Cheap Home Security Options

Our neighborhood homeowner's association has a Yahoo group where neighbors post everything from party-at-the-park announcements to ideas on how to handle speeders in the neighborhood. A couple weeks ago, someone posted that there were a series of thefts in our area. These were mostly opportunistic thefts (people taking stuff out of unlocked cars and open garages) and none near our house, but it got me thinking that I need to consider some home security upgrades. So I started identifying the list of possible options.

Here's a list (it's a short version -- believe it or not -- the actual list is MUCH longer) I collected from Yahoo Answers, How Stuff Works, and Crime Doctor of the top ways to protect your home from a burglar (as well as miscellaneous tips). And yes, I know that some are repeated (just said in a different way), but I liked both ways they were noted and thus included them all. Here goes:

• Leaving your porch light on

• Having automatic timers on. your lights.

• Make sure your exterior doors are deadbolted and your windows locked.

• Apply security film to all your windows.

• Have a 6' fence (not chain link) around as much of the back half of your house/yard as possible.

• Buy a set of motion detector alarms for about $20, or even a whole system, and they work on their own with no monitoring. It's the loud noise that drives the bad guys away anyway.

• I was told a Beware of Dog sign will actually do more good than an ADT sign. You can pick one up at any discount store.

• Your house should appear occupied at all times. Use timers to switch lights and radios on and off when you're not at home.

• If the entrances to your home are dark, consider installing lighting with an infrared detector.

• Trees located near windows or shrubbery that might shield a burglar from view can be major flaws in your home-protection plan. Consider your landscaping plan in light of your protection needs.

• Dogs are good deterrents to burglars.

• The majority of home and apartment burglaries occur during the daytime when most people are away at work or school.

• Although home burglaries may seem random in occurrence, they actually involve a selection process. The burglar's selection process is simple. Choose an unoccupied home with the easiest access, the greatest amount of cover, and with the best escape routes.

• The first step is to harden the target or make your home more difficult to enter. Remember, the burglar will simply bypass your home if it requires too much effort or requires more skill and tools than they possess.

• Experienced burglars know that the garage door is usually the weakest point of entry followed by the back door.

• Windows are left unlocked and open at a much higher rate than doors. An open window, visible from the street or alley, may be the sole reason for your home to be selected by a burglar.

• Get to know your neighbors on each side of your home and the three directly across the street. Agree to watch out for each other's home.

• Allowing a neighbor to have a key solves the problem of hiding a key outside the door. Experienced burglars know to look for hidden keys in planter. While on vacation - pick up newspapers, and flyers. Offer to occasionally park your car in their driveway.

• Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of life and activity inside a residence at night. Light timers are inexpensive and can be found everywhere. They should be used on a daily basis, not just when you’re away.

• Another important area to be well-lighted is the perimeter of your home or apartment especially at the entryway. Exterior lighting on the front of a property should always be on a timer to establish a routine and appearance of occupancy at all times.

• Security lights with infra-red motion sensors are relatively inexpensive and can easily replace an exterior porch light or side door light on single family homes. The heat-motion sensor can be adjusted to detect body heat and can be programmed to reset after one minute. These security lights are highly recommended for single family homes.

• Alarm systems are effective deterrents with visible signage. Home and apartment burglars will usually bypass a property with visible alarm signs and will go to another property without such a sign.

Ok, so we can break these down into three groups IMO:

• Stuff we already do
• Stuff that would be useful but is too expensive
• Inexpensive options that will get us most of the way there (we're not trying to secure Fort Knox here)

Here's the stuff we already do:

• We check our doors every night before we go to bed to make sure they are locked.

• My wife and/or kids are home most of the day, so one of the biggest security protection practices possible kind of happens automatically at our house.

• We know our neighbors, watch out for each other's home, have keys for other's homes (and they have ours), pick up each other's paper, mail, and trash when the other is out of town, and even drive into their driveway to leave tracks in the snow when they are gone during the winter.

Things that would be nice but are a bit too expensive include:

• Getting a dog. Ha! ;-)
• Putting a fence around the whole back yard.
• Installing a security system.

Inexpensive options that I think we will use:

• Get some automatic lights installed around the outside of the house. Some in the front that are on timers set to turn on and off at various times with a few others (sides and back of the house) set up with motion detectors (especially by our two garage doors and the back door).

• Apply security film or something else that blocks the view from the door windows into our garage.

• Get a security system sign and/or small ones to put on the windows. I'd consider the "beware of dog" sign, but I don't want my home to look like the Vegas strip (too gaudy).

• Get some internal lights/timers.

• Consider planting some rose bushes around our front windows. I have them in front of one set of windows, so why not the other? They would certainly make for a prickly entry into our home. :-)

It's really a pretty simple list, but one I think will upgrade the security of our home dramatically. Anything I missed or should consider?

Comments

[Bellen]

Keep curtains/shades closed on unused rooms and rooms not visible from the street - several robberies in our area occurred when thieves looked in windows to see what was available such as computers, jewelry boxes, tvs, etc.

Don't discuss plans for being away from home in public places - it's easier than you think to be overheard and then targeted.

Know the workmen in your area - they should have IDs or at least have the company name on their vehicle. If they seem to be 'wandering' around the neighborhood, call the company, or the security guard or police, and check on them.

Don't be predictable - if you typically leave your car in the driveway during the day, park it in the garage sometimes; go out to dinner every Thursday, change to Wednesday; play golf every Sunday morning, play in the afternoon or on Friday. Don't be in that newspaper photo or your name either that says the Blue Shirt Ladies Golf Group play every Wednesday. Burglars typically rely not just on visual clues, but patterns.

Don't mean to sound paranoid but where I live there is high unemployment, high rates of foreclosed/empty houses and the crime rates of burglary are going up. I've worked hard for what I have and I'm not going to lose it if I can do something to prevent it.

[BigBoy]

My neighbors garage was broken into two weeks ago- they busted a window in the door and took a bike.
I have since contacted our police department and scheduled a visit from the community security division and they will tell me how i can improve security at my home.
One of my co-workers has given me info on home security alarms that cost under $300, I am considering it and would be cheaper then a dog!

[Rod Ferguson]

If you do decide to get a dog, you'll probably end up fencing in the back yard anyway :).

When we got our dog, our back yard was open and we had a chain for her. She was so miserable on the chain that we decided to fence in the yard so she could run around. Hadn't even considered the security angle to it; I'll mention it to our insurance company and see if we can get a premium deduction.

[Travis]

if you're a DIY type person a security system is actually quite affordable. Look for a wireless system and it is very easy to setup and maintain. We purchased a wireless system at the beginning of the year and it cast ~400 and that is with 18 months of monitoring. I even use our high-speed internet instead of a phone line and it worked very well...I've set it off several times and the call was very quick to come in.

It was a basic system with two window/door sensors, a pet-immune motion detector, master panel and router to send the alarm signal. Additionally I can expand it to control lights, add smoke detectors, or add video.

We also added sensors to outdoor lights that come on when it gets dark so we never have to remember to turn them on.

[Bryan]

You can avoid the keys entirely with a Simplex, five button lock. No keys to worry about, no batteries needed, and change the combo any time you wish.

[Mark B.]

We had a series of break-ins in our sub recently and the police told us the number one security risk is:

A GARAGE DOOR OPENER IN A CAR THAT IS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY.

The thieves were breaking into cars, then just pushing the garage door button, entering the house, closing the garage door, and they could roam the house undetected for hours looking for valuables. Even houses with deadbolts between the house and garage were no match, as the burglars had all the privacy they needed to kick in the door.

They were doing this on weekends when families would leave the house for obvious day-trips (i.e. packing coolers, etc.) in the main family car, which is normally parked in the garage. Meanwhile, the other car was left in the driveway with the opener on the visor. Easy pickings.

[Michael]

Adding lights needs to be part of a comprehensive solution.

Adding always-on lights to a back entrance could be a negative security feature, because it's not visible from the street (so neighbors aren't watching) and it provides light for a thief to pick the lock by.

Motion lights effectiveness is in their ability to draw attention to an intruder with the sudden burst of light. If you have frequent friendly yard guests (rabbits, cats, deer, etc.), then a motion light going on will be less effective since no one will notice/care that it has gone on.

[Eugene Krabs]

Security is actually another interest of mine. This list is pretty good.

All windows should have blinds, and all of them should be closed by dark. Nothing screams "victimize me" like a house where you can clearly see into the inside from the outside. Besides burglars, it's also a good passive deterrent against peeping Toms.

Also, if you already have a car with a car-alarm, it's a cheap make-shift panic button. I have my keys next to my night stand so that the car remote s within easy reach.

Absolutely always have a cellphone, and next to you on the nightstand. Second to a very large dog, this is your best tool in the toolbox. That way, even if you experience a power outage, you can still call for outside help.

I also agree with motion sensing outdoor lights. No need to leave it on constantly. Saves electricity, and plus, there's that surprise factor I like. Otherwise, I've found that one can actually work around constantly lit nights, because it creates spots of shadows to hide in. (We used to play hide and seek at night like this when I was kid.)

Finally, this is more tongue-in-cheek than anything so please don't take it seriously, but I also shoot firearms. When I lived in a bad neighborhood, I posted the paper target with my shot grouping, and the score 100% circled in the upper right hand corner on the window. (My instructor circled the target, not me) I never once got robbed. I don't know if my make-shift "sign" had anything to do with it, but I would like to think it did. :D

[Rich A.]

Bellen made a good point about not discussing vacation plans in public. I would add that you should also watch what you say on your Facebook page, or in some blogs too, re: when you're going to travel, what cool new gadget or TV you just got, etc.

Also, in some municipalities, the police department will do a courtesy check on your home if you're going to be away on vacation. You just have to call and request it.

[Paul]

On the subject of lighting, I don't think more is always better. Here's a link to an article that takes an in depth look at what lighting is actually helpful in deterring crime.

http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/crime.html

[jeffinwesternwa]

Have the deadbolts "keyed" from BOTH sides of doors, so as to not allow a window to be broken and then reaching through to turn the locks!(Keys can be left in lock while home if you are fire weary). Have 3-4" "powerdrive" screws inserted into each door jamb/lock jam so as to have the jambs be reenforced with screws that go well INTO the studs around the doors. Be sure the locks "throw" the full 1" into the door studs and aren't blocked by the jam itself - I see this OFTEN! "Monster jambs" added to all exterior doors with 4-6 screws are a help also. Tighten hinges too! Be sure windows have cut and measured dowels that "deadbolt" the windows shut in addition to the window locks. Alarm/stickers/signs (even w/o the system) are great deterents. Cut the hedges, bushes ALL around the home. Be sure newspapers/flyers ARE collected when youa ren't home. do not put address on your keys or a key in a wallet (in case of loss), LOCK your garage door opener in trunk/glovebox when parking your also locked car. When away for longer periods, deadbolt the garage door and leave the openers home. Florescent bulbs cost a few $$ but pennies to operate and can be left on outside the home, don't forget the BACK where most breakin's happen cuz no one can see the back yard area...Most of all, common sense, USE the locks - ALL the time - storm doors too, check operation and be dilligent.

[Noadi]

I have two big dogs. Didn't get them for security of course (wouldn't recommend it, they should be pets first) but they're quite effective at scaring off any unwanted visitors, whether they're local wildlife, burglars, or Jehovah's Witnesses.

I live in a rural area and I've considered getting geese for security. If you've never encountered a goose before they are highly territorial and aggressive.

[SmartSecurityPeople.com]

FMF- You did a nice job of pooling together multiple resources to provide simple and effective tips for your readers. You would think a lot of the advise you provided is a no-brainer but sometimes it is the easy steps we can take to protect our homes that is overlooked.

Some additional tips for home safety can be found here:

http://smartsecuritypeople.com/2008/09/09/top-ten-making-your-home-safe-and-secure/

[Ray]

I just had a quick tip, use two by fours to block windows from opening. Also I had purchased battery operated alarms from walmart which create a loud sound once a window is cracked open. I think they were fifteen dollars for a pack of two. Very inexpensive considering the options of a full alarm system.

[billy]

Quite unrelated, but I was struck by your comment

"..ideas on how to handle speeders in the neighborhood"

How do you handle speeders in your neighborhood?

[FMF]

Billy --

Thoughts from the neighbors:

1. Have police do a stake out.

2. Have police post an unmanned radar sign.

3. Install speed bumps (I hate this idea).

4. Put up signs that say "speeders will be paintballed." :-)

[lincmercguy]

One suggestion I have is to run your TV on a timer while you're away. Most modern TV's have this. Usually, the "glow" from a TV is easy to see, and if it's on, most people will think you're home. If it's on 24/7, you'll be wasting power and someone might figure out that you're not home. If it comes on for a couple of hours each evening, people won't think you're out of town. Nice freebie if your TV has it.

Occupied home invasions are something to consider as well. It's worth researching steps to be able to stop these and defend your and your family if necessary.

[L]

I also read somewhere not to post on facebook, myspace, etc. before you go out of town, or to post pics/comments while you're out of in town - perfect time for someone to break in! Instead, wait until you return to post pics and info.

[SCL]

This is a good post. thanks for all the tips. I like the "TV" tip. One thing, I'd do also is to put up a small camera and alarm device. And yes, please don't broadcast you're going out of town.