A Guide to Effective Home Security
You’ve already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into your home, so why would you take a huge risk by not properly securing it? Home security does not have to be an expensive project. However, the return on your investment may be priceless. By following the useful tips outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to sleep well knowing that your home is fully secured from invaders and burglars.
The first step to securing your home will be to do some research on available security systems provided in your area locally. If you don’t know where to start, you might consider asking your neighbors if they have home security systems, and to rate their level of satisfaction with the service. A good home security system will consist of both indoor and outdoor components. Outdoor components will monitor the area outside your home for any type of movement. When the motion sensors detect something, they will activate flood lights that will compromise the cover and camouflage of any would-be intruders, effectively scaring them away from your home. Indoor components monitor doors, windows, and any movement or activity inside the house when the system is armed. If you have armed the system, and any windows or doors are opened, the alarm will trigger. With most systems, you will have a certain amount of time to enter a personal security code before the authorities are alerted. Normally, a central station monitors your security system, and forwards any suspicious activity or activated alarms to the police, who will respond to your home to make sure everything is okay. If you have a pet that can potentially set off a motion sensor within your home, you will have the option to disable the sensors to avoid false alarms.
If you want to increase the effectiveness of your security system, you might consider incorporating video surveillance. Often, just the presence of cameras alone is enough to discourage a burglar from targeting your home. If for some reason your home is still broken into, the surveillance cameras may capture essential evidence that can lead to the capture and prosecution of the intruder.
Once your electronic security system is installed, you should focus on upgrading the manual components of the system: locks. Make sure you do not skimp on lower quality merchandise when selecting locks for your doors and windows. A good lock may be impenetrable to an unorganized or ill-equipped intruder. Once you’ve got the locks installed, make sure you are using them! This may sound like common sense, but too many people simply overlook this step. They waste their money on advanced locking mechanisms, and never even bother to use them. Make sure you know exactly who has copies of the key sets as well. Hiding spare keys under doormats or fake rocks can be a dangerous idea. Intelligent burglars know the first places to look, and you wouldn’t want to give them a free admission pass to your home and valuables. If your lock is broken, never hesitate to fix it as soon as possible. Many homeowners tell themselves they will get around to it, and never do. Before they know it, it’s too late and they’ve suffered a break-in. This is one area where you cannot afford to procrastinate or be lazy.
Another way to discourage burglars is to remove any landscaping which may provide viable cover for thieves who may be planning a break-in. Unnecessary trees and shrubs which are hidden in the shadows make excellent hiding spots that give a thief comfort and assurance. Additionally, by keeping your landscaping neat and mowed, you are delivering the message that you are not on vacation. If you really ARE on vacation, make sure the post office is holding your mail or you’ve got a neighbor that has agreed to pick it up for you. A stuffed mailbox is a green light for a thief to enter your unprotected and empty house.
By following these simple guidelines and exercising a bit of common sense, you can turn your home into a fortress in the eyes of intruders. Remember, your family’s well-being is priceless, so do not skimp on home security purchases. Buying low-quality products will only provide you with a false sense of security. Make sure this is one home-improvement project that you take seriously: it will protect all of the other ones you have implemented or plan to do in the future.
