Evaluating Your Home Security

Are you doing all you can to discourage burglars from targeting your home? Is your home as safe as it could be? Even if you have a complete home security system, chances are that your home could be safer – and it might take no more than a few simple projects to make it safer. A home security inspection can help you pinpoint weaknesses in your security plan and which changes you can make to make your home more secure.

What to Expect from a Home Security Inspection

In the area of home security, some police participate in a program that provides free home security inspections to homeowners. You can schedule a security inspection by calling your local police department to get instructions on how to prepare and schedule an appointment with one of their trained officers. Many home security companies also offer home security consultations with no obligation to buy anything from the company.

Home security inspections are quick, generally taking less than an hour. The inspector will go over a checklist with you and take a look at your property as a whole to identify areas where your home is vulnerable. He or she will check your windows and doors and the locks on them, and may make recommendations about landscaping, lighting and other things that can make your home more or less secure.

Some of the suggestions a home security expert might make include the following.

• Trim back trees and shrubs so that they don’t block the view from your doors or windows, as well as any overgrown landscape that can provide a hiding place for burglars to hide while he tries to break into your house. Shrubs should be no higher than 3 feet and trees should have branches trimmed up to 6 to 7 feet above the ground.
• Consider using cactus, yucca or shrubbery with sharp, pointy leaves in front of ground floor windows to discourage burglars from attempting access that way.
• Keep the exterior of your home looking clean and fresh. Homes that look as if they are well-maintained are less likely to invite vandalism.
• Any nameplates on your door or mailbox should only have your last name. Anything that indicates gender or marital status can give burglars information about who lives in the home.
• Make sure that your house number can be seen and read clearly from the street. This will make it easier for police or fire department to quickly locate your home in an emergency.
• Invest in a home security system that includes a burglar alarm and alarm system monitoring to alert the authorities if someone attempts to break into your home.

For up to date information about the types of home security systems that are most appropriate for your home, contact a local home alarm company and schedule an inspection or consultation.