Protecting your home and your family is a top priority. Yet, home security systems can get expensive. When you take into account the monthly fee for monitoring along with the cost of the equipment, you’re talking about a hefty chunk of change. Not everyone can afford the extra $30 to $50 a month, let alone the hundreds of dollars the equipment can cost.
Fortunately, there are some relatively inexpensive ways you can ramp up your home security. Even if you have a reliable home security system in place, these measures can give you an added layer of protection:
- Install deadbolt locks. This is perhaps the one home security investment that will give you the most bang for your buck. Deadbolt locks don’t keep home invaders out completely, but they do slow them down. Because many burglaries are simply crimes of opportunity, burglars often just pass up a home with a deadbolt.
- Create a clear line of sight from the road. Creating a clear view from the street to any entrance points to the home can help to deter home invasions. That means trimming trees and bushes to make sure that your front door is visible. Criminals don’t like to be seen trying to pick locks, so make sure others can see them if they try. If you live on a rural road, this may not be as helpful as if you live in a neighborhood, of course.
- Get involved with (or start) a neighborhood watch program. Neighborhood watch programs have been proven over and over again to reduce crime, especially home invasions. If your neighborhood doesn’t have a watch program, talk to your local law enforcement agency about how to get started forming one.
- Make your home look occupied. If you’re gone from the home during the day or if you’re out of town on vacation, you should still make the home look like it’s lived in. Putting your lights on a timer (preferably a timer that’s slightly random, so it doesn’t appear the lights come on at exactly the same time each day) can help to deter home invasions. Likewise, have the post office hold your mail and put the newspaper delivery on hold until you return.
- Install door and window alarms. You can purchase door and window alarms that will create a loud noise when they’re activated for less than $5 each. While these obviously won’t automatically call the police, they can serve as a deterrent. Most burglars don’t like it when attention is drawn to their activities, and so a simple alarm like this one might send them running.
Ultimately, your home’s security is in your hands. By taking a step back and looking at the big picture, you can identify those areas of your home and yard that seem vulnerable. Shore those up by following these tips, and you’ll reduce the risks of certain types of home invasions by a significant percentage.
Author Bio: Madison Parker is a home security expert whose passion for helping people stay safe turned into the blog HomeSecuritySystems.net. You can get more tips and advice on how to save money and stay safe here!
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Anyone else note the number of proven non-performers riding the Congressional gray train who signed this letter?
Home security is a very important issue, but a lot of people seems to be forgetting that. Most of the times securing your home is expensive but this article presented a few great ways to secure it cheap. Thanks a lot!
Rashmi Sinha recently posted…5 Best Android Media Apps in 2012
Rashmi – Welcome back to DMC and glad you liked the post. Yes, home security has taken up considerable significance these days and really should be.
One should make his/her home safe and secured, and shouldnt have to worry about it at work or on vacation.
Praveen Rajarao recently posted…The Importance Of The Fiancée Visa
Hi Praveen, great article. We live in a flat and, because there’s so many residents, we can afford to contribute a tiny bit each month for a security guard who patrols the area, but I understand this might not be viable for people who live in houses.
We used to have normal doors with deadbolts, but I think I can offer some further advice to upgrade to upvc doors when your budget allows, as they often have proper multi-point locks that go right down the full edge of the door. Our door locks in 5 places so it effectively becomes as solid as the surrounding wall. It did take us a while to find replacement locks for composite doors when ours reached the natural end of their lives, but I wouldn’t go back to standard doors at all.
Another tip is to buy some cheap timer plugs so you can make your lamps turn on for a couple of hours in the eveneing, whenever you’re not at home. This is a great way to make your home look occupied, like you advise in point 4.
I am very exited about your tips because it is enjoyable to read. Can’t wait to use it.
Home security is a very important issue, but a lot of people seems to be forgetting that. Most of the times securing your home is expensive but this article presented a few great ways to secure it cheap. Thanks a lot!
It’s good to know from this article that there are security alarms that I can purchase for our home for just $5 each. My husband and I will be out of town for the weekend and only our helper and the kids will be left in the house, so we’re really concerned about residential security. It might also be a good idea to hire security experts just for the weekend to protect our property and kids from possible burglar attempts.
very Nice!
I am Robert Mejorado and welcome. I saw your post it’s very nice. You have a lot of educational topics on this website and it has taught me a lot and I think it will educate a lot to others. This is a very popular website. Many people will benefit from their education. I like the black color Deadbolt. This type of Deadbolt is available on our website.
This product is very important for every human being. I used this product. This product is very shameful. The door lock is very important for our house. It’s safe for our house. The Latest design deadbolt I like this and I Love It.
Just Awesome. Your total security ideas are most appreciative. I am getting some special security ideas and also be caring for my home. Home security is very important for every house.
Thank You!
I definitely agree with the part where you mentioned that protecting our family should be prioritized, especially during times like this. My neighbor told me that there’s a mentally-challenged person lurking around the neighborhood and managed to attack one of the nearby households. It might be a good idea to look into residential security guard companies and inquire about their services.
Hey, thanks a lot! Would you personally prefer wood or steel doors when renovating your home?