According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ latest figures, property crime is decreasing in the U.S., but safety remains a pressing concern because approximately 110 households out of 1,000 still experience theft and burglaries annually. A drop in property crime might be linked to the increasing prevalence of home security and property monitoring technologies, which are more affordable than ever before.
Best Ways to Protect Your Home from Burglary
If you’ve considered investing in a security camera, system, monthly alarm service, or other types of home security to protect your property and your family, then here are some ideas for keeping everyone safe from criminals:
Security Cameras
Homeowners insurance isn’t the only safeguard against theft and property damage. Keeping an eye on your home with recorded footage can be immensely valuable if you ever have to file a claim and need proof on hand to ascertain your claim to your insurance company.
If you’re new to home security and live in an area where crime rates are comparatively low, then you might want to start out with a simple security camera that you can set up in your front entrance outside or guard your front door against the inside.
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Amazon offers dozens of high-tech home security cameras with nifty features like two-way audio, live-stream videos that you can watch from an app on your smartphone, motion-detecting sensors, night vision capabilities, and 350-degree rotation for a complete view of any room in your home, to name a few.
These devices are useful for monitoring certain rooms or areas of your home, as well as keeping an eye on pets and monitoring any suspicious activity in the backyard. Prices for these devices start around $35 for basic models and go up to $200 or so for higher quality cameras that include SD cards for video storage.
Home Security System with External Monitoring
If you don’t want to have to watch your own security cameras, then you could pay a company to do all of the monitoring for you. A Secure Life lists several different companies that offer monthly home monitoring, ranging from $9.99 per month to $45 per month, on average. Some of these systems include equipment in the monthly cost, and this equipment ranges from security cameras and motion detectors to remote key chains and mobile apps.
Companies such as AlarmRelay offer additional services, such as home automation (lights, locks, thermostats) from your smartphone, camera streaming, and insurance certificates, which could help you lower your homeowners’ insurance bills by proving your home is extra-safe with a home monitoring program. AlarmRelay costs just $8.95 per month, so it’s a truly frugal way to protect your home and property with minimal effort.
Dog Training Classes
Do you own a dog with a pretty scary bark? If so, then you might already have a potential home protector, as long as you train your dog what to do in case of an intruder. Before jumping into guard dog training, investing in a “Beware of Dog” sign ($5-8 online) and hanging it prominently near your front and/or back entrances can be a great deterrent for criminals.
According to a KGW News interview with 86 convicted burglars, the presence of dogs is oftentimes enough to convince even an experienced burglar to stay away from that home. As one inmate said, “Dogs are a deal breaker for me. Big breeds, home protectors are the best to keep people out.”
While smaller dogs with yappy-sounding barks aren’t exactly seen as threatening by thieves, a medium to a large sized dog with an aggressive-sounding bark could complement your other home security measures if you train them appropriately. You don’t even have to train your dog to attack, necessarily. You could simply train your dog to bark on command or whenever the dog sees a stranger approaching/entering the home without you.
Keep Your Home Safe Without Breaking the Bank
As you can see from the ideas above, you don’t need to shell out hundreds of dollars for a state-of-the-art security system when there are so many other cheaper options available. Adding more home security measures to your house and surrounding property can help you lower your homeowner’s insurance bill, as well as provide you with the peace of mind knowing your family is protected at all times.
Whether you choose to self-monitor with app-based cameras, pay $150 or so per year for constant home monitoring provided by an outside company, or decide to train your dog to guard the home and protect your privacy, you can’t go wrong with any of these options when you compare it to having no extra security at all.
Ever thought of investing in a security camera, alarm service, or other security to protect your property and family? Did I miss any
Home safety is extremely important to me. When my other half and I moved a few years ago, I insisted we look for a home in a safe neighborhood. I wasn’t as afraid of not affording rent as I was about home safety!
Not only do we live in a safe neighborhood now, but our apartment is actually difficult to reach. Each time I get a delivery, I have to literally go downstairs to sign for it, since everyone’s having trouble finding our door 😀