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If you’re worried about how to protect your home and possessions, or nervous about the chance of a home invasion in your community, you’re not alone. Experts estimate that 2.5 million burglaries happen in America every year – that’s one every 30 seconds, which is astounding if you think about it that way!
How do you make sure that your home and everything in it is protected? These useful suggestions can help lower the chances of your property being burglarized.
One of the first steps to protect yourself from burglaries and home invasions is to put the right privacy protections in place. Take a step back to the curb and look at your property through a robber’s eyes. What can you do to make your habits and your interior more opaque to others?
This often starts with investing in the right blinds and curtains or having other surfaces like frosted glass that don’t show off what’s happening inside your home.
Make your house look like people live there! Keep in mind that thieves are often looking for signs of absence, such as extended periods of time with no sound or light emanating from a building. There are security devices such as smart plugs and smart lights that allow you to program your lights to come on at a particular time every day, so your house looks lived-in even when you are away.
It’s a common story – as property owners let landscaping go, the trees and shrubs around a home start to envelop it in a sort of thicket that’s hard to see through.
You might think of this as a privacy measure or a “protective hedge,” but on the other side of the coin, intruders can use this camouflage to get closer to your home. It’s better to have a neat and open exterior so that you or neighbors or anyone else can spot someone approaching.
A home security system will equip you with the best technology for protecting your home, backed up by some of the best research around. These systems will often include alarms, cameras, flood lights, and strong perimeter security to alert you if anything happens at your home. They also usually involve some form of property monitoring, either 24/7 professional monitoring with emergency dispatch or self-monitoring with live and recorded video feeds.
You can also get lights or cameras that function on a sensor which can give you more control over what goes on your property and provide you with an alert if something suspicious is happening.
There are many options for home security systems – from professionally installed and monitored complete systems to individual cameras that you monitor yourself from an app. Find the best home security system for you, your home, and your budget. Having something is better than having nothing when it comes to home security.
In some ways, the traditional approach of surrounding yourself with people is among the best ideas for how to protect your home from intruders.
When you know your neighbors, you’re more likely to have people watching your property for any suspicious activity. Return the favor, and you’re benefiting from a stronger community, as well as lowering your chances of being a burglary or home invasion victim.
In many cases, people neglect building security because they want to have a way in themselves. This leads to people hiding house keys in obvious places such as under the doormat or leaving the door unlocked.
A smart lock provides foolproof security protection, while also making sure that people who you want to enter can get in. Instead of messing with physical keys, you have a code, which you can easily send to anyone who legitimately needs it.
This gets back to that ‘curb idea’ – the concept of analyzing your property from a criminal’s point of view. In the technology world, they call it ‘penetration testing’ – the idea that you should act like someone is trying to attack you, to figure out where your vulnerabilities are. In many cases, a vulnerability is a small glass pane that can easily be broken or traditional windows that are weak and may not lock correctly.
Your property is only as secure as the weakest link!
With all of these safety and security tips in hand, you’re more than capable of creating broader protection for your home and everything inside it.
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Editor at Smarter Home
Alyssa is a writer and editor who has spent her entire career making complex topics easy-to-understand through clear, unbiased writing. With a degree in Professional Writing and Information Design, she specializes in creating content about a variety of technical products and applications. Alyssa has been with Smarter Home since it’s beginning, helping develop our rigorous editorial policy. At the end of the day, she hopes she is able to help readers find the information they need to make the right security and smart home choices for them.
Smarter Home was created to help you make an informed decision when choosing a home security system.
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Requires 36-month monitoring contract starting at $38.99/mo. without QSP (24-month monitoring contract in California, total fees from $935.76) and minimum installation amount of $599 for professionally installed systems OR month-to-month monitoring contract for ADT Self Setup systems starting at $24.99 without QSP (one month minimum) and minimum purchase amount of $194.98. Professional monitoring required for ADT to notify emergency contacts or services on your behalf. Service and installation charges vary depending on system configuration, equipment and services selected. For reactivations of professionally installed systems, a $99 test and inspect fee applies . Upon early termination by Customer, ADT may charge 75% of the monthly service charges due for the balance of the initial contract term. Quality Service Plan (QSP) is ADT’s Extended Limited Warranty and is available for additional fee. Additional charges may apply in areas that require guard response service for municipal alarm verification. Professionally installed system remains property of ADT. Local permit fees may be required. Prices and offers subject to change and may vary by market. Additional taxes and fees may apply. Satisfactory credit required. A security deposit may be required. Simulated screen images and photos are for illustrative purposes only. For Self-Setup Systems, cancel by calling 888-392-2039 or by following the instructions in your order confirmation email. To avoid contract termination charges, cancellation must occur no later than 30 days after the contract date. Contract termination charges may be applied for cancellation after the initial 30-day period. Equipment must be fully removed and returned before a refund will be processed. Any shipping costs previously paid are non-refundable. Google and Nest Doorbell are trademarks of Google LLC. Some features, including mobile notifications, remote control, video streaming and video recording, require working internet and Wi-Fi. Minimum OS requirements are available at g.co/home/req. iOS is a trademark of Cisco and is used under license. Google Nest products and services featured are designed to make life easier and to build a helpful home and were not designed specifically for life-sustaining or safety-critical use cases. These products and services are compatible with the ADT Self Setup System, and depend upon working internet, Wi-Fi, and, in some cases, the service availability from ADT and/or Google. To learn more, please visit http://g.co/nest/TOS.
Money-back guarantee only applies after ADT has made attempts to resolve a system-related issue and has not been able to resolve that issue within the first six (6) months of your original activation. ADT Money-Back Guarantee is not transferable. Equipment must be returned before a refund will be processed. Conditions preventing normal system operation cannot be caused by the customer. For professionally installed systems only.
Customer may receive reimbursement of up to five hundred dollars ($500) of Customer’s homeowner’s insurance deductible (if any) if, and only if, ALL requirements for Theft Protection Guarantee are met to ADT’s reasonable satisfaction. Customer must request reimbursement within 60 days of property loss. Request must be mailed to ADT and include: Theft Protection Guarantee certificate signed by Customer, a letter from Customer requesting reimbursement, a copy of the police report, and a copy of the accepted insurance claim. ADT reserves the right to reject any application for reimbursement that does not comply with all of the requirements. For professionally installed systems only.