Shared via the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license: photo by Tobias “ToMar” Maier
With all that you have to do in your everyday life, worrying about someone breaking into your residence should be the last thing on your mind.
Unfortunately, too many people have gone through such a dramatic experience in their lives, one that they would care to forget.
That said how can you best protect your home, apartment, condo etc. from those looking to cash-in on your possessions or worse?
Secure yourself and those around you with an effective security system
While the numbers vary from city to city, home break-ins across America are certainly a concern to law enforcement and residents alike.
With that in mind, what are you doing to keep burglars at arm’s length? If the answer is nothing, you may want to rethink that lack of strategy.
You can better protect your home and those inside of it by:
- Security – First and foremost, having a security system, be it ADT in Chicago or another such layer of electronic protection, goes a long way in deterring home break-ins. Choosing the right security provider comes down to several factors. First, take the time to do some online research, seeing which companies get the best ratings from the industry professionals. You can and should also check with family and friends (including those in your neighborhood you are close to) to see which security company they went with. Once you have a consensus of the best provider out there, be sure to get as much information from them as possible. How long have they been in business? What type of systems and warranties do they offer? How is their customer service? These are all features that you want to know before signing off on any alarm system;
- Commonsense – Here’s something that will not cost you a penny. Just use some of that commonsense you were hopefully given by your parents. If you’re traveling for work or on vacation, make it look like someone is home at your residence. This means having lights on a timer, making sure the mail and newspapers are not accumulating out in the open, keeping the lawn and shrubbery trim, having someone shovel the walk and/or driveway if it snows etc. Never give criminals a sign that you are away from your home for too long of a period. With all the traveling that Americans typically do over the summertime, make sure your home is not a sitting duck while you are away;
- Trust – There’s a very good likelihood (especially if you have children) that you will end up asking a neighbor (oftentimes teens) to babysit on occasion for you. While most instances will take place with everything ending up just fine, there have been cases of babysitters, repair people coming to homes etc. that have ended up stealing from the residents. It is imperative that you have a level of trust formed with anyone that is coming to your home. Some homeowners and even renters go to the trouble of installing security cameras inside their residences as an added safety precaution. Even though it may not come to that level of protection for you, know who is in your house and that they can be trusted at all times;
- Socializing – You probably know countless people (yourself included perhaps) using social media on a regular basis. While that is fine and dandy, don’t use it irresponsibly. Incorrect usage would be posting photos on Facebook of the cruise or other type of vacation you are presently on. If you just can’t wait to post the pics until you arrive home, at least make sure your Facebook account is only accessible to those individuals you know and trust. Another gaffe people will make is posting a photo of their airline boarding pass or other such travel paperwork, oftentimes with the date on it of when they will be leaving town. Again, always assume that someone with bad intentions could come across such information and use it against you.
With a little commonsense and making sure a strong security system is in place in your residence, you should for the most part be able to keep burglars at arm’s length.
Always staying one step ahead of them helps you stay one step ahead of disaster.