strategy to use.

If you need to hide a spare key, do so in a safe manner. Putting it under your doormat, in a plant hanging by the door, in your garage hung on the wall or in the mailbox are all poor choices. Instead, bury it somewhere and mark it in a non-descript way.

Weapons can only do so much to protect your home. They won’t be very useful if you aren’t at home to use them. That’s why home security systems exist. They can keep your home and your possessions safe when you can’t be there to protect them. Use this article and take home security seriously.

Look After Your Home With This Fantastic Home Security Advice was originally published on Spring