How to Identify Security Risks in Your Home

If you have not had your home broken into, consider yourself fortunate. The statistics are not in your favor. If you have had your home broken into, you are fully aware of the feeling of being violated it makes you literally sick to your stomach. Either way, it doesn't have to happen once or once again. You can create a plan to better guard your home. Even though no home security monitoring system is foolproof, if you take sufficient precautions, you can at least dissuade the most determined criminal. Most home break-ins are done by amateurs, simply taking advantage of easy pickings.

Your first step in guarding your property is to know it well. Survey your property looking for the obvious risks such as broken windows that are easy to enter and those that have been left unlocked, trees that may be too easy to climb to get to the second floor, barriers that may be too low, and so on. Are there areas in which a person can hide, especially near the windows? When a potential thief has time to break in, he often can, regardless of the home security camera systems you have. If you have areas like this, then either trim the foliage or put additional security measures in place such as a window grille. Fencing your yard will help in deterring a criminal, however a privacy fence gives just as much privacy to the burglar as it does to you.

Burglars are after high value items that are easy to remove from the home. Computers, cash, jewelry and cameras are all favourites – Avoid having items like these visible from the window. Don't leave them in view and make it a habit to close the blinds or drapes when you leave the house. As the old saying goes "out of sight - out of mind".

There are neighbourhoods, no matter how nice, that are more prone to break-ins than others. If your home backs on to the woods or a ravine, or is close to a subway station, you are an easier target. Having a corner lot is riskier than having a lot with only one frontage as there is more space for the thief to escape. Don't let these obstacles stand in your way of buying the house you want, just bear them in mind when you design your security plan and install the necessary apparatus to cover the risky areas.

As most home security systems reviews say, being aware of your surroundings is often the best security. Get to know your neighbors, get involved with a neighborhood watch and call a recognized security company to assist you with your analysis.