Start with the exterior of your home.

-Don’t put your guard down just because you live in a gated community. Gated communities, limited access gates, and security guards patrolling your community are great deterrents, but will not protect your individual property from being burglarized.

-Make sure your landscaping is kept up with. A yard that has high hedges and overgrown branches makes an excellent hiding place for a burglar. If your yard has any of these issues, make note of them on your home security checklist so that you can get them corrected as soon as possible.

- Check all doors and windows to insure they are in good working order. Statistics show that many burglars will enter a home either through the front door or the back door—and go for any windows if they are unsuccessful entering through a door. It is important to make sure your doors, door-frames, and windows are in good condition. If any door or door-frame looks like it is rotting or is not in good shape, or if any windows need repaired or locks need to be replaced, note it on your home security checklist.

-Notice the lighting around the exterior of your home. Having good lighting around your home, especially around the entrance of your home, can keep a burglar from wandering around in your yard. Installing outdoor motion detector lighting is a very inexpensive way to provide extra security to your home and is an easy home security project that can be completed with very little effort.

The home security updates you do on the exterior of your home will help protect the interior of your home as well. However, if your home has become a target for a brazen burglar, taking a few home security precautions can help limit your loss.

-Document everything you have that is valuable. You can write it all down on your home security checklist. Make a video or take pictures of any jewelry, electronics, or any other valuables you may have.

-Get a home security system. Don’t just get the security system—get the alarm monitoring too. Home security systems are the best burglary deterrent out there. A home with a home security system is less likely to be burglarized than a home that doesn’t have one installed. Home security systems are not only inexpensive, but they offer great peace of mind for any family.

Once you review your home security checklist, you can start working on what needs be corrected. Many home security issues such as replacing broken window locks, adding adequate exterior lighting, and doing a little yard clean-up; are all budget-friendly and inexpensive projects that can be done easily. Home security doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. By doing a few simple home security updates around your house, you will not only make it safer, but you may also improve the value of your home as well.

1. Call a number of security companies and ask for their best offers.
When pricing home alarm systems, one of the things many people don’t realize is that they can negotiate with their selected company. Companies may be able to offer bargains based on what you’re looking for, the length of service contract (for surveillance-style systems), the number of points of entry you need protected and other situations. Like many other large purchases, the cost of your system may be more negotiable depending on who you go to, what you’re asking for, and what their business is like at a given point in time.

2. Do your homework.
Research the home alarm systems you are interested in before you get too far along in your negotiations with a sales representative from any one company. Find out what the best quote is for the system you want, then go to the security company you wish to deal with and show them the quote you’ve gotten from other companies. Try letting them know that you really do want to do business with them because of their service, knowledge, and expertise but you must also consider the bottom line. Many companies will be willing to negotiate their prices to some degree.

3. Plan your security system ahead of time to get the best deal!
If you opt for a low-priced system then add multiple additional packages over time, you may wind up paying a higher rate in the long run. You should consider what your needs will be over a period of time, such as the length of time you plan to be in your current residence, and look at whether it might be more cost-effective to purchase the entire system at once. This is especially true for more sophisticated systems, where your security company may be willing to give you a discount for bulk purchasing.

4. Get a system that caters to your needs.
Home alarm systems come in all shapes and sizes, as well as budgets. It’s important that you pick a system that does what you need it to do: protect your family. Don’t be swayed by over-the-top systems which offer more features than you need or can use; if you need a simple alarm system that prevents intruders from making their way into your home, there are situations where contacts at windows and doors will provide adequate protection at comparatively low cost. Don’t be talked into a high-end system if your needs are simple. Likewise, if you need a high-end system to protect your family and belongings or to lower your monthly home owner’s insurance premiums, don’t opt for a security system that doesn’t meet your needs just to save a few dollars on initial setup.

For free quotes about home security and home alarm systems in your area, click the link below.

• Be careful who you tell when you plan to be away from your home. Ask a trusted neighbor to watch your home.
• Maintain your lawn before you leave or have someone mow your lawn while you are gone.
• Do not let deliveries accumulate. Have a neighbor pick up mail, newspapers and packages daily. If that is not possible, then stop deliveries so they do not pile up.
• Ask a neighbor to use your garbage cans. An empty garbage can is a tip-off that you are away.
• Leave your car in the driveway. This gives the appearance of an occupied house, and prevents burglars from backing up a van for loading.
• Don’t leave keys under your doormat, flower pot or window ledge-intruders check these first.
• Use timers for lights, televisions and sound systems to turn them on and off at different times to give your home a lived-in look while you are away.

Security systems need to be properly installed, maintained, and monitored. The alarm system should have an audible alarm that can easily be heard by the neighbors, as well as a silent alarm option in case of a forced home invasion, so that you can silently set off the alarm under the ruse of disarming it if the burglar is present. The audible alarm should be programmed to reset after a few minutes. It is likely that the burglar will run as soon as it goes off, but your neighbors will have to listen to it until it is disarmed.

It is also vital that your emergency contact list be up to date as well, so that in the event that you can not be contacted, a trusted person can be notified and respond for you. Burglars know and check all of the common places that keys are left out doors, so it is highly recommended to leave a key with a trusted neighbor in case of an emergency, such as a break in, or a child that has simply lost their key. It is not unusual to have a neighbor wait for the police, and allow them inside for inspection and then secure the home until the owners can return.

Other tips for maintaining your home’s security include:

• Post a “Beware of Dog” sign in clear view of homes entrances.
• All entry points of home should have exterior lighting and should be controlled with motion detector sensors. (check light bulbs on a monthly basis to ensure all lights are in working order)
• Trim all lower tree branches to a height of more than 7 ft. (So that no one can hide under them.)
• Keep all bushes and shrubbery trimmed to a height of less than 3.5 ft. (So that the bushes don’t provide a hiding place for intruders.)
• Keep all exterior buildings locked at all times.
• Do not leave lawn equipment or ladders in your yard.
• Lock all windows, don’t forget those on the second story.
• Lock all gates leading into your yard.
• Always lock your vehicles even if they are inside the garage.

Re- key your home when moving in. You have no way of knowing who has keys for the old locks! This includes all exterior doors, garages/storage units and gates. The code to the garage door opener should be changed as well. Be sure to use high quality, grade 1 or 2 locks on exterior doors with a 1 inch throw bolt. They may be more expensive, but in the long run, the investment is far less than the cost of the average break in. These locks are resistant to twisting, prying, and lock- picking attempts. Good quality deadbolts will have beveled casings that inhibit the use of channel-lock pliers, that are used to shear off lock cylinder pins. Good door knobs have a “dead latch” mechanism that prevents entry with a shim or credit card.

Experienced burglars know that the garage and back doors are usually the easiest points of entry, and typically provide the most cover. The most common way used to force entry through a door with a wooden jam is to simply kick it open. The weakest point in a door is almost always the lock strike plate that holds the bolt or door latch in place. Most strike plates are only screwed into the soft wood door jamb molding. To prevent this use a solid core or metal door for all entrance points. Preferable with a a wide-angle 160° peephole mounted no higher than 58 inches. While replacing or re-keying locks upgrade to a four-screw, heavy-duty, high security strike plates for both the dead bolt and the door latch. Install it with 3- inch wood screws so that it is secured into the door frame stud. It is also a good idea to use at least one long screw in each door hinge as well. These small steps can deter or prevent most forced entries through a door.

If any of your entry doors have glass in them, make sure that it is “shatter resistant” Any locks within reach from windows should be keyed on both sides to prevent a burglar from breaking the window, and simply reaching in and unlocking the door. Make sure that all patio and sliding glass doors are installed correctly, and leverage your patio track so that the door can not be lifted up and/or removed from the track. This can be done by simply inserting screws into the top track. It is also a good idea to install and use patio door bars. To be most effective these should be installed to both the door and the door frames.

Don’t leave valuables, keys, personal information or garage door openers inside vehicles,even if they are stored inside a garage, and last but not lease LOCK YOUR DOORS at all times.

Whereas adults have a firm understanding about why it’s important to do things like lock doors and ask who’s knocking before allowing entry to a stranger, smaller children may not appreciate these dangers. It’s always a good idea to explain to your kids that, at least until they’re in their mid-teens, they should always be careful about who they answer the door to and how they answer the phone. Remind them that instead of saying their parents aren’t home, they should reply that Mom or Dad is “busy and can’t come to the phone right now,” and if a number and message are left they’ll reply as soon as they can.

Unless one parents stays at home with the kids, there is also the chance that younger children may need their own keys to let themselves into the house – and if you have a home security system, you may find that you need to entrust your child with the pass code to disarm your alarm if they’re going to be arriving at home when there is not an adult present.

This can present a dilemma to parents who want to practice good basic security practice – frequently changing their passwords to burglar alarms and home alarm systems, as children may have difficulty remembering changing sequences of numbers.

It’s also important that your home security or alarm company understand that there are children in the house and that this may cause unintended alarm tripping. A good residential security company will work with you to come up with a strategy that keeps both your home and your children safe. Even if this impacts your home security system pricing, it’s worth the extra expense for your peace of mind and your children’s (and
home’s) safety.

As children grow older, parents may find they have more latitude in how their security companies manage their burglar alarms and other home protection components, and at this point it’s important to re-open a dialogue with your security as well as investigate other options for residential security systems.

Talk to your children about home security systems, burglar alarms, fire safety, and other things that can make a difference to their and your home’s security during an emergency. Help your children practice passwords, and make sure they have the opportunity to meet with representatives from your residential security company.

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