DIY Home Security - Basic Guidelines

Burglaries and house break-ins are becoming more and more common every day. Fortunately, there are many DIY home security options available to homeowners who are looking to bolster the security of their properties. We shall look at the basic and free steps a homeowner should take to guard his home, followed by other inexpensive options. We shall then analyze a few more expensive measures that can be taken. All of the steps and systems can be carried out or installed by even beginners in DIY. Our aim is to equip the interested homeowner with a few basic ideas on how to increase the security of his home.

First Things First

The first thing that can be done is simply to look at your home from the perspective of a potential burglar. Walk around the house and see if there are any weak points where the thief could get in without being seen. Are there any bushes that block the view of one of your doors or windows from your neighbors or passers-by? When you’ve done your assessment, make the necessary alterations and changes. Then do the same, but after dark. Take a look around your house and garden to see if there any “dark” areas where a burglar could stay, without being seen, while breaking his way in. If you find any, install the necessary lights to foil any would-be thieves.

Other inexpensive, but effective, measures, are simply to reinforce all potential entry points. These are above all first floor doors and windows. Make sure your locks are strong and resistant; if necessary put bars over your windows; and make any sliding window doors as safe as possible. Talk to your neighbors and try to come to an agreement that you will look out for possible intruders on their property, while they do the same for you. You could also get yourself a few timers for some of your electrical appliances – leaving a light on all day and night isn’t going to fool a criminal, but the TV, the radio, and lights, all coming on and going off at what seem random times probably will.

So far the steps suggested are either free or inexpensive. But in the end you’ll probably come round to the idea that you need a full alarm system. This can seem very expensive at first, but when you consider how much it costs per day, you’ll soon see that it’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind it gives. What is more, installing such a system could even lead to a reduction in the price you pay for your home insurance policy premium. If you do decide to go for an alarm system, get good advice on exactly what you need – you should be thinking about back-up batteries so that thieves can’t simply cut off your power and switch off the whole system; you should be considering an alarm system that includes a vibration sensor and motion detector, etc.

What we have seen can all be done by the homeowner himself – that is why we titled this article DIY home security. That way you’ll save yourself quite a bit of money. However, if you feel you really can’t do it yourself, don’t worry. You can have a home security company do all this for you.