Home Security that Doesn"t Cost

Your house is more than just a place where you sleep and eat. It is a place to relax, spend time with your family and feel safe. You make memories in your home and keep your most valuable possessions there. If you can afford a good home security system, it will be very effective in keeping your home safe. But if the best home security system does not fall within your budget, there are still several things that can be done to keep you safe at home without costing you a fortune.

The most important thing to remember is that thieves are generally looking for an easy way to enter and exit your home without leaving any trace that he or she was there. They are not interested in drawing attention or putting forth a lot of effort when robbing you. They want to get in, steal your valuable possessions and leave in the quickest manner possible. Having said this, make sure that it is a challenge for outsiders to enter your home. There are several ways to achieve this without spending a fortune on a home alarm system.

First and foremost, make sure that your windows and doors are locked at all times. Even if you are at home or are only going to be gone for a short period of time, locking all points of entry will avoid a great deal of burglaries. Make sure that your locks are well made and cannot easily be picked.

Another strategy is keeping the landscape of your property well maintained. Make sure that your grass and shrubs are trimmed and don't provide a place where thieves can easily hide. Furthermore, this lets thieves know that you spend time at home instead of suggesting that the house is abandoned. It may even be a good idea to plant thorny shrubs near windows, deterring burglars from wanting to approach them.

Make sure your property is well lit at night. The last thing burglars want is to be seen. Make sure that if a light burns out, you replace it immediately. Motion detectors are an effective means to keep your property well lit, while not wasting electricity at all hours of the day.

Don't keep your most valuable possessions, such as flat screen TVs or other expensive electronics, in plain sight from the street. Use curtains or other means so that your valuables are not visible to anybody who walks by. If a burglar walks by your house and sees expensive things, this only gives him or her more motivation to attempt a break in. Furthermore, if you buy new items, don't leave the empty box outside your house while you wait for the trash to come pick it up. Fold the boxes up and take them immediately to the dumpster to avoid tempting burglars.

Last but not least, don't leave hidden keys in obvious places. If you leave a key on your property in case you get locked out, be sure to hide it well. Do not hide it under the doormat or in a potted plant close to the door. Even the laziest thief knows the most common place to hide keys.

By following these simple free tips, you can avoid a great deal of danger from outside intruders. A home alarm system will provide extra protection, but not everybody can afford to install one of these. Use common sense and always be prepared and you can avoid the majority of burglaries without the home alarm.