Gauging Your Level of Home Security

No matter what kind of neighborhood you call home, it is important to evaluate your home with security in mind, and to determine just how attractive your home would be to a thief. It is important to evaluate the following aspects of your home when gauging the need for a home security or home alarm system.

Could a thief get close to your home without being seen?

This is perhaps the most important thing to evaluate when looking at home security. In the home security world, this is sometimes called the “sneak factor”. Could a thief quietly approach your home in the dark of night, without drawing the attention of the neighbors, your dog, or passing motorists? If the answer to this question is yes, it is important to take steps to correct the situation.

Often the simplest and most cost effective solution is to install bright lighting around the exterior of the home in order to eliminate those dark areas where criminals could hide. The addition of a simple dusk to dawn lighting system can do wonders to improve the security of any home.

It is also important to evaluate other exterior aspects of the home, such as shrubs, trees and bushes. It is important to look critically at all elements of the exterior landscape, paying careful attention to anything that could provide a hiding place for a burglar or other criminal.

Get to know the neighbors

One of the easiest and most often overlooked parts of home security has to do with the role of neighbors. Home security can be as simple as an agreement between next door neighbors to keep an eye on one another’s home while they are away. If you do not already know your neighbors, now might be a good time to introduce yourself. You do not have to form a full fledged neighborhood watch in order to have a safe neighborhood. A community full of neighbors watching out for one another can be one of the most effective crime deterrents of all.

Doors and windows

The two primary access points into any home, of course, are the doors and windows. There are many ways to secure windows, from simple locking shutters to full fledged bars on the windows. The type of window defense you employ will depend on the crime rate of your neighborhood and on the specific threats you face, but securing the windows is one of the most important aspects of home security. No matter what window security system you choose, however, it is important that it be easy to unlock by the homeowner in the event of fire or other emergency.

The doors are another important part of home security, and the most important thing, of course, is to keep them locked at all times. A surprising number of people fail to take this simple step, but it is important to install a good strong lock, like a deadbolt, and to use that lock consistently.

Brooke Sikula is a freelance writer based in Ventura, CA and writes on a wide range of topics from home improvement to credit repair and everything in between. She is a regular contributor to http://www.home-improvement4u.com and http://www.get-home-improvement.com For more information and advice on home security, check out http://www.home-security4u.com