HOME SECURITY

One of the most commonly advised and cost free steps to improved home security is to keep your home occupied, or at least looking occupied. If you’re not familiar with some of the unintended invitations to intrusion, they include notes on the door advising of the occupants absence; built up snow on walks and driveways in the winter months; un-mowed lawns in the summer months; accumulation of mail, newspapers or circulars; total interior darkness before a normal bedtime; and an open garage with no vehicles present.

Valuable counter-measures include posted notices that your home is protected by a security system or notices that your homes’ contents have been engraved and registered to make selling any stolen items difficult. Photoelectric outdoor lights and automatic timers that activate indoor lights, radios, and televisions, preferably at random intervals, are also major deterrents.

“House sitters,” or having a neighbor’s car in your driveway also helps. To further discourage intruders, keep doors and windows locked, especially at basement and first-floor levels, or where the home is accessible from a fire escape, tree, porch or other structure. Inside, doors that lead to the basement or garage should be included in the keep-locked category.

Ladders should not be stored outside, on an open porch or hung under the eaves of a garage. Nor should vans or other tall vehicles be parked where they might serve as improvised ladders.

Of course, you’ll also want to make sure you have good quality security hardware and locks on all doors. Even if you opt to install a security alarm system, these simple deterrents should be routine.