If you're not concerned with Columbia SC home security, perhaps you should be. The United States is the world’s most burglarized nation, with a burglary occurring every fifteen seconds! And, while we like to think of our Columbia SC neighborhoods as safe, the sad fact is that even in the best of neighborhoods throughout America there are unscrupulous people ready to steal your valuables right from the very home in which you live. The majority of home burglaries occur when you are away from your home — especially when you and your family are on vacation or out of town.
Make Columbia SC Home Security a Top Priority
You can take some proactive measures to make sure your home is a little safer when you’re not there. Improving your home security can also help to lower your homeowners insurance rates as well. Follow these guidelines to improve your Columbia SC home security.
Install a good alarm system.
Most industry experts agree that the most important feature of any alarm system is its ability to act as a deterrent. If a potential burglar sees that your home is protected by an alarm system, he is less likely to run the risk of choosing your house. There are too many other homes that probably have no security or alarm systems from which the robber can choose.
Get to know your neighbors.
While it may sound like a suggestion from the 1950s when the vast majority of Americans thought nothing of leaving their houses unlocked, the simple truth is an observant and caring neighbor can be important in warding off burglars. If you have close friendships with your neighbors who agree Columbia SC home security is important, let them know you are going to be away from your home for a few days. Perhaps one of them may be willing to collect your mail, newspapers or packages that may be delivered in your absence. These are often telltale signs would-be robbers look for when scouting a home that may be unoccupied for a short period of time –– long enough for a robbery.
If your neighborhood has a crime watch group committed to improving Columbia SC home security, make sure you alert them about your plans to be out of town or on vacation. It always helps to have additional eyes watching your property, just in case it was being targeted for illicit activity.
Break out the spy equipment.
With the technology of today it’s much easier and more affordable than ever to connect your Columbia SC home security cameras to your smartphone, tablet or laptop. This allows you to keep an eye on your home and your belongings remotely, giving you an added sense of security, peace of mind and the ability to contact the police if you see something suspicious. Even less expensively, you can install one or more “dummy” cameras that may act to deter potential burglars. Some people use a combination of both real and dummy cameras to ensure they can optimize their Columbia SC home security.
Install motion sensor lights.
Burglars are like vampires. They love the darkness, but hate the light. By installing motion sensor lights the chances of deterring a potential robber are greatly increased. No burglar wants to have bright lights shone on him that may enable neighbors to get a good look at him or be able to provide the police with a good description.
Don’t make your house alluring to crooks.
Most burglars have an idea of what they are looking for when they choose a home to rob. Simply put, they look for the easiest and most accessible targets that offer the highest potential.
So don't make it easier for them than it needs to be by having your valuable belongings in plain view if a burglar looks through a window. Position your curtains, drapes or blinds so your electronics such as computers and flat screen TVs aren't easily seen from outside your home. Keep guns and rifles locked in gun safes or gun racks. Don’t leave jewelry on top of your dresser. Make sure your valuable silverware is out of sight in a cabinet — preferably a locked one. Crooks are opportunists, so if they don’t immediately see something worth stealing they may move on to another house.
By following these and other smart ideas, you can improve your Columbia SC home security. Find more tips for lowering your homeowner insurance rates under our Columbia SC Insurance section of articles under Columbia SC Real Estate Categories to your right.
You probably already know that installing a Columbia SC home security system will give you and your family peace of mind, but are you aware of all the benefits of adding a security system to your home?
Maybe you question whether it's worth the added cost to install a security system in your Columbia SC home. Do they really prevent theft or are they just an unnecessary expense? Do they malfunction often, which can become a nuisance? What do they truly protect against, if anything?
Benefits of Having a Columbia SC Home Security System
1. Installation of a Columbia SC home security system is relatively easy, whether you choose to do it yourself or you have it professionally installed. If you want to spend a little extra money to have an installer come to your home, you can rest assured that if the system malfunctions in the future, the installer will return to check out and fix the problem.
2. Often, your insurance company will give you a discount on your homeowner's insurance if you tell them you have a home security system. You may be able to save up to 20 percent on your insurance depending on your company and the type of alarm system you have.
3. Alarm systems can be installed in different ways, including doors, ceilings, walls and even windows. If you have limited space, you can probably still find room for an alarm system.
4. If a burglar is thinking of breaking into your home, they're likely to be deterred if they see that you have an alarm system. Monitored alarm systems alert the alarm company to a break-in, and in turn they notify police. When your alarm system is installed, you can opt to have a sign outside or a sticker on your house that shows that you have an alarm system. This alone can often-times prevent a break-in.
5. Many alarm systems come with additional features, like sounding a small beep when somebody enters the house or walks into a specific room. The alarm won't go off, but you'll know when people are coming and going.
6. You may be able to attach the alarm system to a recording device. If motion is detected in a room, a camera will click on and start recording any activity. Some alarms can even be monitored with a smart phone or a computer while you're away from your Columbia SC home.
7. You can find an alarm system that alerts you to other hazards as well. For example, many systems will sound an alarm if there's a fire or the presence of carbon monoxide.
8. When it's time to sell your Columbia SC home, having an installed alarm system can raise the value of your property. Since the new homeowner won't have to spend extra time or money to upgrade the house, this can increase the value of your home to a potential buyer.
9. If there are several homes in a neighborhood that have an alarm system, the percentage of crime in a community is usually lower overall. This makes a community more desirable to move into. Check with your neighbors to see how many other homes in your neighborhood have alarm systems.
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Certain home maintenance tasks should be completed each season to prevent structural damage, save energy, and keep all your home’s systems running properly.
In the midst of the summer vacation season, it’s often easy to forget protecting your home while you’re away, since getting packed and making sure you have what you need when you reach your destination are usually the things most prevalent in your mind.Now that summer is just around the corner, we all need to start thinking about securing our home, especially when on vacation. Here are a few basic tips for helping you keep your home secure.
Always Lock Doors and Windows
It sounds simple, but it’s very easy to leave doors and windows unlocked, especially if you are just slipping out to the shop for a few minutes. Unfortionately, this provides a classic opportunity for thieves.
Most burglaries are a result of a door or window being left open or unlocked. If your property doesn’t feature good locks, you can purchase high quality locks from any do-it-yourself store near you. Not only will this make your home more secure, it will also act as a strong deterrent as high quality locks send out strong signals that you are taking your home security seriously.
Don’t Leave Keys In View
Make sure you do your best to keep your keys out of sight, especially from unwanted individuals. If you have a key rack positioned near your front door, try moving it out the way. Some burglars gain entry by ‘fishing’ your keys off the rack. You also need to make sure you don’t have any keys left outside in hidden locations. Some people like to leave a spare key outside. Not only is this convenient for you, it’s also very convenient for anyone who wants to get into your home.
Think of Some Deterrents
There are ways to give the impression to potential intruders you’re still at home when you’re away overnight such as using timers for lights and radios. Also security lighting and visible burglar alarms are likely to put off any thieves as there will be more chance of them getting caught. It’s important if you do have security lighting, that it is placed in appropriate areas such as doorways and access points to the house.
Also, having a dog can be a good deterrent for burglars, especially if your pet does not welcome visitors. Potential burglars will not proceed to try and get into the house if they feel any attention will be drawn to them. In addition, you should close your curtains at night so burglars cannot see any valuable goods.
Most insurance companies will offer you additional things you can do to lower your risk of a burglary. After all, they want your home to be as secure as possible… they insure it.
Some Final Tips
To make you feel safer, if you have a solid door, you could get a ‘spy hole’ installed in your door, similar to what hotel rooms have, so you can see who is approaching the front of your house. Also, you could get a chain fitted to your lock so even if the intruder was able to get the door open, the chain would prevent them from forcing their way through. Furthermore, remove any garden tools or equipment lying around that could be used by burglars to break into your home, and check your home’s surroundings for anything that may help conceal a burglar.
It may sound far-fetched but shrubbery or bushes you have around your house are helpful for intruders to hide, so perhaps consider changing your home’s garden exterior to prevent this from happening. Also, reach out to the community and discover if you have any neighbourhood watch schemes or start one up yourself.
With summer vacations coming up, start thinking and planning now, and decide ahead of time if you need to make any adjustments to your home to make it more secure, especially while you’re away.