If you’re worried about your home’s safety, that’s good! It’s hard to predict when someone will break inside a house to steal items that are valuable or, worse yet, hurt those inside. Read on to learn how to increase the security of your home.

Create the illusion that your home is constantly occupied. You could purchase timers which make lights and TV’s, as well as other devices, power on or off at varying intervals. This will make your home appear as if someone is there. This should help you make your home safer and not attract the attention of potential intruders.

Use your dog as the protector of your spare key. This can be done if your dog can come outside. Attach the key to your dog’s collar, and it will be handy if you ever need a spare.

If you keep a spare key outside to prevent yourself from being locked-out, think carefully about where you hide it. Placing a key above a door or under a doormat is quite obvious! You should hide it in your dog’s collar.

Don’t allow anyone you don’t know to look into your house. This includes a salesperson or people looking for help. It’s quite possible that your charming guest is only interested in evaluating the security of your home; if they find it lacking, they may be back later to relieve you of some of your possessions.

If you do not know the person at your door, don’t open it. You have no way of knowing if the stranger on the other side of the door wishes to do you harm. Make sure everyone in your house knows not to open the door unless they know the person standing outside.

Keep your car in the garage. This will help to keep your vehicle safe. This will also make it more difficult for burglars to track when you away from home.

You need to change our locks as your first step to ensuring your safety. This could be an ex-spouse or roommate you got into a fight with. Changing the locks can typically be done very cheaply and quickly.

If you reside in the country, you may be less worried about break-ins than urban dwellers are. Nonetheless, people in the country may be at greater risk due to being far away from neighbors. Some think rural areas see less burglary.

The walls of your home make for great hiding spots. Jewelry and other small items can be protected very well when placed in hiding places in your walls. Target any unused phone jacks or electrical outlets for an easy hiding spot. If you have no unused plates, you can easily install false ones.

Always lock your home when you leave it, no matter how soon you plan to return. Many burglaries happen because the intruders can just walk right inside. It won’t take long for thieves to steal lots of expensive valuables.

Whenever you move to a new dwelling, make certain to get each lock replaced. Regardless of how trustworthy you consider the last owners to be, neither you nor they can be sure that there aren’t others out there with keys to those locks. Keep in mind that there may have been residents prior to that person too.

Purchase flashlights that have good batteries, and keep them in every room in your home in case the power goes out. Flashlights are critical, and provide you with the freedom to move about as needed. Train your kids how to use flashlights so that all members of the family can contribute.

Rather than hoping for the best, you need to be realistic. Things can always happen, and you need to prepare yourself. By applying this information, you are taking a major step toward protection of yourself, your home, and your family.