If you’re like most of us, you’ll have wondered now and then about how secure your home is, and whether it needs a burglar alarm or home security system. Statistics show that no matter where you live, crime is random and affects all neighborhoods sooner or later. It’s also clear that home security rises after taking a host of home security tips into account. If you’re thinking of having a burglar alarm installed, or just improving your overall home security, why not begin with a thorough security evaluation of your location, your home and your property to fully understand your current level of home security?
The first thing to look at when considering a burglar alarm and home security is the location of your home. Homes situated close to a park, wooded area or a major highway are often a mark for criminals. Dead-end streets, as well as those with little traffic, are prime targets for experienced burglars. Another aspect to consider is whether your home is unoccupied at regular times every day or week. If offered in your area, organizations like a neighborhood crime watch can be effective in break-in prevention because, in conjunction with a burglar alarm, they alert the authorities to any unusual or suspicious occurrences. If there have been more than four burglaries in your neighborhood in the past year, installing a burglar alarm is a sound investment in your home security.
When it comes to home security, your burglar alarm and break-in prevention, it’s also key to examine your habits as well as the condition of your home. If you leave a spare key under a flowerpot or mat, or leave your windows open, you’re practically inviting burglars into your home. Keeping your tools in your garage is another risk factor when it comes to break-in prevention; according to experts, a surprisingly high rate of tools used in burglaries is found in the homeowner’s garage. Do you turn off all the lights when you leave or go to bed after dark? A well-lit space is much less likely to suffer a break-in than a space that offers darkness as a cover for burglars. The condition of your home can be an important factor in deciding whether to install a burglar alarm. Home security often begins with doors, and unless you have solid doors with deadbolt locks and reinforced strike plates, you’re at risk. Displaying your valuable artwork or electronic equipment in full view of windows is another risk to home security. All these factors are fixable and when properly addressed, can add an extra level of home security, especially in combination with a good burglar alarm.
The exterior of your home is where the first line of your home security and a good burglar alarm begins. Without a burglar alarm, factors such as tree limbs and bushes that obstruct the vision of windows and doors from a neighbor’s house or the street can make it easier for burglars to enter your home unnoticed. Leaving expensive gardening equipment such as lawn mowers unattended outside invites criminals to investigate what valuables the home may contain. Installing a burglar alarm and cultivating a common sense attitude to the overall condition of your property significantly enhances your home security.
Taking these factors into serious consideration is a good first step to determining whether your home security would benefit from a burglar alarm. Don’t allow yourself to be complacent or overly optimistic; evaluating your home security and burglar alarm needs objectively could make all the difference in break-in prevention. In reality, your personal comfort level with your home security is best encouraged by taking a number of active steps, in which installing a burglar alarm is only one important step.
Photo via lost_mitten
