Home Security: Make Sure Your House Is Secure All Year

While many families prepare for celebrations together, there is another side to this holiday that many tend to overlook. Home break-ins are a threat to many households, particularly if not secured with an alarm system. With all the money spent on your house, homeowners should really consider about upgrading their latest alarm systems to sophisticated home security devices that really protect the home and offer modern conveniences. These are just a few of the tips to protect your home and how to utilize home security systems to prevent a break-ins all year long.

Exterior Lights and Protective Curtains
Lights are a simple yet effective deterrent against burglars. With an illuminated property, it’s harder for thieves to sneak around because they are afraid of being seen before being able to enter the home. Exterior lights can have timers, motion censors or a simple flip switch for night time protection. Lights should be placed at the front, back and sides of the home to thwart burglars attempts to get in.

Fire Alarm Systems and Sound Deterrents
A security system is, of course, the ultimate defense against a burglar. With sound deterrents and fire alarm systems stickers placed in windows or at the front of the home, thieves get the idea that burglarizing your property could lead to some serious jail time. There are a variety of different alarm systems out there, each claiming to offer protection against break-ins. However, cheaper alarm systems may only include sound deterrents, while others are fully integrated with home security monitoring, video surveillance and other security measures. Looking at a few of the new security systems, companies like Vivint really have tried to evolve beyond just sound deterrents and monitoring to offer 24/7 video surveillance and remote control alarm systems that can be operated with a phone.

Basics of Video Surveillance
If you don’t want to pay for another company to install home security systems, you can always set up your own video surveillance to keep tabs on your property. With video surveillance, you should set up cameras at the front and rear of the home, partnered with exterior lights. Sophisticated surveillance cameras also allow you to look in on the video feed, checking it live from your phone. If you’re away on vacation, you can always gain some peace of mind just by looking in with your phone.