Protect your home with burglar deterrents!

Crime seems to be everywhere, no matter where you live. Even guarded and gated neighborhoods are subject to it. As a result, a whole industry exists that manufacture and promote burglar deterrents. Of course, it would be ideal if we could all purchase a complete home alarm system, camera’s to record every angle of our home and possibly even metal shutters to cover our doors and windows. The reality is, though, that many burglar deterrents are costly, beyond the budget of many. So, what are some cost effective measures to deter burglars from your home? Here are 5:

1. LIGHTS AROUND YOUR HOUSE: Many homes have their lights completely turned off at night. This allows the cover of night to conceal those with less than desirable intentions. What can you do? Try to keep your home lit during the night. Do you have porch lights next to your garage? A light next to your front door? Or a light in your backyard or on a balcony? How can you make sure to keep those lights on during the night efficiently? You might want to consider leaving certain lights on during the night, such as the ones by your garage. Look into dusk to dawn sensors that can plug right into your light socket. You can keep the switch for the lights on all the time and the lights will turn on automatically when darkness falls. Or you can look into light bulbs that have built in dusk to dawn and motion sensors. You might even decide to replace a light fixture with one of these features. The idea is to keep the area around your house lit or have measures in place to light it up when needed.  Of course, don’t forget energy efficient light bulbs for these!

2. SECURITY DOOR: Your local hardware store will have a variety of security doors on display. These add an additional layer of protection to your front door and even a sliding glass door. They come in many designs and varying price ranges, though many are cost effective. You can also make sure that your existing door does not have a loose dead bolt or handle, tightening those as needed. Additionally, consider replacing the screws for the latches in the door frame with longer screws that can grab well into the wood framing, adding more security to your front door.

3. SMART DOORBELLS: Many are starting to install smart doorbells, which have a built in camera and connect to your phone or other electronic device. These devices are within a reasonable price range. They can activate and begin recording even before the button is pressed and notify you that someone is at the front door.  They record the activity that is within the area of your front door as well, just in case you need to access it later.

4. DUMMY CAMERAS: If you are looking for a very low cost deterrent, look into dummy cameras. These don’t do anything but look very comparable to a real, recording camera. It may be just enough to deter someone.

5. SIGNS AND STICKERS: This is yet another very cost effective deterrent. Signs and stickers for an alarm at the home can be very useful, as it notifies everyone of the potential for an active alarm system, even when no alarm is present!

Being proactive and vigilant is the best way to protect your home. While no way is completely proof, putting in place certain measures, depending on your budget, can reduce your risk of dealing with a burglary. Be safe!

Contributed by Nicklin Property Management.