Outdoor Lighting Can Be A Great Deterrent

Summer is a great time to stay up past your bedtime, sit on the deck and take a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood before calling it a night.

Sounds great doesn't it? The problem is once you are all snug as a bug under the covers with visions of sugar plums there is a whole other group of night owls prowling around looking for opportunities.  Don't let your house be their good fortune.  Taking simple steps such as installing lighted motion detectors around your property can greatly increase your success rate at scaring off the little buggers.

Another good tactic is to leave a light on, say in the kitchen, so it looks like someone in the home is up and awake.

Accent lighting is another good addition. It adds beauty to your property for others to enjoy as they ride by and it gives a little extra light to your foundation area. These lights are inexpensive and can add just a bit more security to your property

An actual burglar alarm wired to call the police is a great idea if you have really cool stuff in your home or if you live in an area commonly hit by these such opportunists.

Location of your home matters too. If you are the last house on the left, backed up to woods that can be used as a get away spot you are more likely to be a target than if you live on the corner lot of a busy road. So knowing this you can take more precautions as mentioned above.

Your homeowners insurance will reward you by preventing claims. Two of those rewards include an alarm discount and avoidance of a claim surcharge.

Dogs offer another level of security and any dog will do. No need to have Cujo when Benji will suffice and be a great buddy to your family members.

Window style air conditioners can create an opportunity for easy entrance to your home so be sure you have taken proper steps to secure the window and prevent further opening of the sash. A nice little stick will do the trick, for your window and sliding door, and you could even add a stick-on alarm that would activate if the window is tampered with. You can find these alarms at your local hardware store or the big box stores. They run on batteries and make and ear-piercing screech when activated. An on/off switch saves your battery life and they are easily removed or repositioned when no longer needed in the cooler months.

A neighborhood watch program is also a wonderful idea.  Let your neighbors know it's okay to call the police if anything strange is going on at your house, even during the daytime. 

Lastly, don't tell everyone on Facebook when you are going away.  You really don't know friends of your friends, friends and who they know.   Take pictures and upload them to the world when you get back home, that is good enough!  Make sure your kids aren't telling your travel plans on their social media sites too.

There you have it, a few ways to add pizzaz and security to your home. A little prevention now will save you the hassle later if you are the target of a future break in.

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