It sounds surprising, but as it is with bodily crimes, burglaries are often conducted by people who live near you. Another surprising home invasion statistic is that many burglaries happen during the daytime, the very time when many people are away from home. All it takes is 10 minutes for a burglar to get in and out of a house, running away with several hundred dollars worth of your electronics, jewelry and other goods.
The layout of your home is key when making home security considerations
Effective home security systems, home security products that are hidden and in plain sight, can help deter would be home invaders. But, before you buy home safety products, you need to make important home security considerations, thinking about items like:
- Where all door entryways are in your house
- Whether or not you have a pet door (and if you do have a pet door if you really need the door)
- Location for all of your windows (and if your windows open from the inside, outside or both)
- Potential ways to enter your home from the top and bottom of your house (for example, could someone enter your house through the attic or the basement)
- Distance between your house and nearby roadways, wooded areas and other properties
- How close trees and bushes are to your house and whether trees and bushes could serve as hiding spots
Your patterns play a role in home safety
Before you contact a home security company, also think about you and your family's patterns. Your patterns are important, because several home invasions occur while someone is in the house. Thinking that your presence might stop someone from forcing his way inside your home could cause you to become careless.
You might leave a window on the second floor up while you're working in the basement or cooking in the kitchen. Or you might leave the front door open while you vacuum, dust furniture or put groceries away. This could be just enough time for a burglar to invade your home, grab valuables and exit.
Home safety products that you install yourself, the types of home safety products that are sold at house goods stores, tend to be less expensive. You can install these products and forego monthly security fees. If you take this route, consider going with products that are wireless, send text or email alerts and allow you to see inside your home while you're away.
It's also a good idea to install home security products that put you in contact with first responders like the police and fire department within seconds. Make sure that there is a back-up option should the security system shut down during a power outage.
Above all, make sure that you install the system properly. If you get home security through an established home safety company, try to avoid long term contracts. Ask company representatives if the products go off when pets enter certain areas after the alarm system has been turned on. And teach everyone in your house to turn the alarm system on even if they are in the house.
