How Safe Are You?

A home security plan can range for simple to extravagant. Generally, the type you need will fall in line with what you can afford. Therefore, the first step to determining what type of home security plan you need is to take a look at your surroundings.

Take the time to examine how large your space is and how many entrances/exits you have from your home. Then, take the time to determine what valuables you have inside your home that you would like to protect, including people as well as property.

The next step in finding the right plan for you is to see what home security basics you can take before installing a home security system. At every home, there is at least one thing you can do to help make it more difficult for a thief to enter your home.

Never – ever - leave a house key "hidden" outside your home. Burglars know where to look and will fine one if it’s there.

One of the most common points of entry into a home is through open or unlocked windows. Keep your windows closed – and locked – at all times. Use fans to supplement air conditioning – and to provide circulation of air within your home.

The next step to a good home security plan is having solid doors and windows in place, and this includes locks. Not all locks are created equal, and some older ones are downright flimsy. If you think someone could kick open your door, it's probably time to go lock shopping. Likewise, if you live in an apartment or a house where the locks haven't been changed since you moved in, changing the locks makes a lot of sense. There's just no way of knowing how many spare copies of your keys are out there.

Check the locks on your windows as well. If they’re not deadbolt equivalent, replace or supplement them. The time and money will be repaid with the first intruder stopped dead in his tracks.

Make sure you never leave tools, ladders or other objects that could help a burglar breach your home lying around your yard. Store them in your garage or the shed. Make sure you have adequate security for these areas. They are as important to you home security plan as protecting your home.

You can add lighting into your home security plan. From motion detectors - to landscape lights - to front and back porch lights, you can add affordable lighting that can be left on at night - whether you are at home or not. Proper exterior lighting can be as efficient as an interior home alarm. Motion detecting flood lights are often enough to defend against a common burglar.

Put cameras outside the home. in very strategic areas, to monitor all of the exterior entry and exit spots. Making these cameras very conspicuous from even a casual observance of your home can be very useful in lowering your chances of a break-in. In fact, some homeowners and shopkeepers who feel that they cannot afford a security camera system have used fake cameras that look like the real thing and accomplish the same goal of trying to prevent the crime before it starts.

Neighborhood watch programs are incredibly effective at preventing crime. What burglar wants to risk being spotted by several neighbors as a potential threat in the neighborhood - before he even has a chance to break in and steal something? Displaying a neighborhood watch sign in your yard is a great way to help fight crime in advance. It gives the impression that your area is a more risky place for burglars.

Keep your shrubs and bushes trimmed to remove potential hiding places for intruders.

A member of the police department, a free home evaluation from a security company, and friends can all help you find points of entry that you may have missed in your initial home security plan analysis.

Once you have the basics covered, you can determine how much you want to do for your home security plan. For some people, home security simply means keeping others out of your home. For others, it means monitoring your property with surveillance cameras so that you know who was on your property and when, regardless of if that individual was trying to enter your home.  Which plan is right for you - only you can determine.  The important this is that you develop a plan - and  then execute it.